2014-15 Undergraduate Index A-Z

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Field Studies [clear]

Title	Offering	Standing	Credits	Credits	When	F	W	S	Description	Preparatory	Faculty	Days	Multiple Standings	Start Quarters	Open Quarters
Advanced Field and Laboratory Biology in Southwestern Ecosystems Dylan Fischer and Clarissa Dirks biology botany ecology field studies natural history outdoor leadership and education zoology	Program	JR–SRJunior–Senior	16	16	Day	F 14 Fall	W 15Winter		The southwestern U.S. is unique in the diversity of habitats that can occur along with dramatic temperature and moisture gradients. Major advances in ecology have been made in these extreme environments, and important work in global change biology is currently being conducted in these ecosystems. This program will use field sites in the desert Southwest as living laboratories for investigating patterns in ecology, biology, microbiology and evolution. Students will learn about arid environments, plant ecology, field biology and molecular genetics. They will also conduct student-originated research projects in both laboratory and remote environments.We will use detailed studies of southwestern cottonwood trees, lichens, mosses, tardigrades (water-bears) and micromolluscs as examples that will let us dive deeply into laboratory and field experiments. We will pair those investigations with broader exploration of southwestern environments to learn about ecosystems and how climate change impacts organisms within them. Students will learn to conduct DNA analyses on plants and skills in microbiology and molecular biology so that they can apply these methods in new investigations. We will then travel to remote field sites in the Southwest to apply these techniques to questions about organisms in southwestern ecosystems. All students will participate in a mandatory two-week field ecology module each quarter where they will engage in major research projects examining the effects of desert-tree genetic diversity on ecosystems and the biodiversity of cryptic organisms. During the trips, students will learn to identify plant species of the Southwest and conduct field science experiments in these harsh habitats. We will also visit environmentally significant sites in the Southwest, including cactus forests, canyons, mountain peaks and water diversion projects. Students will use research conducted on these trips as the foundation for research papers they will write throughout both quarters. Students will receive specialized training in scientific writing, presentation, statistical analysis of data and techniques in laboratory and field biology.This program is designed for students who have a strong background in biology or ecology and are ready for advanced work. There will be an emphasis on student- and faculty-derived research projects, requiring students to do large amounts of lab and/or field work, reading of the literature, writing a research proposal and presenting their work at the end of the program. Students should be prepared for extensive time living and working in the field and should be committed to working through conflicts in group dynamics.If you are a student with a disability and would like to request accommodations, please contact the faculty or the office of Access Services (Library Bldg., Rm. 2153, PH: 360-867-6348; TTY 360-867-6834) prior to the start of the quarter. If you require accessible transportation for field trips, please contact the faculty well in advance of the field trip dates to allow time to arrange this.		Dylan Fischer Clarissa Dirks		Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall Winter
Advanced Research in Environmental Studies with A. Biswas Abir Biswas ecology environmental studies field studies Signature Required: Fall Winter Spring	Research	JR–SRJunior–Senior	V	V	Day	F 14 Fall	W 15Winter	S 15Spring			Abir Biswas		Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall Winter Spring
Advanced Research in Environmental Studies with A. Styring Alison Styring ecology environmental studies field studies Signature Required: Fall Winter Spring	Research	JR–SRJunior–Senior	V	V	Day	F 14 Fall	W 15Winter	S 15Spring			Alison Styring		Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall Winter Spring
Advanced Research in Environmental Studies with C. LeRoy new Carri LeRoy ecology environmental studies field studies Signature Required: Fall Winter Spring	Research	JR–SRJunior–Senior	V	V	Day	F 14 Fall	W 15Winter	S 15Spring			Carri LeRoy		Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall Winter Spring
Advanced Research in Environmental Studies with D. Fischer Dylan Fischer ecology environmental studies field studies Signature Required: Fall Winter Spring	Research	JR–SRJunior–Senior	V	V	Day	F 14 Fall	W 15Winter	S 15Spring		plant ecology and physiology, field ecology, restoration ecology	Dylan Fischer		Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall Winter Spring
Avian Monitoring and Research Methods Alison Styring biology ecology environmental studies field studies natural history zoology	Program	SO–SRSophomore–Senior	16	16	Day		W 15Winter		Birds are important indicators of habitat quality and are often the focus of conservation-oriented research, restoration, and monitoring. We will cover a variety of field and analytical methods commonly used in bird monitoring and avian research. Students will link theory to practice in the field and lab where they will develop skills in fieldwork, data management, and statistical analysis. Students will demonstrate their learning through active participation in all class activities; a detailed field journal; in-class, take-home, and field assignments; and a final project.An understanding of avian natural history is important to any successful project, and students without a working knowledge of the common birds in the South Puget Sound region are expected to improve their identification skills to a level that will allow them to effectively contribute to class efforts both in the field and in class.		Alison Styring		Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Winter	Winter
