Coal Oil Point Reserve Dune Plant Adaptations Lesson

This activity lesson aims to introduce 4-6th grade students to plant adaptations and specific characteristics of the dune plant community. This lesson was developed for Kids in Nature visits to Coal Oil Point Reserve but may be adapted to another coastal dune habitat with a diversity of plants. Students explore to discover what factors shape the dunes and how dune plants have evolved to survive. The Kids in Nature (KIN) Environmental Education Program promotes the aspirations and achievements of students in underserved schools in Santa Barbara and Goleta, California by providing quality environmental science education and experiences through place-based field trips, mentored by UCSB students in the Nature and Science Education Practicum, utilizing hands-on activities to bring K-12 students outdoors and to UCSB. The Kids in Nature program is supported by the UCSB Coastal Fund, UCSB Office of Education Partnerships Faculty Outreach Grants (FOG) Program, National Science Foundation project "Capturing California's Flowers: using digital images to investigate phenological change in a biodiversity hotspot" (DBI:1802301) and the Mosher Foundation