2010-11 Undergraduate Index A-Z
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Natural History [clear]
| Title | Offering | Standing | Credits | Credits | When | F | W | S | Su | Description | Preparatory | Faculty | Days of Week | Multiple Standings | Start Quarters |
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Biodiversity Studies in Argentina
Erik Thuesen biology botany ecology field studies language studies marine science natural history study abroad Signature Required: Fall |
Program | JR - SRJunior - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | WWinter | In the 19th century, well-known European scientists such as Darwin, d'Orbigny and Bonpland traveled in Argentina and brought their knowledge of the flora and fauna back to Europe. The marine, desert and alpine environments of the Southern Cone harbor flora and fauna very different from similar environments in North America. In this two-quarter program, we carry out intensive natural history studies of the unique organisms and ecosystems of Argentina, focusing on those of Patagonia. After an introductory week in Olympia at the start of fall quarter, the study abroad portion of the program will commence with a 4-week intensive study of Spanish language in Buenos Aires to prepare us for our travels and studies in Argentina during fall and winter quarters. We will begin to study the flora and fauna of the Southern Cone through preliminary readings, lectures and class work in Buenos Aires. We will take a short trip to the sub-tropical province of Misiones during October, then move to the coastal and mountain regions of Patagonia in November. We will study the natural history of Patagonia, beginning with field studies on the Atlantic coast and then moving to the Andean Lakes District, taking advantage of the progressively warmer weather of the austral spring. Students will conduct formal field exercises and keep field notebooks detailing their work and observations. We will read primary literature articles related to the biodiversity of Argentina and augment our field studies with seminars. During winter quarter (summer in the southern hemisphere), students will reinforce their language skills with two weeks of intensive Spanish studies in Patagonia, examine montane habitats, then work in small groups on focused projects examining biodiversity topics. It will be possible to conduct more focused studies on specific ecosystems or organisms, including those in more southern parts of Patagonia, at this time of the year. Clear project goals, reading lists, timelines, etc., will be developed during fall quarter in order to insure successful projects in winter quarter. Examples of individual/small group projects include: comparisons of plant/animal biodiversity between coastal, desert and alpine zones; comparative studies on the impacts of ecotourism activities on biodiversity; or examining community composition of intertidal habitats along a gradient from north to south, among others. The total estimated cost for this program (including expenses incurred over Thanksgiving and winter breaks) for food, lodging, transportation, Spanish language instruction and fieldwork activities (whale watching, national park fees, museum fees, etc.) is $7,575. The college’s current total estimated cost for food, lodging, etc. per quarter in Olympia is $4,005. With the low cost of living and traveling in Latin America, participating in this two quarter program will actually be less expensive than living in Olympia. | biodiversity, conservation, field biology, Latin American studies, natural history and Spanish language. | Erik Thuesen | Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | |||
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Botany: Plants and People
Frederica Bowcutt botany field studies natural history writing Signature Required: Winter |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | WWinter | Our focus in this program will be on developing an understanding of both natural and cultural dimensions of plants. We will work through a botany textbook learning about plant anatomy, morphology, systematics, and ecology. Lectures based on the textbook readings will be supplemented with laboratory work. We will explore how present form and function informs us about the evolution of various groups of plants. Students will get hands-on experience studying plants under microscopes and in the field. Students will also learn basic plant identification of common species. To support their work in the field, students will learn how to maintain a detailed and illustrated field journal. Seminar readings will be on the general theme of plants and people. In fall we will celebrate the 90th anniversary of national suffrage for American women and the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote in the state of Washington, by exploring women and their relationships with plants. We will explore the cultural history of American women's use of plants for medicine making, food, and aesthetic purposes. We will examine women's contributions to horticulture, botany, environmental activism, and biodiversity preservation. Students will learn how to identify and grow herbs through service learning in the Medicinal Herb Garden at the Organic Farm. Through a series of workshops, students will learn traditional medicine making practices. A significant amount of time in this program will be dedicated to honing our ability to write an expository paper. In winter students will also learn library research methods, which they will apply to a research project of their choosing related to plants and people. Time will be spent helping students improve their ability to write a research paper that is thesis-driven and supported with evidence from the scientific literature. | conservation; ecological agriculture; ecological restoration; ethnobotany; forestry; herbology; natural resource management; plant biology, ecology and taxonomy; women's studies; and writing. | Frederica Bowcutt | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | |||
