Student peeking out above Swiss chard leaves

Plants, People, and the Planet

Producing and consuming plants responsibly and sustainably for healthy people and a healthy planet

Who should take this experience?

Students interested in the interactions of the following majors:

  • Plant Biology
  • Plant Sciences
  • Community and Regional Development
  • Nutrition Science
  • Agricultural and Environmental Science related areas
  • and more

Students completing GE requirements.

Whether you are a student passionate about environmental conservation, a budding botanist eager to explore the wonders of plant life, or a future leader seeking to shape a more sustainable world, the People, Plants, and the Planet QAS will provide you with an enriching and transformative experience.

Offered Fall 2024

  • Program Flyer
  • Max enrollment: 25 students

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As we navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by our rapidly changing world, it's increasingly important to foster a deep understanding of the relationships between people, plants, and the environment. This program combines a community engagement course with a guided internship experience in the greater Sacramento area. UC Davis faculty from a broad range of Departments will offer support to guide and enhance the community engagement and internship experience. Students will gain hands-on experience, knowledge, and skills that will empower them to make a positive impact on our global ecosystem.

From sustainable agriculture and urban gardening to conservation initiatives and environmental advocacy, you will actively participate in projects that promote ecological harmony,  social well-being, and a global perspective. You will learn to address complex challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and food security. You will also discover innovative solutions that foster resilience and sustainability, benefiting both local communities and the planet as a whole.

Students will

  • Examine how plants contribute to human and environmental health and explore ways to create sustainable natural environments within the urban and rural spaces that can contribute to healthy human development.
  • Understand historical challenges and opportunities to generate viable food systems in the US and around the world
  • Political, social, institutional, and environmental factors in health, nutrition, food & farming
  • Learn about the UN SDGs

UC Davis and the Sacramento region are a world-leading hub for plant-related science.

The Sacramento region is a meeting point for the agriculture of the Central Valley, the rich biodiversity of the north coast areas, and the California state government--where decisions about how to preserve our biodiversity and continue to feed large parts of the world are debated and made. Sacramento also sits in the midst of diverse migrant, immigrant, and Native American communities that offer different viewpoints as to how to produce and consume plants in responsible and sustainable ways.  

Using the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a focal point, Plants, People, and the Planet will engage with the diversity and the limitations of plants as natural and cultural resources in order to understand how to meet these challenges. 

The Curriculum

FACULTY

COURSES

 This experience offers a 2 credit community engagement course and a 3 credit internship course.

Consider pairing supplemental courses on topics relevant to the Plants, People, and the Planet  made available by participating faculty in Nutrition (NUT), Plant Biology (PLB), and Plant Science (PLS).

  • PLS 198 or PLS 98– Community Engagement Course (2 units)
  • Community engagement is a key emphasis of our program. This two-unit course will culminate discussion around Food Justice, Health Equity, and the UN SDGs. Students will be able put their internship experience into a broader context and understanding of sustainable solutions in local and regional food systems. It also include guest speakers and field trips to urban farms and sites in the Sacramenato area. Student will prepare a pitch deck to promote their own selected organzation or ideas related to themes of the class. At the culmination of the course, students will invite their hosts to attend a symposium, including a dinner, student presentations, and time for socializing and discussion to share what they have learned and hear feedback and reflections from community partners. Taught by Dr.Daniel Potter.
  • PLS 192 or PLS 92 – Internship Units (1-3 units)

  • As part of the three-unit 192 or 92 course, students will participate in internships with partners within the community to work on SDG-related projects that build on the themes of people-plant relationships. Internships will require 9 hours of work per week and may include research, field work, literature review, community outreach, workshops and other activities building on the course concepts and discussions. Students will have the opportunity to make a real impact for their careers and the local community. Examples of existing and potential partners include: 

    Cultural Roots Nursery, Yisrael Family Urban Farm, Western Service Workers Association, Grocery Croppers,  and Communicare Health Center

    Taught by Dr.Daniel Potter.

  • PLS 141 – Ethnobotany (4 units) (optional offering)
  • Relationships and interactions between plants and people, including human perceptions, management, and uses of plants, influences of plants on human cultures, and effects of human activity on plant ecology and evolution. Concepts, questions, methods, and ethical considerations in ethnobotanical research. Taught by Dr.Daniel Potter.
  • PLB 111 – Plant Physiology (3 units) (optional offering)
  • The social and natural science of plants. Cultural history and socioeconomic importance of plants. Biology of plants reproduction, including flowers, seeds and fruits. Historical, cultural, religious and medicinal uses of plants. Plants in the visual arts, music and literature. Taught by Dr.Philipp Zerbe.
  • NUT 10 or NUT 10 V – Nutrition (3 units) (optional offering)
  • Nutrition as a science; historical development of nutrition concepts; properties of nutrients and foods; basic nutrition concepts along with the role of diet in health. Taught by Dr. Debbie Fetter.

 

INTERNSHIP, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Community engagement is a key emphasis of our program. As part of the 192 course, students will participate in internships with partners within the community to work on SDG-related projects that build on the themes of people-plant relationships. Internships may include research, field work, literature review, community outreach, student-organized workshops and other activities building on the course concepts and discussions.

The experience will also include a series of fieldtrips made up of the organizations with which the students are working.  These fieldtrips will provide an opportunity for community building, a broad scope of the work of any given organization, consideration of additional career pathways, and the articulation of the work their organization does with the SDGs.

At the culmination of the course, students will invite their hosts to attend a symposium, including a dinner, student presentations, to share what they have learned and hear feedback and reflections from community partners.