PROVIDING SUPPORT AND SERVICE AS A COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH ASSISTANT TO A CULMINATING SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECT IN AN ENGINEERING GEOLOGY COURSE

McKenzie Table Mountain Preserve, managed by a local land steward, hosts portions of the historic San Joaquin and East railroad grade which serves as both a critical access road for management and hiking trail. Erosion to this access road impacts habit and land management. CSU Fresno’s Engineering Geology class for the last two years collaborated with the land steward to mitigate selected erosion sites as part of service learning. One project focused on a surface and sapping erosion within the railroad bed to protect habit of the Western spadefoot toad. Students conducted a LiDAR survey, Rational Method calculations, sieve analyses, seepage pressure estimation, and flora/fauna identification develop and implement the best remediation alternative. Another project focused on mitigating surface erosion threatening the railroad grade by first surveying the site and then installing geotextile and wattles. Hands-on projects such as these, provide quality firsthand experiences and the opportunity to gain marketable skills to prepare students for the professional geology workforce.