Botany: Plants and People Frederica Bowcutt and Lalita Calabria botany cultural studies environmental studies field studies history natural history writing Signature Required: Winter	Program	SO–SRSophomore–Senior	8, 16	08 16	Day	F 14 Fall	W 15Winter		The fall portion of this program serves both full-time and half-time students who are looking for an opportunity to expand their understanding of plants and challenge themselves. Students will learn about plant anatomy, morphology and systematics. Lectures based on textbook readings supplement the laboratory work. The learning community will explore how present form and function informs us about the evolution of major groups of plants such as mosses, ferns, conifers and flowering plants. Students will get hands-on experience studying plants under microscopes and in the field. Students will also learn how to maintain a detailed and illustrated nature journal to develop basic identification skills of common species of plants. Field observational data sharing will occur through online citizen science venues. Quizzes, exams, and weekly assignments will help students and faculty assess learning. In fall there is no upper-division science credit. The part-time option only exists in fall.FULL-TIME ONLY: For students enrolled full-time in the program, this is a two-quarter program, which allows students to learn introductory and advanced botanical material in an interdisciplinary format. In winter, full-time students will study algae, seaweed herbarium specimen preparation, twig identification, and help build a database of phenological information on a variety of local natural events including bud burst. During both fall and winter, they will also focus on people's relationships with plants for food, fiber, medicine and aesthetics. Students will study economic botany through seminar texts, films and lectures that examine agriculture, basketmaking, forestry, herbology and horticulture. They will examine political economic factors that shape our relations with plants. Through economic and historical lenses, the learning community will inquire about why people have favored some plants and not others or radically changed their preferences, such as considering a former cash crop to be a weed. In our readings, we will examine the significant roles botany has played in colonialism, imperialism and globalization. Students will also investigate the gender politics of botany. For example, botany was used to inculcate "appropriate" middle- and upper-class values among American and European women in the 18th and 19th century. Initiatives to foster more socially just and environmentally sustainable relations with plants will be investigated. In fall, weekly workshops will help the full-time students improve their ability to write thesis-driven essays defended with evidence from the assigned texts in cultural studies. In winter, full-time students will write a major research paper on a plant of their choosing applying what they've learned about plant biology and economic botany to their own case study. Through a series of workshops, they will learn to search the scientific literature, manage bibliographic data and interpret and synthesize information, including primary sources. Through their research paper, students will synthesize scientific and cultural information about their plant. : The part-time option is fall only. Students electing to register for this option are encouraged to also register for Field Mycology (8-cr), also fall only.		Frederica Bowcutt Lalita Calabria	Mon Tue Wed Fri	Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall Winter
Business and Culture Along the Silk Roads Hirsh Diamant and Thuy Vu business and management cultural studies education field studies study abroad Signature Required: Spring	Program	FR–SRFreshmen–Senior	8, 12	08 12	Weekend	F 14 Fall	W 15Winter	S 15Spring	Good training in business management and cultural competence are essential requirements for the development of successful and sustainable enterprises. This program will focus on the interconnections between business, economy, and culture, with a specific application to trade, cultural exchange, and community development along the Silk Roads. For centuries, the ancient Silk Roads moved ideas and goods between the great civilizations of Asia, Pacific Rim, the Middle East, and the New World. From the time of Marco Polo and Genghis Khan to Yo Yo Ma, the Silk Roads have connected empires and fostered the development of music, art, religion, and commerce. In this program we will study contemporary and historical Silk Roads to envision sustainable commerce of Silk Roads in the future. We will develop learning, skills, and practical knowledge that are necessary to provide a strong foundation and vision for understanding the business and economic development potential of selected cultures along the Silk Roads. We will examine how developing commerce of Pacific Rim can impact the economic future of Washington State. We will learn about international trade, socially responsible enterprises, and intercultural communication. We