Title: Urban Ecologist (15 minutes)
Producer: Gary Hochman

“In every habitat, there is change going on. To understand nature, you need to understand how all living things are interacting in the same place, in the same habitat. I focus on the plants; that’s what I know best, but I need to know what’s happening to the water coming into the wetland and what’s happening to the animals in the wetland. I need to interact with all kinds of scientists. I can’t do it all by myself because the environment is the sum of its parts.”
– Carmen Cid

Get dirty and muddy with wetlands ecologist, Carmen Cid, as she explores species diversity in wetland areas of Connecticut. Carmen studies plants in wetlands, but to do so, she also works with insect, wildlife and water specialists to understand the interactions that keep wetlands healthy. Urban Ecologist also includes a video activity, The Nature of Sound. This activity allows students to observe species diversity in a Nebraska wetland, first through sound and then through sight and sound. Students can then compare observations to determine whether they hear better with one or both senses.

Introduction to the Video

Ecology is the study of about how all species interact in any one habitat.

This is like a big candy store.

I study nature in urban areas. I want people to realize that they're not the only thing living in their neighborhood.

Ecology is not something that you do far away, it's something you do in your own environment.

People are part of nature.

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