As a grad student and researcher, I believe outreach plays an essential role in sharing knowledge with the public and working toward applied solutions to environmental challenges affecting our planet.
There are a number of great outreach opportunities associated with UC Davis. The Davis chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology has a great outreach program called Watch It, Don’t Squash It! (WIDSI). WIDSI volunteers (mostly grad students, but anyone can join) lead ecology/biology oriented educational activities at local elementary schools. I’ve lead a couple of activities and it is a ton of fun! There is also a EnvironMentors program at UCD that matches grad student mentors up with underrepresented high school students in the greater Sacramento area. Many grad students also volunteer with SLEWS (Student and Landowner Education and Watershed Stewardship), which is run by the Center for Land-based Learning and engages high school students in local restoration projects.
