Until now, it has been difficult to explain how extensively the BFS is used. Past calculations were based on the total number of users but did not include the number of days the users came to the BFS or the number of hours they spent there. Following newly implemented protocols, we now require everyone to sign in and out, and with this data we can now calculate the number of user days and user hours.
A BFS regular volunteer (Mike) removing an invasive plant species from the BFS.
I have just finished calculating the 2014 spring semester use statistics. The numbers provided here are conservative estimates. I did not include the active volunteer program, my own hours, the LEEP program open house or the 2014 Earth Day Events in the calculations. It was also evident that a few people and classes did not sign in as instructed. We hope this problem will be remedied in the future as we plan to continue the sign-in policy.
A group watching birds during the first annual BFS Earth Day Celebration
Still, we recorded 4,466 user days and 8,815 user hours during the 16-week spring 2014 semester. These numbers suggests that approximately 279 people use the BFS each week for approximately 550 hours. Weekly use is actually during the active part of the semester, because few use the BFS during the first or final two weeks of the semester. An average use of 2 hours per visit may seem short to some, but this emphasizes the BFS’s greatest asset: its proximity to campus. Easy access to the BFS enables students to conduct independent projects in a safe environment. In addition, the proximity of the BFS to the Claremont Colleges is imperative to providing access to all students regardless of socioeconomic background. Transportation costs and lack of opportunities for field work have been found to impede a student’s desire to pursue a degree in ecology or other field sciences.
Students (Madison and Kristen) conducting research on carbon sequestration at the BFS.
Wallace Meyer “Marty”
Director, Bernard Field Station