Environment

Students Listen, Learn and Lead on Environmental Justice in Davis

In a cozy college town known for bikes and farmers markets, a group of UC Davis students spent their spring and summer doing work beyond the classroom. They immersed themselves in the stories of people in Davis who often go unheard: farmworkers, immigrants, people facing housing challenges and more. As part of a course on environmental justice, they turned those conversations into recommendations for the city’s long-term planning efforts.

Maternal Exposure to Crude Oil, Flame Retardants Can Affect Later Generations

A tiny fish with transparent embryos is helping University of California, Davis, researchers shed light on how exposure to crude oil and flame retardants can affect behavior, skeletal growth, cardiac health and other internal functions in offspring and subsequent generations.

The research on multiple generations of Atlantic killifish (mummichogs) was published across three papers in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

Wheat That Makes Its Own Fertilizer

Scientists at the University of California, Davis, have developed wheat plants that stimulate the production of their own fertilizer, opening the path toward less air and water pollution worldwide and lower costs for farmers.

New Accessibility Hub Brings Inclusive Gardening to Campus

 

Sama Reitzes is all about building stronger communities through good food, sustainable practices and making gardening accessible to everyone. The UC Davis alum earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural and environmental education last winter and continues to grow that work on campus, where she’s joined efforts to install a new ADA-accessible garden and make green spaces more inclusive for all.

UC Davis Team Breaks ‘Big Day’ County Record with 173 Birds

The wind was whipping across a dark, open field near the southern edge of Yolo County when two small burrowing owls suddenly burst into flight. For a team of birders from UC Davis, the birds marked the 173rd species of the day, breaking a county record that had stood for 25 years.

It was the exciting conclusion of their “Big Day,” a fast-paced birding challenge to find and identify as many bird species as possible in a 24-hour period. Their effort – spanning 150 miles of driving, 17 miles of walking and 41 stops – combined careful planning with a love of birds.