will learn about the use of money and alternative business financing models. The program will be foundational for forming business pathways to move toward greater cultural, economic, and environmental sustainability. In fall quarter, we will learn the skills necessary for understanding the historical, cultural, and economic significance of Silk Roads and for creating a sustainable business plan. Our study in fall quarter will include learning about community resources, business economics, and social/business enterprises along the Silk Roads. In winter quarter we will learn about intercultural communication, alternative business financing models, leadership, and application of business skills in non-profit and corporate enterprises. Winter quarter will also provide an opportunity for selected students to travel on Silk Roads to China and Vietnam with faculty members Thuy Vu and Hirsh Diamant to study business, economy, culture, and education there. (Students traveling abroad can earn 12 credits.) In spring quarter we will work on practical application of acquired skills in intercultural leadership, international trade, marketing, and developing sustainable applications of students’ business plans.		Hirsh Diamant Thuy Vu	Sat	Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall Winter Spring
Diversity and Dissent in Education and the Media Grace Huerta and Laurie Meeker community studies cultural studies education field studies gender and women's studies media arts	Program	FR ONLYFreshmen Only	16	16	Day	F 14 Fall	W 15Winter		As communities continue to reflect the country's increasingly diverse population, what media representations challenge and support discrimination in our communities, schools and institutions? How can we generate a framework for actions that reject inaccurate representations of human difference, value diverse forms of knowledge and question institutional inequalities? In this program, we will pursue answers to these questions by examining identity, educational history, cultural studies and the media in order to design strategies to support a more equitable school system and to create diverse forms of media expression.We will begin by analyzing a working definition of racism and sexism that frames intentional, as well as unintentional, normalized acts of inequality over time. We will challenge depictions in literature and the media that promote the stereotyping of diverse groups. Through an analysis of anti-racist and anti-sexist case study research and the media, we will also explore the lived experiences of diverse populations whose identities are often impacted by assumptions and disparities found in communities and school settings based upon the social construction of race and gender and the stereotyping of immigrant students. In order to break down such assumptions, students will engage in community service, writing and media analysis over the course of the program. In the fall, community service will take the form of student engagement in student groups at Evergreen, followed by collaborations with community-based organizations in winter.In addition, we will investigate specific everyday actions that media artists, activists and educators generate to confront these inequalities. By incorporating media and writing workshops, qualitative research methods such as interviews and participant observation, we will collect various sources of data and present our work which documents how specific counter-narratives can be created that affirm and support diverse learners to achieve within their schools and communities. Writing workshops will help students develop skills in critical analysis and media analysis, while media workshops (which may include photography, digital video and/or new media) will helps students develop skills in visual literacy and visual expression. Lastly, we will demonstrate our understanding of everyday anti-racist/anti-sexist practices by creating presentations that merge theory, community service and writing. Possible themes that may emerge through our own study may include examining the community and students' funds of knowledge, the use alternative media outlets and the arts as tools of empowerment which specifically recognize our collective cultural hybridity. This program will provide background knowledge and skill development for students interested in careers in teaching, media production, cultural studies and community service.		Grace Huerta Laurie Meeker	Mon Tue Thu	Freshmen FR	Fall	Fall Winter
Environmental Analysis Abir Biswas, Carri LeRoy and Clyde Barlow biology chemistry ecology environmental studies field studies geology writing Signature Required: Winter Spring	Program	SO–SRSophomore–Senior	16	16	Day	F 14 Fall	W 15Winter	S 15Spring	Well-designed and accurate chemical, ecological and geological measurements are key to assessing the biogeochemistry of natural ecosystems. This is a field- and laboratory-intensive science program designed for students with solid preparations in general chemistry, biology, geology and precalculus math who want to pursue more advanced investigations of bio-geo-chemical systems. Students will study statistics, geochemistry, analytical chemistry, freshwater ecology and GIS programming. Instrumental techniques of chemical analysis will be developed in an advanced laboratory. Program work will emphasize quantitative analysis, quality control procedures, research design and technical writing.During fall and winter quarters, we will address topics in carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, in addition to analytical chemistry, GIS, statistics