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Drawing From Place
Lucia Harrison |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | Rather than viewing the landscape as an object of conquest or consumption, Drawing from Place explores the role of art and artists in helping people develop a deep personal relationship with a place. This all-level program is designed for beginning artists who would like to learn to draw and to make artworks that are inspired by their connection to a specific landscape. In the first half of the program, as a case study for place-based research and inspiration, students will study the Nisqually River Watershed. Through reading and field study, students will learn the history of the watershed and its communities, study its basic ecology, and learn about current conservation efforts. They will develop beginning drawing skills and practice techniques for keeping an illustrated field journal. Through lectures and readings, students will study artists, including environmental artists, whose work is inspired by their deep connection to place. In the second half of the quarter, students will create a series of drawings inspired by their own relationship with a particular place. | art and environmental education. | Lucia Harrison | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||||
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Field Ecology
Dylan Fischer and Alison Styring biology botany ecology environmental studies field studies mathematics natural history sustainability studies zoology Signature Required: Winter Spring |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | WWinter | SSpring | This year-long program will focus on intensive group and individual field research on current topics in ecology. Students will be expected to intensively use the primary literature and student-driven field research to address observations about ecological composition, structure and function in natural environments. Students will participate in field trips to sites in the Pacific Northwest and the Southwest (U.S.). Students will be expected to develop multiple independent and group research projects in local forests in the south Puget Sound, the Evergreen campus forest reserve, national forests, national parks, state forests and other relevant natural settings. During each quarter, we will work as a community to develop and implement multiple field projects based on: 1) rapid observation and field data collection and analysis workshops; 2) participation in large multi-year studies based in Washington and more distant field sites; and 3) student originated short and long-term studies. In fall quarter, students will focus on field sampling, natural history, library research and scientific writing skills to develop workable field data collection protocols for field trips. In the winter, students will learn to analyze ecological data using a variety of laboratory and statistical analytical approaches, and they will further refine their research and scientific writing skills through the development of research proposals for team-designed field projects that will be implemented during spring quarter. In spring quarter, students will demonstrate their research, natural history and analytical skills via group and individual research projects. Student manuscripts will be "crystallized" through a series of intensive multi-day paper-writing workshops in which group and individual papers will be produced. Research projects will also be formally presented by groups and individuals in the final weeks of the quarter at a public research exposition. Finally, all written research projects will be reviewed by external experts, revised and bound together in a single printed journal-format volume. Specific topics of study will include community and ecosystem ecology, plant physiology, forest structure, ecological restoration, riparian ecology, fire disturbance effects, bird abundance and monitoring, insect-plant interactions, disturbance ecology, and the broad fields of bio-complexity and ecological interactions. We will emphasize identification of original field research problems in diverse habitats, experimentation, data analyses, oral presentation of findings, and writing in journal format. | biology, botany, ecology, environmental studies, field ecology, forest ecology, ornithology, and zoology. | Dylan Fischer Alison Styring | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||
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Field Plant Taxonomy
Frederica Bowcutt botany ecology field studies natural history Signature Required: Spring |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | SSpring | In this program students will learn how to use Hitchcock and Cronquist's , a technical key for identifying unknown plants. We will spend time in the field and laboratory discussing diagnostic characters of plant families. Seminar readings will be focused on floristics, biogeography and vegetation ecology. Students will learn how to collect and prepare herbarium specimens and apply this knowledge to a collaborative research project. Students will also learn about herbarium curation. Several daylong field trips will give students an opportunity to learn about Pacific Northwest plant communities in the field, including prairies, coniferous forest, wetlands and coastal dunes. Students will be expected to maintain a detailed field journal and will be taught basic botanical illustration skills to support this work. One multiple-day field trip will give students an opportunity to learn about high desert vegetation and paleobotany. Through the field trips, students will learn basic vegetation sampling methods that they will apply to a field project. This project will allow students to develop data analysis and presentation skills in addition to learning about field methods. All field trips are required. | conservation, ecological restoration, floristic research methods, forestry, natural resource management, plant ecology, plant taxonomy, and vegetation ecology. | Frederica Bowcutt | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Spring | ||||
