WEBVTT 00:00:02.520 --> 00:00:06.168 [Narrator One] The Trinity River Audubon Center is located in the Blackland 00:00:06.168 --> 00:00:09.577 Prairie Eco region. This type of grassland ecosystem has 00:00:09.577 --> 00:00:13.464 historically hosted a variety of unique plant species, supported 00:00:13.464 --> 00:00:16.933 diverse bird populations, and provided the proper habitat 00:00:16.933 --> 00:00:20.641 requirements for a slew of other wildlife. [Narrator Two] Unfortunately, the 00:00:20.641 --> 00:00:24.469 blackland Prairie has diminished in most of its original range, 00:00:24.469 --> 00:00:27.400 shrinking to less than 1% of what it used to be, 00:00:27.780 --> 00:00:31.003 and most remaining habitat is fragmented and fragile. [Narrator One] In 00:00:31.003 --> 00:00:34.453 partnership with the University of Texas at Dallas, we offer a 00:00:34.453 --> 00:00:38.015 service learning program that provides instruction and service 00:00:38.015 --> 00:00:41.578 with focus on subjects such as Prairie Ecology and how to help 00:00:41.578 --> 00:00:45.254 protect birds in the places they need for today and tomorrow, as 00:00:45.254 --> 00:00:48.138 well as establishing a conversation on why we need 00:00:48.138 --> 00:00:49.100 these places too. 00:00:49.960 --> 00:00:53.468 [UTD Student One] What this class means to me, it's that I learned more about 00:00:53.468 --> 00:00:56.684 the environment and how restoration helps and how much, 00:00:56.684 --> 00:00:59.666 like, people can help as doing small things for the 00:00:59.666 --> 00:01:03.292 environment, and it will help out in the long run. [UTD Student Two] This class 00:01:03.292 --> 00:01:06.917 was like a positive outlook on climate change in a weird way. 00:01:06.917 --> 00:01:10.484 It's actively doing something against it. So it was a really 00:01:10.484 --> 00:01:14.168 nice change to see within that conversation. [UTD Student Three] ...planting some plants, 00:01:14.168 --> 00:01:18.027 and getting rid of the invasive species, so it makes you feel glad that I 00:01:18.027 --> 00:01:19.079 get to be part of 00:01:19.730 --> 00:01:23.116 something huge in the future. [UTD Student One] I think the other part about the 00:01:23.116 --> 00:01:26.610 class was going on walks, looking out for birds ... just animals out 00:01:26.610 --> 00:01:29.674 in nature [UTD Student Two] I guess then just kind of like learning what 00:01:29.674 --> 00:01:33.006 species are supposed to --like plant species-- are supposed to be 00:01:33.006 --> 00:01:36.285 in what areas, like, that was really interesting to me. [UTD Student Three] ... going 00:01:36.285 --> 00:01:39.511 on nature walks and going bird watching, because I never got to 00:01:39.511 --> 00:01:42.897 do that before with my family, but I'm glad I got to do it now 00:01:42.897 --> 00:01:43.650 with my class. 00:01:45.390 --> 00:01:49.147 [Anastasia Whittemore] The Trinity River Audubon Center has provided students the 00:01:49.147 --> 00:01:52.649 opportunity to have both an intellectual and a service 00:01:52.649 --> 00:01:56.470 learning component, and it has been very rewarding to watch 00:01:56.470 --> 00:01:59.782 them come back into the classroom after helping out 00:01:59.782 --> 00:02:03.730 outside and light up about the topics that we discussed. [Gary Cocke] This 00:02:03.730 --> 00:02:07.742 class is designed to to define the scope of sustainability for 00:02:07.742 --> 00:02:11.308 students, including the environmental, social, economic 00:02:11.308 --> 00:02:12.710 and policy dimensions. 00:02:13.210 --> 00:02:15.649 ... through the lectures, through the readings, through the 00:02:15.649 --> 00:02:18.699 discussions and through the service, hopefully students are 00:02:18.699 --> 00:02:21.698 walking away with a better understanding of the field, a 00:02:21.698 --> 00:02:24.850 better understanding of where their interests lie, a better 00:02:24.850 --> 00:02:27.747 understanding of how they can create an impact. And then 00:02:27.747 --> 00:02:30.797 through the service that we provide out here at the Trinity 00:02:30.797 --> 00:02:33.745 River Audubon Center, I hope that they learned that their 00:02:33.745 --> 00:02:34.609 personal actions, 00:02:35.080 --> 00:02:38.376 their local actions, are part of something bigger. [Anastasia Whittemore] ... amazing to 00:02:38.376 --> 00:02:41.294 watch, and hopefully more generations of students can 00:02:41.294 --> 00:02:44.590 experience it in partnership with this organization. [Gary Cocke] We need 00:02:44.590 --> 00:02:48.049 a broad coalition of people that understand this, that are able 00:02:48.049 --> 00:02:51.507 to apply their voice and pitch in where they are, with what they 00:02:51.507 --> 00:02:55.020 have, to do what they can. And I think that we're getting that 00:02:55.020 --> 00:02:58.262 with this course. And so I know I'm grateful to the Trinity 00:02:58.262 --> 00:03:01.559 River Audubon Center for the partnership. Looking forward to 00:03:01.559 --> 00:03:02.640 see where this goes.