Environmental Studies and Biology Lecturer Christina Simokat and students from her Into to Ecology class (BIOL 105) gather plant, animal, soil and water data at the Kelly Trail in Carlsbad's Agua Hedionda Lagoon. Students are assessing a trail extension proposed by Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation to provide more information about the state of the native habitats there.
Christina teaches various courses including Intro to Environmental Studies and Research Methods, and spends a lot of time hanging around wetlands. She is a native of San Diego and her research interests include citizen science and science communication, and increasing diversity and inclusivity among environmentalists.
Joan Didion wrote in 1968, “All that is constant about the California of my childhood is the rate at which it disappears.” A lot more has disappeared since then. Christina hopes to entice students to explore and enjoy what is left of the precious, unique habitats of Southern California. “We have some astounding natural jewels still, and if we understand them better, we may value them more and hang on to them.”
By Mashable reporter Mark Kaufman
Dumping cigarette waste on the ground, which is at best a lame and short-sighted activity, isn't some mindless, subconscious habit. It's a committed effort, explained Wes Schultz, a CSUSM psychology professor who has diligently observed and researched the phenomenon of people's propensity to litter cigarettes. In formal, peer-reviewed studies, Schultz and other researchers observed smokers littering cigarette butts a whopping 65 percent of the time.
