Project Blue has Arrived!

 

 

This story could easily be called, “A Creek Runs Through It.” It’s not the sequel to “A River Runs Through It” but a little known fact about the Cal Poly Pomona campus. Curator of Bio Trek Mike Brown recalls stories of how the area we call the quad had to have tiles laid underground in order to keep ground water from turning it into a swamp. Brown said, “If you look behind building 1 you’ll see where a drain was installed to keep Lower Kellogg Creek from running across University Drive.”

That area behind building one is the site of Project Blue which will reclaim the creek and establish a riparian habitat for scientific study. The Lower Kellogg Creek features natural springs that are fed by water from the San Jose Hills near Forest Lawn in Covina. The site will have significance for Cal Poly Pomona students as well as K-12 schools and the local community. The project was funded by the Ernest Prete Jr. Foundation and will include a learning circle where students can gather for study or to enjoy the solitude of nature.

The idea for the project was born in 2012 when Professor Ed Bobich got involved in a campus water initiative. He teamed up with Professor Kristine Hartney who had the idea of having a student contest to develop plans for the project. Mike Brown was a natural addition to the team since he oversaw the development of Bio Trek and the Mesozoic Garden.

Project construction began in May and prior to that service learning students were working under Brown’s guidance to remove non-native plants. Restoring the natural ecosystem is an important part of the project which will include a pond. Bobich is excited about the opportunity for “students to learn what life is like in wetland habitats, learn how organisms evolved, study photosynthesis, and examine pond water that’s teaming with life.” Brown also acquired a SPICE grant that will fund solar panel umbrellas which will supply power to USB microscopes for examining microorganisms on-site, and plant signage. A Campus as a Living Lab (CALL) grant will purchase the microscopes and help fund the removal of non-native plants. The project will also include live webcams or “Creek Cams” for observing wildlife from a distance. Money for the video cameras was provided by the 2015 Senior Class.

Project Blue offers a wealth of learning opportunities in the areas of biology, hydrology, geology, geography, archeology, and environmental sustainability. Brown also looks forward to incorporating the site into his Interpretation of Science class which teaches students how to explain science to laymen, and his Ethno Botany class which examines how early cultures used plants.

Project Blue will be completed in mid-August with a dedication date (TBD) sometime after the beginning of fall semester.