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Introduction to Natural History
John Longino and David McAvity biology botany ecology environmental studies field studies mathematics natural history zoology |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | The scientific study of nature is carried out with a combination of descriptive natural history and quantitative analysis. We will develop skills in both areas by exploring the major terrestrial habitats of western Washington and carrying out short field problems that introduce statistical approaches to natural history description. Readings and lectures will cover introductory concepts in biodiversity studies, ecology, and evolutionary biology. Workshops will emphasize the scientific process, statistical methods and probability models as they apply to natural history. We will take one-day field trips to visit shrub steppe, alpine and coastal forest habitats. Evaluation will be based on exams, written assignments and a field journal. | biology, environmental science, mathematics, and natural history. | John Longino David McAvity | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||||
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Invasive Species: Plants and Patterns
Lalita Calabria and Peter Impara |
Program | SO - SRSophomore - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | Invasive species are a critical threat to biodiversity and ecosystems and are one of the greatest challenges in restoration projects. Throughout this one-quarter program, we will explore major ecological concepts within the framework of the threats invasive species pose to restoration and conservation efforts. We will survey some of the leading theories and approaches regarding invasive plants, including their effects on ecosystems, plant community interactions, the ecophysiology of individual species, and how invasive plants become successful invaders at the patch and landscape scale. What are the characteristics of invasives species that allow them to quickly outcompete native plants, alter habitat of native species and often reduce the habitat and food availability for wildlife? At the molecular to organism scale, we will investigate the genetic and biochemical signatures of invasive plants to assist our understanding of their competitive advantages as well as their evolutionary history. At the ecosystem to landscape scales we will study meta-population and island biogeography theories in relation to restoration and conservation efforts and planning, and in the analyses of patterns of invasive plants. Students will learn the taxonomy, ecology and biology of invasive plants through lectures, plant collecting, workshops, labs, fieldwork, seminars, small group projects, becoming proficient in ecological tools such as GIS, field sampling, journaling and herbaria. To deepen their understanding of the impacts of invasive species on native plant communities of these ecosystems, students will conduct restoration ecology research focusing mainly on the Puget Lowland prairies. Lab activities will involve identifying collected plant specimens, preparing herbarium specimens and phytochemical analysis. We will take a 5-day field trip to Dry Falls to learn about sagebrush steppe habitat restoration. Seminar will focus on the current scientific literature regarding the restoration ecology, conservation and invasive plants. Upper division science credits will be awarded for upper division work. | ecology, botany, geography, restoration, and conservation. | Lalita Calabria Peter Impara | Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||||
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Mount Rainier: The Place and its People
Jeff Antonelis-Lapp, Lucia Harrison and Carolyn Dobbs Native American studies environmental studies natural history outdoor leadership and education visual arts |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | WWinter | SSpring | Mount Rainier, known locally as "the Mountain" or "Tahoma", dominates the landscape of the Puget Sound region and commands the attention, imagination and respect of its inhabitants. The relationship of people to the Mountain has varied widely: prized by Indigenous Peoples for a variety of activities, even today; seen by European-American settlers as a potentially vast resource for timber and minerals; and as a wilderness and recreation destination for Puget Sound inhabitants and tourists from the world over. Some of the questions we will investigate include: What do we know about the natural and human history at Mount Rainier, and how might this predict the future? What are the interrelationships of people, place, flora and fauna at Mount Rainier? What role does Mount Rainier play in the arena of conserving protected areas? Does place-based, experiential conservation service-learning lead to environmental stewardship? To capitalize on the usual pattern of late summer good weather, we will begin the program on September 13, two weeks before the regularly scheduled start of fall quarter. This will allow us to be on the Mountain at arguably the finest time of the year. Students planning to live on campus will receive our help in arranging for storage prior to our departure for the Mountain. Students must be prepared to camp in primitive conditions, and must be ready to undertake strenuous hikes and outdoor work. The tenth week of the program will be the week of November 15, and evaluations will be completed by November 23. Students may begin their winter break at the completion of their evaluation process. We will meet on campus on September 13-14 to plan for our departure to the Mountain, and on our initial field trip, September 15-24, we will study the area's natural history, including an introduction to the geology, geography, watersheds, flora and fauna of the Mountain. Students will learn to draw and create an illustrated field journal documenting their natural history learning. An important portion of this field trip will engage students in conservation service-learning opportunities at Mount Rainier. Potential