“Only at Thacher,” he said.

I recently went on a mountain bike trip with students, faculty, and friends of Thacher. The trip was wonderfully planned and executed by our Director of the Outdoor Program (and teacher) Brian Pidduck (please see Brian’s blog for pictures and a description of the trip). After riding up to the Ridge from Patton’s Cabin, we stopped […]

Macroinvertebrates & Biodiversity in AP Environmental Science

Students in AP Environmental Science recently completed an assessment of the quality of Reeves Creek (near Thacher) by sampling for the macroinvertebrates that inhabit the substrate. Based upon the relative dominance of the species, students were then able to calculate a water quality index. The field work involves using the kick-seine technique (a lot like […]

Calculating Biodiversity of the Chaparral Ecosystem in AP Environmental Science

Students in AP Environmental Science recently undertook a field project that involved the quantitative assessment of biodiversity at two sites in the chaparral ecosystem above the Thacher campus. The first site is currently undergoing secondary succession after being cleared by a trail crew last year in order to establish a firebreak.  The second represents an […]