2015–16 Undergraduate Index A–Z

Find the right fit; Academic Advising wants to help you.

Leave feedback about the online catalog or tell us ideas about what Evergreen could offer in the future.

Catalog Views (Recently Updated, Evening & Weekend Studies, Freshman Programs, and More)

Featured Areas

View by Location

Note: No need to submit! Your results are filtered in real time, as you type.

There is currently a display issue when filtering for Music Addressing Complexity: Countershapes, Counterpoints, and the Resistance to Homophony led by Arun Chandra. This program is still open for registration. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Get information and Course Reference Numbers for this program.

You can use in-page find (Ctrl + f or Command + f) to find this program to compare it to others.

Natural History [clear]

Title	Offering	Standing	Credits	Credits	When	F	W	S	Su	Description	Faculty	Days	Multiple Standings	Start Quarters	Open Quarters
Biodiversity Studies in Argentina Erik Thuesen biology botany ecology environmental studies field studies language studies marine science natural history study abroad zoology Signature Required: Fall	Program	SO–SRSophomore–Senior	16	16	Day	F 15 Fall	W 16Winter			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 are very different from similar environments in North America. In this two-quarter program, we will 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 four-week intensive study of Spanish language in Buenos Aires, which will prepare us for our travels and studies in Argentina during fall and winter quarters.We will read primary literature articles related to the biodiversity of Argentina, and each student will be responsible for presenting different topics during weekly seminars. We will begin to study the flora and fauna of the Southern Cone through preliminary readings, lectures, and classwork in Buenos Aires. We will take a short trip to the subtropical province of Misiones, then move to the coastal and mountain regions of Patagonia where we will study the area's natural history, 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.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, and then work in small groups on focused projects examining topics of biodiversity. It will be possible to conduct more focused studies on specific ecosystems or organisms, including those of southern parts of Patagonia. Clear project goals, reading lists, timelines, etc., will be developed during fall quarter in order to ensure 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; and examining community composition of intertidal habitats along a gradient from north to south, among others.	Erik Thuesen		Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall
Botany: Plants and People Frederica Bowcutt botany cultural studies field studies natural history writing Signature Required: Winter	Program	FR–SRFreshmen–Senior	16	16	Day	F 15 Fall	W 16Winter			This program focuses on people's relationships with plants for food, fiber, medicine, and aesthetics. Students will study economic botany through seminar texts, film, and lectures that examine agriculture, 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 and natural history have played in colonialism, imperialism, and globalization. Initiatives to foster more socially just and environmentally sustainable relations with plants will be investigated.In fall, weekly workshops will help students improve their ability to write thesis-driven essays defended with evidence from the assigned texts. In winter, 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.This program serves both advanced and less experienced students who are looking for an opportunity to expand their understanding of plants and challenge themselves. This two-quarter program allows students to learn introductory and advanced plant science material in an interdisciplinary format. 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 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 plant identification skills of common species.	Frederica Bowcutt	Mon Tue Wed Fri	Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall Winter
Branching Out: An Ethnobotanical Garden in Community Marja Eloheimo Native American studies botany community studies consciousness studies environmental studies health natural history sustainability studies writing	Program	FR–SRFreshmen–Senior	12	12	Weekend	F 15 Fall	W 16Winter	S 16Spring		Working as a project team, this program has a mission. Students will continue to tend and refine habitat and theme areas in the Longhouse Ethnobotanical Garden, including the Sister Garden (patterned after a medicinal garden we created on the Skokomish Indian Reservation) as well as create valuable educational resources that contribute to the Evergreen community, local K-12 schools, local First Nations, and a growing global collective of ethnobotanical gardens that promote environmental and cultural diversity and sustainability. Our work will also contribute to the new Indigenous Arts Campus. During , we will become acquainted with the garden and its plants, habitats, history, and existing educational materials. We will begin to engage in seasonal garden care and development, learning