and instrumental methods of chemical analysis. Students will participate in group projects studying water quality, trophic structure, organic matter and nutrient cycling processes of local watersheds. Analytical procedures based on EPA, USGS and other guidelines will be utilized to measure major and trace anion and cation concentrations and weathering rates in natural systems, and to measure analytes and phytochemicals critical to quantification of leaf-litter decay processes and marine-derived inputs to ecosystem function in freshwater systems. Computers and statistical methods will be used extensively for data analysis and simulation, as well as for work with GIS.In the fall, there will be a week-long field trip to collect natural waters from diverse sites in Eastern Washington. These samples will form the basis for testing and evaluating chemical analysis methods and for developing a quantitative assessment of the geochemistry of the waters. In the winter, students will collect and analyze samples from a suite of ecosystem compartments (e.g., soil horizons, leaves, woody debris, streams, biota) to quantify nutrient storage and cycling on the landscape.Spring quarter will be devoted to extensive project work building on skills developed in the fall and winter. Students will conduct hypothesis-driven experimental design, sample collection, analysis, and statistical interpretations prior to presenting their results in both oral and written form to conclude the year.		Abir Biswas Carri LeRoy Clyde Barlow		Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall Winter Spring
Field Mycology: Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest Noelle Machnicki botany environmental studies field studies natural history	Program	SO–SRSophomore–Senior	8	08	Day	F 14 Fall			This 8-credit, fall quarter program is intended for both beginning and advanced students who are interested in exploring biology, basic ecology, and natural history though the lens of fungi.Students will participate in active lectures and discussions of reading material to learn about the fundamentals of fungal biology, ecology, and explore connections between fungi, humans, and the environment. Weekly labs and field work will provide students with hands-on workshops on the morphology, identification, and systematics of mushroom-forming fungi in the Pacific Northwest. Students will learn to formally describe and identify fungi using morphological and microscopic techniques and learn to use a variety of taxonomic resources, including keys and computer programs. At the end of the quarter, students will be able to identify many local mushrooms on sight, including edible, medicinal, and poisonous species. Several day trips will provide students with an opportunity for collecting specimens in varied habitats and to learn about the natural history of western Washington.		Noelle Machnicki	Wed Wed Thu Thu	Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall
Individual Study: Water Law, Cultural Studies and the Arts Cheri Lucas-Jennings American studies aesthetics agriculture community studies cultural studies ecology environmental studies field studies gender and women's studies government health hydrology international studies law and public policy media arts political economy political science sustainability studies visual arts writing Signature Required: Fall	Contract	SO–SRSophomore–Senior	16	16	Day and Evening	F 14 Fall			Individual studies offers important opportunities for advanced students to create their own course of study and research. Prior to the beginning of the quarter, interested individuals or small groups of students must consult with the faculty sponsor to develop an outline of proposed projects to be described in an Individual Learning Contract. If students wish to gain internship experience they must secure the agreement and signature of a field supervisor prior to the initiation of the internship contract.This faculty welcomes internships and contracts in the areas of the arts (including acrylic and oil painting, sculpture, or textiles); water policy and hydrolic systems; environmental health; health policy; public law; cultural studies; ethnic studies; permaculture, economics of agriculture; toxins and brownfields; community planning, intranational relations.This opportunity is open to those who wish to continue with applied projects that seek to create social change in our community; artists engaged in creative projects and those beginning internship work at the State capitol who seek to expand their experience to public agencies and non-profit institutions; and to those interested in the study of low income populations and legal aid.		Cheri Lucas-Jennings		Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall
Marine Biodiversity Erik Thuesen and Pauline Yu environmental studies field studies marine science zoology	Program	JR–SRJunior–Senior	16	16	Day			S 15Spring	This program focuses on learning the identity and evolutionary relationships of marine multicellular organisms. Oceans support an extremely diverse group of autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms, which together comprise an important fraction of Earth’s biodiversity. The proximity of Evergreen's campus to various marine habitats provides excellent opportunities to study many diverse groups of organisms. Emphasis will be placed on learning the regional marine flora and fauna. Students will learn fundamental laboratory and field techniques and will be required to complete a research project utilizing the available microscopy facilities (light and scanning electron microscopes). Workshops on the statistical analysis of biodiversity will provide a quantitative aspect to our work. This program will include extensive work in both the lab and field.		Erik Thuesen Pauline Yu		Junior JR Senior SR	Spring	Spring
