CCB-SEEDS Program
About SEEDS
SEEDS at UCR is an active student organization that connects students to opportunities in ecology. We host field trips to explore local ecosystems, workshops for networking and professional development, and socials to build a community of ecology students. We also organize undergraduate research projects to introduce students to research topics and skills in ecology. Students interested in learning more about ecology and conservation, and/or a career in these fields, are encouraged to join.
For more information, please visit our website: https://seedsucr.weebly.com
CCB-SEEDS Mentorship Program
Many incoming UCR undergraduate students are not exposed to the diversity of disciplines in biology and are unsure about how to find research opportunities. Therefore, the objective of this program is to provide undergraduates an introduction to one or more research areas and the graduate student experience in ecology, evolutionary biology, and conservation biology fields through mentoring by graduate students. Overall, this program will serve as a launchpad to begin undergraduate research and navigate the world of science.
Mentors will be current UC Riverside graduate students in ecology, evolutionary biology, and/or conservation biology fields. Mentees will work with a mentor for at least one quarter, and mentees can rotate mentors each quarter to learn about more research areas, if desired.
For more information and to sign up as a mentor or mentee, please visit https://seedsucr.weebly.com/mentorship-program.html.
This program is a collaboration between the UC Riverside SEEDS club and the Center for Conservation Biology graduate student club.
Gear Closet
Students often lack access to the clothing, footwear, and other gear items needed to safely and comfortably participate in field activities. A gear closet was initiated by the graduate students of the Center for Conservation Biology in part to support the SEEDS. SEEDS students are actively involved in research on and off of UCR’s campus, and therefore would benefit greatly from no-cost access to gear. Additionally, the UCR Gear Closet will have an impact far beyond SEEDS, as students from across campus will have access to gear, allowing them to surpass the barriers to research driven by the high cost of gear and equipment.
The goal of the gear closet is to make conducting field research more accessible for both graduate and undergraduate students by establishing a two-pronged approach:
- A physical closet to provide students with day-to-day outdoor clothing and equipment at no cost. Items include field shirts, field pants, sunscreen, snake gaiters, comfortable socks, and sunglasses.
- A fund to cover the cost of renting larger items: Students are able to use our fund to rent tents, large backpacks, and other larger-ticket items from UCR’s Outdoor Excursions.
For more information about supporting and/or borrowing from the gear closet, please visit www.seedsucr.weebly.com/gear-closet.