Information about Kalkar Pond Internships

What is Kalkar Pond?

Kalkar Pond is a 1.5 acre pond located in a 4 acre wetland/open space located adjacent to the base of campus. It is located on private land, owned by a group of homeowners who manage it for the benefit of habitat, creatures that live in the habitat, and humans that live around the habitat. This creates an interesting set of real-world issues that often face ecologists who need to balance the needs of the natural world, and the humans who are a part of the natural world.

Why do an internship at Kalkar Pond?

The pond is a remarkable, and fairly rare ecosystem - a thriving wetland within the bounds of a city. It is home to a wide variety of animals, plants, and other life that have few other places locally to live. It provides many opportunities for:

learning about wetland ecosystems
helping to protect and enhance the environment
doing observation, journaling and nature study
performing a variety of types of biological, ecological, artistic, and engineering research
getting experience in policy related to regulation, working with NGOs and homeowner interests
using your creative and physical efforts to have a tangible impact on an ecosystem

Which ENVS internship types are supported?

Kalkar Pond internships can potentially be any of the ENVS courses (83, 84, 183, 183A/B). See the ENVS comparison chart to understand the differences.

Who can participate?

ENVS internships are open to both ENVS and non-ENVS majors. There are projects that could be completed at the Kalkar Pond in a diversity of majors such as Environmental Studies, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (and other Biology majors), Computer Engineering, Art, Earth Sciences, History, and Environmental Science.

What qualifies me for this internship?

Although experience and background are very helpful, the main qualification is passion in one or more of these topics:

Birds - Kalkar is a birding hotspot, and a lot of the restoration work is to create bird habitat. A strong interest in birds is an asset.
Amphibians - Wetlands are for amphibians, so a lot of ecological work here involves thinking about how our interventions impact amphibians.
Arthropods, especially insects - Insects play important roles in a wetland ecosystem, including pollinating, being a food source, decomposition/nutrient cycling, habitat modification.
Aquatic plants, algae, phytoplankton and zooplankton - These form the base of the trophic structure of a wetland.
Geology - Kalkar sits in the remnants of a unique limestone quarry that was active until 1969, and it is part of the larger karst system that surrounds it.
Water chemistry fundamentally impacts the life at Kalkar, so understanding these impacts and monitoring water chemistry is important.
Hydrology/hydraulics - The natural and engineered flow of water in the pond have deep and interconnected impacts on the ecology of Kalkar.
History - Kalkar Pond is the biggest headwater of the creek that Santa Cruz was named after, and the water of this area has a rich history.
Art - Fiber art with wetland plants like bulrush and cattails has interesting artistic and cultural applications.
Engineering - Technology has many potential uses for automated monitoring and analyzing of animal behavior and ecological variables.

How do I get started?

To intern at Kalkar:

Send a message to Ron (the Kalkar Pond manager) Tell us what you are interested in (either specifically for an internship at Kalkar or generally if you aren't sure yet).
Select a faculty advisor to talk to about sponsoring your internship.
Reach out to the ENVS Internship Program to discuss the ENVS internship program details.
View our listing on the UCSC Internship page for additional information.
If we have space, and you have a willing sponsor, and you are excited about participating, then enroll in the appropriate ENVS course!

How do I learn more about Kalkar Pond?

A good place to start is the Kalkar website and to visit the Kalkar Pond itself (you are welcome to wander down to the pond).