concepts and skills related to botany, ecology, Indigenous studies, and sustainable medicine. We will also establish goals related to further developing educational materials and activities, including a Web presence. Students will have the opportunity to select and begin specific independent and group projects that include learning knowledge and skills pertinent to their completion. During , we will focus on the garden's "story" through continued project work at a more independent level. Students will work intensively on skill development, research, and project planning and implementation. We will also be active during the winter transplant season and will prepare procurement and planting plans for the spring season. During , we will add plants to and care for the garden, wrapping up all of the work we have begun. We will establish opportunities to share the garden and our newly created educational materials, effectively enabling the garden to "branch out." This program requires commitment to a meaningful real-world project and strongly encourages yearlong participation. It also cultivates community within the program by nurturing each member's contributions and growth, and acknowledges the broader contexts of sustainability and global transformation.	Marja Eloheimo	Sat Sun	Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall Winter Spring
Conserving Wildlife: Landscapes, Habitat, and the ESA Peter Impara ecology environmental studies field studies geography natural history Signature Required: Winter	Program	JR–SRJunior–Senior	16	16	Day	F 15 Fall	W 16Winter			How do we conserve endangered animals? These are complex species, often with specific habitat needs. They interact in elaborate ways with members of their species, other species, and with the landscape as a whole. A detailed understanding of what kinds of habitats species need, and how these habitats are distributed across landscapes, is crucial to managing landscapes to ensure future survival of particular species.This upper-division program will focus on examining and analyzing the habitat needs of endangered species. Students will learn, develop and apply an intricate interdisciplinary suite of knowledge and techniques that include spatial analysis; ecological modeling; integration of scientific, legal and political information; and computer tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to develop habitat conservation plans for threatened and endangered species as listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973. Students will apply a rigorous approach to collecting and analyzing biological, ecological, and habitat data, using GIS to develop habitat suitability models 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 habitat conservation plans (HCPs), learning to effectively communicate goals, objectives, actions and options while following federal guidelines.Habitat analysis will be conducted at the landscape scale, integrating the disciplines of landscape ecology with wildlife habitat analysis, wildlife biology, and habitat conservation planning. As a final project, students will develop and present a formal HCP for a threatened or endangered Pacific Northwest species. Students will be required to understand and apply legal concepts associated with the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and develop an understanding of stakeholders’ concerns and related issues surrounding resource users that may or may not come into conflict with the conservation of their selected species. Lectures will cover the areas of landscape ecology, island biogeography and meta-population theory, spatial analysis, GIS, wildlife habitat analysis, and habitat conservation planning. Guest speakers will present recent case studies and approaches to conservation planning. Field trips to locations where wildlife management and conservation are occurring will expose students to methods of habitat assessment, conservation and restoration.	Peter Impara	Tue Tue Wed Thu	Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall Winter
Engaging with the Endangered Northwest Rebecca Chamberlain and Nancy Parkes Native American studies communication cultural studies ecology environmental studies literature natural history sustainability studies writing	Program	FR–SRFreshmen–Senior	8	08	Evening and Weekend	F 15 Fall	W 16Winter			The Pacific Northwest is home to pressing environmental issues, including coal and oil exports, loss of habitat, water quality, fisheries, and effects of global warming. The coal industry wants to use Northwest ports for shipping to Asia, which could result in 100 million tons of coal being shipped through the region by rail. A dozen oil pipelines are proposed, and trains carrying oil have derailed in other regions. Will these projects, as opponents contend, endanger both Northwest peoples and the environment? Or as proponents--including many labor unions--argue, would they bring critical jobs to economically dislocated and disadvantaged areas? What entities have the power to decide whether these projects will be built? What methods can be used to get clear information to those who are affected? What are the human health and environmental risks from coal dust, train