How Traditional Ecological Knowledge Informs Scientific Research

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Traditional ecological knowledge has great potential with regard to its ability to inform and direct scientific research. We will be exploring various aspects of traditional ecological knowledge for the purpose of pinpointing and observing important changes in -- and uses for -- native plant and animal species over time, in order to find areas that would benefit from greater scientific attention or conservation efforts.

How Tribes Saved Bison from Extinction

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

I'm going to be doing my research on how the Indigenous people are reintroducing bison back from the brink of extinction on the great plains. The tribes along the Great Plains have started several programs for the reintroduction of the bison along the Great Plains.

HSU River Otter Citizen Science Project

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

We are interested in describing the distribution and demography of otters on the coasts, wetlands, and watersheds in Humboldt, Del Norte, and surrounding counties. The river otter (Lontra canadensis) is a key bio-indicator of the health of our environment as they sit at the top of this water-based food chain. Unlike most otter habitats around the world, it is thought that the Pacific north coast still supports a thriving otter population. The initial goals of the study are to: establish a network of otter observers; assess spatial and temporal variation in otter distribution; conduct observational studies on otter foraging; assess diet, home range, and site faithfulness.

HSU's River Otter Citizen Science Project

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

River otters are key indicators of the health of northern California's coasts, rivers and wetlands. We collect river otter sightings from the public in order to assess and monitor the health of our local river otter population, and therefore of our local ecosystem as a whole.

Human Disturbance and Anthropogenic Noise Impacts on Foraging Egrets at the Arcata Marsh

Yesenia Cerrillo, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Human disturbance and assessing the effects of humans recreational activities and anthropogenic noise on foraging opportunities of migratory and non-migratory shorebirds needs to be studied further. This study aims at determining how foraging in 2 species of egrets found in Humboldt County in a human used recreational area are impacted.

Human Disturbance Influences the Long-billed Curlew’s Foraging Behavior (Numenius americanus)

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

There have been a lot of studies done on the Long-billed Curlew around the Humboldt bay (Colwell and Mathis 2001, Leeman et al. 2001, Mathis et al. 2006) however not many on the impact of humans on them. This study looked at whether humans are affecting the foraging behavior of the Long-billed Curlew around Humboldt bay.

Human Impacts on Songbird Abundance and Diversity

Chloe Good, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

My study investigates how human disturbances affect songbird diversity and abundance in Arcata, CA. Many songbirds try to adjust their behavior in response to human populated environments; however, adjustments can have intense effects on their survival, and serious ramifications beyond urban settings (Marzluff 1997). My findings aim to better inform conservation efforts of species specific requirements and minimize areas with human disturbances as needed.

Human Perception of Vocal and Visual Beauty in Male Passerines

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Charles Darwin hypothesized that bird song and plumage might replace each other. Other studies have also found a negative correlation in the relationship of song and plumage. I surveyed 40 students in Ornithology and Advanced Ornithology classes at HSU in January and February of 2015. Each survey consisted of a song listening portion and a photo slideshow where each participant rated the vocal and visual attractiveness on a scale of 1 to 3. The results showed a negative correlation and found that more experienced birders on average thought that birds were more attractive than less experienced birders.

Humboldt County GIS Data Archive

Liam del Aguila, Computer Science Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

This project is a webpage and potentially touch-screen kiosk which displays GIS datasets currently held by the school. This includes student and faculty projects concerning a variety of geographic data about Humboldt County. The Alpha version of this website is currently in development in coordination with the library and geospatial faculty at Cal Poly Humboldt.

Humboldt County Unmanned Aircraft Systems Youth Education Training Program

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

This project is led by David Marshall and Tamara Barriquand with the help of HSU student facilitators. The project is a Native American youth outreach program designed to encourage STEM through the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), known as drones. This four week summer program guides high school students through a ground pilot school that will earn them a FAA UAS Pilot's License, while also providing presentations, tutorials and activities related to aviation, environmental and applied sciences, and GIS. One goal of the program is to help underrepresented communities earn a pilot's license that can introduce them to new career opportunities in a variety of fields.