Caspers Wilderness Park is roughly 8,000 acres of land dedicated to wilderness and recreation. The area Inside the Outdoors® uses is not open to the general public and has a variety of ecosystems including hot springs, riparian area, oak woodland, and coastal sage scrub.
Students work in cooperative groups at six lab stations to learn how plants adapt to dry conditions in the coastal sage ecosystem.
Participating in a demonstration and discussion of energy pyramids in ecosystems helps students understand the interdependence of living and non-living things.
Students learn geological processes involved in the formation of hot springs. They use the scientific method to determine the similarities and differences between the hot springs and cold springs ecosystems. Working in teams, the students take the temperature, asses measure the pH, the water’s clarity, and conduct a brief plant and animal survey of both ecosystems. They then compile their data and develop a conclusion regarding the suitability of the two ecosystems for sustaining life.
Visit the OC Parks website for Caspers Wilderness Park.