As the high school students hiked along the nature trail at Scripps Coastal Reserve, José Waterton, a doctoral student in plant ecology at UC San Diego, pointed out native species like telegraph weed, California sagebrush and California buckwheat along the way and explained the ecological disturbances caused by invasive plants, such as ice plant and wild mustard.
The guided hike through this gem of the UC Natural Reserve Systemwas the first activity of a weeklong science program for students called Californian Shaman. With a hands-on approach that starts in the field, students learn about native plants, their traditional uses by the Kumeyaay tribal band and modern analytic techniques for studying plant compounds of interest.