wrecks, and potential oil spills? How do citizens become engaged? What is the role of indigenous communities? What are the roles of advocates, allies, and supporters--on both sides--and how do these positions grow out of environmental and other histories?In engaging with these issues, we will ask, how do we speak meaningfully about our relationship to the natural world? We will learn how stories and ethnography empower individuals and communities to understand their connection to place. Through a practice of writing, and study of both eco-criticism and natural history literature, we will examine concepts and values around wilderness and the human connection to the natural world. We will consider the traditional division between labor and environmental interests, its roots, and whether these two groups may be able to foster collaborations that address both jobs and environmental protection. Our work will include analysis of disparate views and values, and common ground among environmental groups, tribes,	Rebecca Chamberlain Nancy Parkes	Mon Mon Wed Wed Sat Sun Sun	Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall Winter
Environmental Health: Science, Policy and Social Justice Russell Lidman and Carrie Parr (Pucko) American studies Native American studies agriculture community studies cultural studies ecology economics environmental studies government health hydrology law and government policy law and public policy natural history philosophy sustainability studies	Program	FR–SRFreshmen–Senior	16	16	Day	F 15 Fall	W 16Winter			How do we make health a public priority? How do we respond to potential hazards? This introductory program considers problems related to public and environmental health in a broader context of the key frameworks of population, consumption and sustainability. We will explore the broad conditions that shape environmental health, both for humans and for ecosystems. Examining the workings of non-governmental organizations, we will be moving across and between questions of science, public policy (from municipal to international) and social justice. The program goal is to understand emerging strategies and solutions for ecological sustainability - from regional monitoring to UN negotiations. We will examine models, evidence and debates about the sources, causal connections and impacts of environmental hazards. We will be learning about existing and emergent regulatory science in conjunction with evolving systems of law, and a broad array of community responses.In the fall, we will dedicate ourselves to bridging scientific, policy and social perspectives by means of lecture, seminar, workshops and field trips. In the winter, students will engage in small group, quarter-long research projects on a topical issue to further investigate the chemical, biologic and physical risks of modern life, with an emphasis on industrial pollutants. Throughout the program, students will engage in a range of learning approaches, including computer-based collaboration with regional experts, officials and activists.	Russell Lidman Carrie Parr (Pucko)	Tue Wed Fri	Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall Winter
Ethnobotany Grows in the Garden - Late Summer Intensive Marja Eloheimo Native American studies botany health natural history	Course	FR–SRFreshmen–Senior	4	04	Day				Su 16 Session II Summer	During this weeklong intensive, students will spend time in the Longhouse Ethnobotanical Garden at Evergreen learning to identify, care for, and use native, edible, and medicinal plants in late summer. Students will participate in workshops, carry out projects, and engage in daily nature journaling, reading, and writing. Plan to spend much of your time outdoors.	Marja Eloheimo	Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri	Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Summer	Summer
Evolution and Ecology Across Latitudes Heather Heying, David Phillips and Bret Weinstein anthropology biology consciousness studies ecology environmental studies field studies natural history philosophy of science study abroad writing zoology Signature Required: Fall	Program	SO–SRSophomore–Senior	16	16	Day	F 15 Fall	W 16Winter	S 16Spring		Why are there so many species on the planet? Why are there more species nearer the equator than at the poles? This program seeks robust, meaningful explanations for these complex phenomena. In parallel, it approaches human cultural variation in a biotic context, addressing the questions: Where have humans traditionally fit in relation to biological nature, and how has our unparalleled within-species diversity been shaped by nonhuman forces? This program will introduce students to a unique and broadly applicable set of analytical tools, and apply them across a range of settings and scales that would be impossible in a traditional academic context.We will study patterns across space and time, revealing the selective forces that shaped the distribution, form, behavior, and interaction of organisms from all extant branches of the tree of life. From mycorrhizal fungi that live in the roots of trees to bats collecting fruit high in the moonlit canopy, organisms are best understood embedded in the context of the forces that gave rise to