ACADEMICS
the subtle changes in the environment, the communities of plants and animals, and the ecosystems as we walked along this diverse and magnificent route. We adapted to trail life and this provided for each of us a much stronger connection to creation and our Creator that is lasting to this day.
THE BIRTH OF THE MEGA-TRANSECT I was inspired by our trek in 2004, so we decided to do it again in 2006, but this time for our dissertations at U.C. Davis. If we thought it was challenging to hike the trail the first time, now we added the additional challenge of data collection. The PCT is a fantastic opportunity to study change – change in biological diversity, change in habitats, change in human land use, change in climate, and the interactions of all these factors. As environmental scientists, we realized that this wealth of information was virtually untapped. The trail allowed access to remote areas that were rarely studied. So, in 2006, we systematically collected
A WALK ON THE WILDLIFE SIDE W
TEACHING STUDENTS ON THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL
BY DR. MICHAEL MCGRANN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
hen my wife, Amy (an adjunct faculty member at Jessup) and I completed our masters’ degrees in
environmental science in 2004, we decided to celebrate by embarking on a 1,700-mile journey along the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT), a 2,650-mile continu- ous trail spanning California, Oregon, and Washington. Living on the trail for over four months
involves a complete change of lifestyle. Our daily pattern consisted of waking with the sun, packing up camp while eating a quick breakfast, and hiking… and hiking… and eating… and hiking some more. When the sun went down, we set up our tent and slept
solidly wherever we found a flat spot. We developed a familiar rhythm and watched the miles tick away. Our first 20 miles in the desert of southern California with not much water was very long and hot. We got blisters, watched out for the rattlesnakes, and shared our water with unprepared hikers. Before we knew it, we reached mile 100, then mile 1000, and eventually our goal of the Oregon border at 1700 miles. About 400 “true-hikers” attempt to hike
the PCT and complete the trek from Mexico to Canada each year and generally less than half complete it. Hiking California was a major endeavor, challenging us psychologically, relationally, spiritually, and of course physically. But, we were hooked. We gained an intimate feel and understanding of
data on birds and their habitats, stopping every 10 minutes at each of these sites to record all birds seen and heard. I can identify about 200 species of California
birds by ear and about 80 percent of our bird detections were audible-only detections. In ornithology circles, this survey method is referred to as a point count. Amy is an expert in California plant identification, and while I was completing each of these five minute long point counts, she simultaneously and rapidly described the surrounding plant community and habitat. We repeated this protocol for each of 3,578 survey sites across the entire 1,700-mile length of the PCT in California. I used these data for my Ph.D. dissertation at U.C. Davis and two peer- reviewed scientific publications with my collaborators. The results had important implications for conservation and land management decisions which anticipate the effects of climate change on biodiversity. This Mega-Transect of biodiversity along
the PCT has continued to blossom and over the past decade, it has expanded to include collaborative relationships with scientists
JESSUP MAGAZINE 7
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