activities include assisting in archeological excavations, meadow revegetation, historic rock wall restoration, trail work or a variety of other projects. These and other program activities will equip students to continue to learn, teach and advocate for the environment. During winter quarter, we will broaden our study to include the park's neighbors within the Nisqually River Watershed and examine the efforts of the various stakeholders to create a cooperative management strategy that protects and sustains the watershed. We will observe and study the natural history of birds in the watershed, learning to use them as a way to teach environmental education. We will also use drawing as a mode of inquiry in environmental education, assist on service learning projects, and help public school students with water quality field monitoring and at the Green Congress on March 18 . During week 8, a four-day field trip will take us to Mount Rainier and other places in the upper Nisqually watershed. Other day-long field trips will introduce us to organizations and the work they pursue within the Nisqually watershed. We will work with the Park and its neighbors to identify potential student projects for spring quarter. Near the end of winter quarter, students will plan their spring quarter independent or small group projects, which will be spring’s primary focus. Students will develop skills in drawing, visual communication, public speaking and graphic arts computer applications to aid in interpretive projects. Winter and spring quarter field trips to the Mountain and the surrounding watersheds will continue to provide service-learning opportunities in a variety of conservation and environmental education projects. As we enlarge our geographic area of study, the Nisqually River watershed and Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge will provide opportunities to study salmon recovery efforts and avian natural history and opportunities to design and complete individual and group projects. A range of place-based projects—scientific, historical, environmental education, interpretive and artistic—will be available. | biology, civics, environmental education, environmental studies, natural history, visual art, and visual communication. | Jeff Antonelis-Lapp Lucia Harrison Carolyn Dobbs | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||
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Nature/Image
Susan Aurand aesthetics art history natural history visual arts Signature Required: Winter |
Program | FR - SRFreshmen - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | WWinter | This program is an intensive visual arts program for students having a good background in studio art, who are passionate about the natural world and eager to learn more about it. How have past artists, philosophers and scientists understood and depicted the physical world? How are contemporary artists re-interpreting and re-shaping our fundamental relationship to the environment and to other species? What is the role of the artist in a time of environmental crisis? Through readings, lectures seminars and focused studio work, we will examine these questions. Individually, we will take the approach of artist/naturalists, and delve deeply into an exploration of some aspect of nature that intrigues each of us. Through research and studio work we will express our understanding and personal vision of this piece of Nature. Fall quarter will focus on intensive skill building work in drawing, painting and mixed media, in preparation for our individual field studies. We will also study critical reading and research skills through lectures, readings, and practical assignments. In the first weeks of winter quarter, each of us will present a proposal for an in-depth, individual field study of a site, organism, natural process or system. During the three weeks (weeks 7,8,9) of winter, everyone will conduct his/her field study at a site either on-campus or off-campus in the U.S. Back on campus in week 10, we will all present our Nature/Image field projects to the program. How will each of us choose where we want to do our field study? You may have a special place that calls you, or a passion for a particular plant, animal or natural phenomenon that determines your choice. The work of another artist may inspire your project. Your field study could be done on Evergreen's Beach trail or in your home town. Your project might take you on hikes into a pristine wilderness area or to the Seattle Zoo. Both on-campus and off, this program will function as a learning community. On-campus, you will need to commit at least forty hours of work per week in class and in the studio with your peers, and you will be asked to regularly present work and to engage in critical assessment, in dialog and in writing. During the three-week field-study portion, you will be required to regularly communicate via internet with faculty and your peers through a program web-site and blog. | aesthetics, art, art history, education, natural history, natural science, and studio art. | Susan Aurand | Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | |||
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Northwest Landscapes
Paul Butler and Peter Impara |