Musical Cities Stephanie Kozick and Andrea Gullickson aesthetics architecture cultural studies field studies literature music sociology writing	Program	SO–SRSophomore–Senior	16	16	Day	F 14 Fall	W 15Winter	S 15Spring	Alfred Lord Tennyson This program is a yearlong academic inquiry into the paired realms of music and the city. The history of modern music sits squarely in the emergence of cities. Can we get an impression of the waltz without getting an impression of 18th-century Vienna? Can we consider New Orleans without considering jazz? And certainly, urban recording companies, such as Cincinnati’s King Records in the late 1940s to early 1960s, influenced what urban dwellers listened to. The connected study of these aspects of society—music and cities—creates a lively academic journey. Inquiry in this program will bring to light how cities and music interact with one another, how each changes the essence of the other, how each are expressions of culture. Music and cities are “characters” for deep consideration. The distinct topics of urban life and urban music will be explored through familiar modes of inquiry: readings, workshops, writing and listening. Furthermore, work that combines the two topics will move us to understand their interface. Fiction, such as (Seth, 2000), a tale set in Venice and Vienna that explores how music can both unite and divide, helps portray the urban, international music scene. Kurt Ambruster’s nonfiction (2011) connects the topics through a historical perspective. There are also specific collected urban sound experiments to think about: John Cage’s New York City art and score is one such experiment, and Steve Reich’s minimalist composition is another. This program will experiment with its own collection of city sounds through student fieldwork projects. In this program, expect to develop a new language to express what you are hearing and learning about in the world of music and cities. You will learn to listen critically, to become familiar with genres of music and to understand music’s cultural implications. At the same time you will be immersed in the concept of “city” by experiencing others’ visions of cities, how we navigate urban environments and how we change them. Fall and winter in-class work will be punctuated with fieldwork to explore the sounds of nearby cities. In spring, students will have the opportunity to design a field study that investigates the urban/music significance of a city of your choice and means. A formal field study proposal will be required as a tool to plan a five-week field study.		Stephanie Kozick Andrea Gullickson	Mon Tue Wed Thu	Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall Winter
Ornithology Alison Styring biology ecology environmental studies field studies natural history zoology	Program	SO–SRSophomore–Senior	16	16	Day	F 14 Fall			Birds are among the most diverse vertebrates found on the earth. We will explore the causes of this incredible diversity through a well-rounded investigation of general bird biology, the evolution of flight (and its implications) and the complex ecological interactions of birds with their environments. This program has considerable field and lab components and students will be expected to develop strong bird identification skills, including Latin names, and extensive knowledge of avian anatomy and physiology. We will learn a variety of field and analytical techniques currently used in bird monitoring and research. We will take several day trips to field sites in the Puget Sound region throughout the quarter to hone our bird-watching skills and practice field-monitoring techniques. Students will keep field journals documenting their skill development in species identification and proficiency in a variety of field methodologies. Learning will also be assessed through exams, quizzes, field assignments, group work and participation.		Alison Styring		Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall
Practice of Sustainable Agriculture: Fall David Muehleisen and Paul Przybylowicz agriculture biology botany ecology field studies sustainability studies Signature Required: Fall	Program	FR–SRFreshmen–Senior	16	16	Day	F 14 Fall			This is the third quarter of a spring-summer-fall program.This three-quarter program (spring, summer and fall quarters) will explore the details of sustainable food production systems using the underlying sciences as a framework. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of agriculture, the various topical threads (botany, soils, horticulture, business etc.) will be presented throughout all three quarters, and while our primary focus will be on small-scale organic production, we will examine a variety of production systems. Our focus will be on the scientific underpinning and practical applications critical for growing food using ecologically informed methods, along with the management and business skills appropriate for small-scale production.We will be studying and working on the Evergreen Organic Farm through an entire growing season, from starting seed to the sale of farm products. The farm includes an on-campus market stand and CSA as well as a variety of other demonstration areas. All students will work on the farm every week to gain practical experiential learning. This program is rigorous both physically and academically and requires a willingness to work outside