Education and Outreach at the SDSU Field Stations

Spectacular outdoor classrooms for schools, universities and the general public

Our Field Stations serve as spectacular outdoor classrooms for university, K-12 and continuing education. At SMER, facilities are also available for presentations and overnight stays for classes. Our reserves are regularly used for SDSU classes such as Plant Ecology, Plant Ecophysiology, Soil Biology, Microbial Ecology and several graduate seminars. We also host the annual Ecology Graduate Student Retreat at SMER. In 2018-2019, the FSP partnered with the Sage Project to involve a large and diverse set of SDSU classes in solving real-world problems associated with SMER. So far, this collaboration has brought students to the reserve from such diverse departments as Marketing, Geography, Environmental Engineering and Civil Engineering.

Four Plant Ecology students stop to admire a wild cucumber plant

An instructor points at the hillside, directing the attention of a Plant Ecology class

Instructor, Spring Strahm, points out a vegetation pattern to Plant Ecology students at SMER

Students from a class stand by a solar panel and small radio transmitter dish, listening to a lecture

Students from a Plant Ecology class listening to a lecture near the Rainfall Manipulation experiment at SMER

A group of students stand at the side of a dirt road, overlooking the river

Students from a Plant Ecology class stand above the Santa Margarita River

A class watches as an instructor gives a botany lesson

A Plant Ecology class watches as instructor, Spring Strahm, discusses the plant species at the site

A group of students stand in front of a micrometeorology tower

Plant Ecology students stand in front of a micrometeorology tower at SMER

A group of students carrying their shoes walk across an ankle-deep river

Plant Ecology students enjoying crossing the cool Santa Margarita River

Four barefoot students crossing the river

Plant Ecology students cooling their heels in the Santa Margarita River

A group of students works near a vegetation plot with various pieces of scientific equipment

Students from a Plant Ecophysiology class take soil measurements at SMER

An instructor shows a student how to use a piece of scientific equipment to measure photosynthesis while another student takes notes

Plant Ecophysiology instructor, Matt Edwards, shows two students the use of the PAM Fluorometer to study plant physiology

A male student leans over a scientific device while a female instructor takes notes

Former doctoral student, Ellen Esch, helps a Plant Ecophysiology student use the pressure bomb to study plant water potential in the Rainfall Experiment at SMER

6 people outdoors at table doing research

SMER science day event for local schools

A woman holds a small gray snake while a man touches its scales

Plant Ecophysiology instructor, Matt Edwards and conservation biologist, Kathleen Pollett appreciate the wildlife at SMER

A young woman in gray cradles a frog, illuminated by a flashlight

A Plant Ecophysiology student spending the night at SMER found an amphibious friend

Former doctoral student, Ellen Esch, demonstrates use of a cropscanne to a Plant Ecology class at SMER

2 teachers in front of class of students with map

A presentation in the classroom at our north station facility during a SMER Science Day event

Students standing in an orange grove while a man at a table squeezes orange juice

Students assemble in the citrus grove at SMER, waiting for freshly-squeezed orange juice

A student drinks orange juice while other students look on, orange tree and vineyard in background

Students sample our fresh-squeezed orange juice from the grove at SMER

close-up of a man squeezing orange juice in an orange grove

Jamie squeezes juice for the SDSU students

Students assembled around a table in a grove, drinking orange juice

Students enjoy fresh squeezed OJ in the grove at SMER

A man speaks to a group of students, fruit trees and hills in the background

FSP employee, James Bourdon, speaks to a class about agricultural operations at SMER

In the shade of a tree, students watch as a man gestures, greenhouses and photovoltaic array in the background

Pablo and Jamie lead SDSU students on a tour of the grove, including the greenhouses and photovoltaic array

A man speaks to a circle of students, fruit trees behind him

FSP employee, James Bourdon, leads a tour of students at the citrus and avocado grove at SMER

A group of students walk on a dirt road with fruit trees on either side

Students explore the grove at SMER