Program | JR - SRJunior - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | WWinter | The Pacific Northwest is one of the most geologically active regions on the planet, with landscape processes that have dramatic effects on its ecosystems. Our focus will be on the geologic history of the area, the processes and landscapes that are currently in evidence, and how these landscapes will adjust under various climate change scenarios. The primary learning objective for students in this program is to develop skill at investigating the interactions of geologic and ecological processes, and their effect on human culture. To address this objective, students will work in small groups to study these interactions in one of western Washington's drainage basins. Each group will produce a written scientific paper, and make an oral presentation to the rest of the program. Background for the projects will come from lectures, seminar, computers labs in GIS and statistics, and field trips. Topics to be covered will include: geology, hydrology, weather and climate, and geologic hazards and related disturbance events. Many of the assignments generated during the quarter willhave direct application to the drainage basin project. In addition, students will write several seminar papers and take mid-term and final exams. It is important that students understand the commitment that this program requires. For upper division science credit, students must demonstrate mastery of program material and be able to appropriately incorporate scientific concepts and principles into their final project. | ecology, geography, geology, hydrology and natural history. | Paul Butler Peter Impara | Tue Tue Tue Wed Wed Wed Thu Thu Thu | Junior JR Senior SR | Winter | |||
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Seven Oceans
Erik Thuesen |
Program | FR ONLYFreshmen Only | 16 | 16 | Day | SSpring | This program will examine environmental characteristics of Earth's oceans with particular focus on marine organisms and their ecological interactions. We will examine topics in marine biology from various coastal and oceanic ecosystems around the planet. Seminars will explore topics related to diversity across a wide variety of marine ecosystems. Laboratory work will introduce students to basic skills needed to carry out studies in marine biology. We will conduct various field studies in Puget Sound, including a weeklong field trip to the coast of the Olympic Peninsula to observe marine organisms in their natural habitat. Through weekly workshops, students will hone their abilities to analyze data and improve their knowledge of the material covered in readings and lectures. Students will be evaluated through exams, quizzes, laboratory exercises, notebooks and their participation in seminars and workshops. | biology, marine science and environmental studies. | Erik Thuesen | Freshmen FR | Spring | ||||
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Student Originated Studies: Botany, Herbology, Horticulture
Frederica Bowcutt botany ecology environmental studies gender and women's studies natural history writing Signature Required: Fall |
SOS | JR - SRJunior - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | This SOS offers opportunities for well-prepared students to create their own course of study and research. In addition, at least four credits of each student's work will be in collaboration with other students in the program. Group activities will include seminars, workshops, lectures and weekly meetings. Student project work will be presented in a symposium at the end of the quarter. Several research topics are of particular interest to the faculty member. Groups of students working together on community-based projects such as installing edible or medicinal landscaping on campus or other public educational institutions, propagating prairie plants for local ecological restoration efforts, or creating plant-themed public art for the Evergreen Teaching Gardens will be given priority, as will students interested in conducting research on exotic invasive plant species common to the Puget Sound region to determine how they might benefit humanity through sustainable enterprise. This might take the form of exploring the medicinal uses of weedy species like dandelion or the use of Scot's broom for biofuel production. Students interested in honing their botanical illustration skills that propose to work from herbarium specimens to create illustrations for the Puget Prairie Flora and/or Sun Lakes State Park Flora projects and groups wanting to study the history and practice of herbology will receive serious consideration during the signature review process. Students seeking to explore the gender dimensions of botany as a discipline are encouraged to submit a proposal. Prior to fall, interested individual students or small groups of students must consult with the faculty sponsor about their proposed projects and/or internship plans. The project and/or internship is then described on the appropriate contract form (in-program Internship or Individual Learning Contract) and submitted electronically as a draft contract. While this program is primarily aimed at juniors and seniors, first-year students and sophomores may be admitted if they can demonstrate through the signature process that they are ready for the work. | botany, horticulture and herbology. | Frederica Bowcutt | Junior JR Senior SR | Fall | ||||
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Student Originated Studies: Local Agriculture
Melissa Barker agriculture botany environmental studies natural history Signature Required: Fall |
SOS | JR - SRJunior - Senior | 16 | 16 | Day | FFall | This SOS will support students in the study of local agriculture systems in conjunction with an internship on a local farm. This program is ideal for responsible, enthusiastic, and self-motivated students with an interest in local agriculture or food systems. Each student will create an individual course of academic learning including an internship or field research project. Course work for the quarter will include required weekly group meetings, maintenance of a field journal to capture on-farm learning, weekly readings, group discussion papers, and a final paper and presentation. Students will be required to attend weekly group meetings. In these group meetings, students will explore timely and relevant issues to small scale, local, and direct market farms and farmers. These agricultural issues may include appropriate scale technology, nutrient cycling, water use and law, food production regulations, finances, and other relevant issues decided upon by the group. The on-farm internships will provide the foundation for exploring relevant farming topics and give a richer and broader basis for discussion. | organic agriculture, food systems, farming, and state and federal agencies. | Melissa Barker | Junior JR Senior SR | Fall |