suggestions urgently needed

[Susan Schenk]

 If two heads are better than one, I hope hundreds can work miracles!  
 I need ideas about how to save our field station from development and I'm 
 hoping there may be some good suggestions from the list. The Claremont 
 colleges consist of 5 undergraduate colleges and a graduate school. The
  last college was built in the 60's and  the presidents very much want
  to build another to continue the "Group Plan".
 
 The colleges own a small golf course situated, as is the field station, 
 on land given in trust for educational use, and an 80 acre gravel pit.  
 Both are nearby and could be developed but, although the planners have 
 been instructed to consider all three locations,  several powerful people 
 would much prefer to build on the Station.
 
 The Station is directly across a busy, four-lane road from one of the 
 colleges and consists of 85 acres of coastal sage scrub, oak woodland, 
 annual grassland, and a small man-made lake. Because it is in the middle 
 of the city, a 15 minute walk from the heart of the combined campus,
 we are able to use it in our large introductory courses as well as in the 
 advanced classes, and for faculty and student research. At only 85 acres,
 the loss of even a few acres would mean extinctions.  
 
 We do not oppose college expansion.  However, a number of us feel it 
 would be extremely shortsighted to replace such an unusual and valuable
 resource for undergraduate education with the concrete and brick of a 
 graduate school of biology and engineering when other sites are available.
 A Master Plan is being developed now to site this and other new ventures.
 
 Because much of the academic community and most of the residents of 
 Claremont are unaware of what the Field Station is, we have started a 
 newsletter, planned open house tours, a web site, a public library display, 
 materials for the school district, and letters to the local
 paper when appropriate.  We're also asking for letters of support from 
 people in and out of academia (suggestions as to who might support us 
 would be appreciated).
 
 So, do you have any suggestions that might help us save the Station?
 How do we convince them of its value? Moral support also gratefully accepted.
 
 Susan Schenk
 sschenk at jsd.claremont.edu
 
 Joint Science Dept
 The Claremont Colleges
 925 N. Mills Ave
 Claremont, CA 91711-5916
 
 Fax:909-621-8588