in adverse weather on a schedule determined by the needs of crops and animals raised on the farm.During spring quarter, we will focus on soil science, nutrient management, and crop botany. Additional topics may include introduction to animal husbandry, annual and perennial plant propagation, season extension, and the principles and practice of composting. In summer, the main topics will be disease and pest management, which include entomology, plant pathology and weed biology. Water management, irrigation system design, maximizing market and value-added opportunities and regulatory issues will also be covered. Fall quarter's focus will be on farm and business planning, crop physiology, storage techniques and cover crops.If you are a student with a disability and would like to request accommodations, please contact the faculty or the office of Access Services (Library Bldg. Rm. 2153, PH: 360.867.6348; TTY 360.867.6834) prior to the start of the quarter. If you require accessible transportation for field trips, please contact the faculty well in advance of the field trip dates to allow time to arrange this.		David Muehleisen Paul Przybylowicz		Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall
Race to the Top, Race to the Bottom: Interrogating Educational Policy, Law and Media Grace Huerta and Artee Young American studies communication community studies education field studies law and public policy media studies writing	Program	SO–SRSophomore–Senior	16	16	Day			S 15Spring	Educational ranking in the United States and globally has long been controversial, even more so today as student and teacher accountability measures drive our perceptions of what constitutes an effective and equitable American school. How exactly have these perceptions of educational success and failure been formed: by history, by legal precedent, by educational policy, by economics, and by the media? In this program, we will analyze how such factors influence our perceptions and assessment of American schooling today.By conducting field research and tutoring in the public schools, comparing and contrasting school practices, policies, local, state and federal laws, as well as tracking media representation, we will analyze the nature of public education and how it has been conceptualized and depicted in the United States and abroad.Our final research project will consider how to interrogate both the depictions of schooling and how accurate depictions play an important role in the shaping of equitable U.S. educational policy in the future.		Grace Huerta Artee Young	Mon Tue Thu	Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Spring	Spring
Reflecting on Activism: Custer Died for Your Sins Yvonne Peterson and Gary Peterson Native American studies community studies cultural studies education field studies history law and government policy law and public policy philosophy sociology	Program	FR–SRFreshmen–Senior	16	16	Day and Weekend	F 14 Fall	W 15Winter	S 15Spring	This program is intended for students committed to activism and praxis. We’ll study the scholarship of American Indian author Vine Deloria, Jr., who drew attention to Native American issues since the 1960’s. We will focus on some of Deloria's essential questions to guide research, seminars, independent projects, and community service. Students will explore ways in which American Indians have been deprived of land, economic opportunities, treaty rights, natural resources, religious freedom, repatriation, and access to and protection for sacred places. We will conduct ethnographic interviews, historical research, and write a series of plays for tribal schools. During fall quarter we will examine how knowledge becomes a tool of social change. We will pay special attention to the differences between the knowledge bases of indigenous peoples and the dominant European-American model. How do these differences influence the political and economic realities faced by Native communities? How does one “word smith” activism and praxis for young indigenous learners? During fall and winter quarters, we will study U.S. history, critically considering the “doctrine of discovery”, colonization, and court and government decisions regarding indigenous peoples. Indian activists, tribal leaders, and scholars from the Vine Deloria, Jr. symposium will enrich the work of this program through live appearances and media presentations.Lectures, films, readings, and student-led text-based seminars will compose the primary structures used by this learning community. Quarterly, students will complete an academic project related to the theme of the program and will work in groups to explore shadow liberation theatre for Indigenous youth. Students will have the option to engage in service learning volunteer projects and internships during winter and spring quarters. Participation in this program means practicing accountability to the learning community, other communities, interacting as a respectful guest with other cultures, and engaging in constant communication with co-learners.		Yvonne Peterson Gary Peterson		Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall Winter Spring
