This was no ordinary camp. It was Forestry Field Camp, an immersive course in the Rausser College of Natural Resources on forest ecology and managing water, wood, wildlife, and other forest resources. For Das, a student from Mumbai who had never been exposed to environmental science, camp was the entree into his major, research, career, and community. “If I ever say ‘Berkeley forestry,’ that’s one of the first things they remember,” he says about meeting fellow alums. “It really is an incredible community of people, a one-of-a-kind experience.”
That was just the beginning. Professor John Battles, who looks at how and why forests change, recruited Das to join his lab. Not only did he teach Das how to collect and process samples, he also guided him in conducting his own field study and writing a grant proposal and paper, which was later published — all rare opportunities for undergraduates. When Das considered applying to graduate school at Berkeley, Battles encouraged him “to challenge myself and my own thinking and to not be afraid to try something completely new,” says Das, who now works on climate change mitigation at BeZero Carbon.
Das’ hands-on learning and mentoring experiences are hallmarks of Rausser College, which turns 50 this year. In fact, over 50 percent of its undergraduates participate in research opportunities, many of which are funded by private contributions. As environmental issues grow increasingly complex, supporting changemakers who will keep fighting for the well-being of nature and society has never been more timely.
Visit nature.berkeley.edu/giving to support undergraduate research at Rausser College.
