Tucked alongside the library, just beyond the Cascadia food forest is a colorful little trailer, our mobile laboratory, Mo. Mo was purchased, renovated, and beautifully redesigned by members of our faculty and students in Chris Gildow’s art class in 2015. Natural Sciences Professor and resident soil scientist, Midori Sakura uses the mobile laboratory in conjunction with her Wetlands Ecology class (ENVS 220) which is held each year during Spring Quarter. The ecology class is one of the opportunities for Cascadia students to get a Natural Science and an Integrated Learning designation. Our 55-acre restored wetland combined with the Professor Sakura’s expertise in soil science provides Cascadia College students with a unique opportunity to study the inner workings of a wetland in an up close and personal manner.

One of the largest events in which Professor Sakura makes use of the mobile laboratory is the joint campus Sustainability Festival on Earth Day (April 22nd). The Earth Day lab “It’s Not Dirt” is interactive and informative teaching students and the public about soil science (the often forgotten system) and all of the vast and critical ecosystem services that soil provides.

In the latter part of May, Professor Sakura and her ENVS 220 students celebrate Wetland Day with a day full of tours and public outreach (to campus and beyond) about wetlands and their valuable ecosystem services. The students conduct tours of the campus wetlands (with her guidance) for students of classes such as philosophy and ESL classes who wouldn’t have the opportunity to “muck about” in the wetlands in their regular class schedule. They also give public tours which are quite popular since the wetlands aren’t open to the public beyond a short and small boardwalk. Last year, some folks from the city of Bothell participated in the tour. Every year (including this one), Professor Sakura has folks contacting her about when the tour will be. In fact, she has already been contacted by a staff member about the next opportunity to go “off-roadin’ “(as Sakura calls the tours) in the campus wetland.

ENVS 220 – Wetland Ecology is offered at Cascadia every spring quarter. It can be found on Cascadia’s course schedule. You can learn more at the main webpage!