Trees Dylan Fischer biology botany environmental studies field studies natural history writing	Program	FR ONLYFreshmen Only	16	16	Day			S 15Spring	How do trees, and forest communities, function? What makes them tick? What determines the tallest trees in the world? What makes trees some of the oldest organisms on earth? These and many other questions about trees have captivated humans since the dawn of time. In this program we will closely examine trees in their variety of form and function. We will use our studies to learn how understanding of tree form and function integrates study of botany, mathematics, physics, chemistry, geography and ecology.Our studies will be divided between those that focus on individual trees, forests and whole forests. We will also read classic and recent texts about human interactions with trees and how our relationships to trees still help shape our collective identities and cultures. Students will learn how to read and interpret recent scientific studies from peer-reviewed journals and be challenged to reconcile popular belief about the roles of trees with scientific observations. Day trips, workshops, labs and a multiple-day field trip will allow us to observe some of the largest trees on the West Coast and observe and measure trees in extreme environments. Communication skills will be emphasized, particularly reading scientific articles and writing for scientific audiences. We will also practice skills for communicating to a broader public using nonfiction and technical writing.		Dylan Fischer		Freshmen FR	Spring	Spring
Wildlife Biology: Birds and Fishes Alison Styring and Amy Cook biology ecology environmental studies field studies natural history zoology	Program	JR–SRJunior–Senior	16	16	Day			S 15Spring	One of the key elements in conservation biology is the study of organisms in the wild, often called wildlife biology. Originally a field that focused on the management of game animals, this discipline has developed into something much broader, playing a key role in the conservation of a wide variety of types of animals and habitats. Modern wildlife biology pulls from a variety of fields including genetics, taxonomy, animal behavior and ecology.In this program we will focus on two groups of animals: birds and fishes. We will learn the taxonomy, behavior and ecology of these animals in the context of labs, fieldwork and lecture. Building on this background information, students will look at several key issues in the conservation of birds and fishes. These include conservation efforts around native fishes of the arid West, river restoration and salmonids, and management and conservation of aquatic and terrestrial bird species.What is the experience of the urban salmon or the urban crow? How do people respond as deer, coyotes and bears make greater and greater use of their neighborhoods? Wildlife biology is not just about animals; humans also come into the equation. As urban and suburban areas expand, modern wildlife biology increasingly deals with fragmentation of habitat and the interaction between humans and animals. We will examine these interactions as well as more traditional human-wildlife interactions in the form of hunting and fishing.Program activities will include lectures, labs and workshops focused on the biology of birds and fishes and their conservation and management. Seminar will include papers in the primary literature and books and other readings on select topics in wildlife biology. Students are expected to develop their skills in critical thinking, collaborative work and college writing.		Alison Styring Amy Cook		Junior JR Senior SR	Spring	Spring
Wildlife: Conservation and Writing Peter Impara and Anne de Marcken (Forbes) ecology environmental studies field studies geography natural history writing	Program	JR–SRJunior–Senior	16	16	Day	F 14 Fall			What does it take to prevent the extinction of a species? Scientific skills, ecological knowledge, a thorough understanding of governmental process, you have to make people care. This interdisciplinary program will provide students with the tools to develop recovery and conservation plans for endangered species of the Pacific Northwest, and to use writing to communicate the importance of conservation to both scientific and lay audiences. Students will apply a rigorous approach to collecting and analyzing biological, ecological, and habitat data. Using tools such as GIS to develop habitat suitability and cost surface maps, students will learn the importance of developing spatial analyses that communicate ecological information for decision making and planning. They will integrate information into species recovery plans, learning to effectively communicate goals, objectives, actions and options while following federal guidelines.Students will advance their understanding of writing fundamentals while cultivating the ability to shape compelling narratives that engage the imagination. Students will study a variety of science and nature writing for examples of how form and content work together to tell a story. Writing exercises and assignments will help students develop skill with syntax, basic grammar, clarity and form in order to meaningfully contextualize ecological and scientific information.Students will work in research groups to develop their recovery plans, and will work both collaboratively and independently on writing assignments. Lecture topics will include island biogeography and meta-population theory, landscape-scale conservation and ecosystem management approaches, the history and implications of the endangered species act and legal and political issues surrounding species conservation. Writing workshops and assignments, peer and faculty critique, and seminar will be ongoing throughout the program. A 10-day field trip to Yellowstone National Park will allow students to query wildlife managers and conservationists and to experience firsthand one of the most wildlife-intensive areas of North America.		Peter Impara Anne de Marcken (Forbes)		Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall