All forms of life on Earth are connected together into a biosphere, which literally means “living planet.” Within the biosphere organisms are linked to one another and to the land, water, and air around them by relationships that enable energy to flow and matter to cycle. Within this project, we will learn about the relationships and interactions within global ecosystems and communities and how organisms have evolved to be better adapt to their climate and other conditions. We will then apply our knowledge to our local ecosystems and specific habitats through the creation of an environmental data collection database. This baseline database will allow current and future students to discover how habitats change and adapt over time. Through out the project, specific emphasis will be on how we as humans have impacted the Earth’s ecosystems and what evidence we find locally of negative and positive disturbances.
Our motto - “Model globally….focus locally!”

You will be working in teams to study different local ecosystems in the Johnson Open Space, Morro Bay Estuary, or Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Wildlife Reserve. You will be identifying and cataloging the flora and fauna within the habitat as well as abiotic factors. You will be using iNaturalist.org and a paper field notebook that will then be transferred to a “field notebook” Google document. You will be responsible for creating a formal PowerPoint or Prezi presentation to demonstrate the characteristics of their specific habitat and how they have been impacted by humans. They will also be responsible for creating a unique artifact to promote the ecotourism of their habitat. less ↑