Growing up, I never really thought of myself as a science person. And my high school science teachers who gave me C’s in chemistry and physics probably didn’t either. For me, and undoubtedly many, to excel in science meant memorizing equations, reciting theorems, and acing tests. Yet, these modes of learning weren’t intuitive and quite frankly never reflected the way I digest, internalize, and interact with new information.
This contrast has been top of mind this year as a PhD fellow with the Bren Environmental Leadership (BEL) Program as I lead high school field trips at the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve (JDLP). JDLP is also where I conduct much of my own dissertation research on how coast live oak trees respond to drought stress across different environments. A year of studying the same two hillslopes has shown me that science is established less by memorized facts and more on the intuition built by repeated observation, pattern recognition, and critical reasoning.
Themes from my research feel especially prominent during BEL program field trips where coast live oak serve an entry point to ecology. Many of the high school students I meet remind me of my younger self: curious, capable, yet unsure whether they belong in science. And then I hand them an acorn.