Learning by Doing: ETOX Students Investigate Water Quality in the UC Davis Arboretum

Over the past three consecutive quarters, first-year students in The Arboretum: A Living Laboratory, a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) co-instructed by Dr. Brett Poulin in the ETOX department, have used the UC Davis Arboretum waterway as a living laboratory for environmental research. Students collected and analyzed water quality data, learned field and laboratory techniques, and developed skills in data visualization and scientific communication. By building on data collected by previous cohorts, students are evaluating how recent restoration efforts have influenced water quality throughout the Arboretum waterway. Their findings were shared with the campus waterway stewards, providing valuable information to support ecosystem management and restoration assessment.