SRI Sunday: Lenses

The multiple perspectives that we were exposed to over the weekend did help each of us gain a better understanding of Santa Rosa Island, just as how having a wide variety of disciplines within the SURF program itself assists in our ability to see the world out of a variety of lenses and attack problems in unique ways. At first glance, it seems as though it would be extremely strained to search for a relationship between the work of an environmentalist, an artist, a biologist, and an anthropologist; however, this was not the case. Even with such a wide array of potential projects on the island it is still possible to find strong links between each field and to approach the wealth of information that Santa Rosa has to offer in an interdisciplinary fashion.

There are already restoration efforts in process on Santa Rosa, with new plants being grown in the nursery in order to help the island recover from the variety of grazing animals which have been introduced to its ecosystem by humans throughout history. Cause Hanna and the botanists working in the nursery are all involved in this effort, working at replanting seeds that have been collected and sorting acorns to restore the oak trees. This project could easily benefit from the perspectives of all of our guest lecturers. Professor Furmanski could contribute an artistic eye to the project, as well as the interest in engineering that he had mentioned. Perhaps placing key plants or trees in certain locations could contribute to a more stable structure for the rest of the wildlife to grow around or feed off of. Professor Perry, an anthropologist, would be able to analyze areas of historical interest and protect them from being overgrown for the time being. Though this may seem to be more of a detriment to the project at hand, it would be more beneficial for knowing the history of the island and the people who have lived there. Professor Alvorado introduced the concept of varying landscapes in her lecture. She explained how certain birds fare better in an open landscape because they are able to see their prey with a more direct line of vision, while others perform better in environments with heavy foliage, using trees to their advantage by hunting smaller birds which may be hiding or resting there. By giving her opinion to the restoration project, she might be able to predict what kinds of animals might come to live in a certain region if they were to grow certain plants. Professor Alvorado may even be able to share an opinion in a case where growth may be detrimental to the existing life there.

Every lecturer on the SRI trip did have a lot to say in regards to their own fields, but there were subtleties about everything they told us which tied in seamlessly with interdisciplinary studies. As Thoreau states in his quote, it is incredible to have such a wide variety of disciplines that are able to see through one another’s eyes in order to achieve a greater good for the island and all of its inhabitants.