them.Though all sciences share a method of inquiry, the theoretical toolkit necessary to understand complex biological systems is different from the more familiar tools of the fundamental sciences, such as chemistry and physics. When an insect extracts nutrients from a leaf by detoxifying compounds built to deter herbivory, both the insect, and the plant whose leaf is consumed, have invested resources in an objective, and their gains and losses can be evaluated in terms similar to those in economics and engineering. We will apply concepts such as sunk costs, zero-sum game, and adaptive landscapes across systems and taxa.We will compare Pacific Northwest rainforest to the Ecuadorian Amazon, witnessing ecology’s most extreme, ubiquitous, and mysterious species-diversity pattern: the latitudinal diversity gradient. We will compare the Amazon at Earth’s most species-rich location—Yasuní—with equatorial montane, cloud forest, and altiplano habitats, revealing dramatic predictable reductions in species diversity that occur at a given latitude, with increases in elevation. And we will compare the high-diversity Amazonian habitat in the humid lowland east to the comparatively low-diversity habitats of the arid Andean rainshadow to the west.In tandem with our study of habitats, we will seek to understand indigenous cultures that have historically inhabited these biomes. We will consider the impact of glaciation and the role it played in initiating the diaspora of New World populations which diversified across the entirety of the Americas before Europeans arrived in the 15th century. Where there is archaeological evidence, we will interpret it in the context of the precolonial world.In fall, we will focus on logical tools, concepts, and language needed to understand evolutionary patterns. We will investigate levels of selection, and grapple with the relationship between genes, cultural memes, and epigenetic markers. We will take several field trips within Washington to experience relevant phenomena (e.g., Hoh rainforest, indigenous fishing on the Klickitat River, the channeled scablands). In winter and spring, we will travel to Ecuador, visit several sites, and spend extended field time investigating patterns across a tropical landscape of unparalleled diversity.	Heather Heying David Phillips Bret Weinstein	Mon Wed Thu	Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall
Field Ecology Dylan Fischer and Erik Thuesen biology botany ecology environmental studies field studies marine science natural history writing zoology	Program	JR–SRJunior–Senior	16	16	Day			S 16Spring		This program is designed to provide a premier hands-on experience in learning how to conduct field science in ecology at the advanced undergraduate level. We will focus on group and individual field research to address patterns in ecological composition, structure, and function in natural environments. Students will participate in field trips to local and remote field sites and will develop multiple independent and group research projects in unique marine and terrestrial ecosystems from the Puget Sound to the east side of the Cascades (in Washington).We will work as a community to develop and implement field projects based on: 1) workshops in rapid observation and field data collection; 2) participation in large multiyear studies in collaboration with other universities and agencies; and 3) student originated short- and long-term studies. Students will focus on field sampling, natural history, and library research to develop workable field-data collection protocols. Students will implement observation- and hypothesis-driven field projects. We will learn to analyze ecological data through a series of intensive workshops on understanding and using statistics in ecology. Students will demonstrate their research and analytical skills through scientific writing and presentation of all group and individual research projects.Specific topics of study will include community and ecosystem ecology, plant physiology, forest ecology, marine ecology, ecological restoration, riparian ecology, fire disturbance effects, bird abundance and monitoring, soundscape ecology, insect-plant interactions, disturbance ecology, and statistics in biology. We will emphasize identification of original field research problems in diverse habitats, experimentation, statistical analysis, and writing in journal format. All students will be expected to gain competency in advanced statistics and scientific writing.	Dylan Fischer Erik Thuesen	Tue Wed Thu Fri	Junior JR Senior SR	Spring	Spring
Introduction to Environmental Studies Ted Whitesell, Krishna Chowdary, Rob Cole and Alison Styring biology ecology environmental studies field studies geography international studies law and public policy natural history sustainability studies zoology Signature Required: Winter	Program	FR–SRFreshmen–Senior	16	16	Day	F 15 Fall	W 16Winter			This two-quarter program is designed to introduce the interdisciplinary field of environmental studies. This field employs the tools of natural and social sciences as well as the humanities to understand and effectively address the enormous environmental challenges of this generation. The program will use a variety of teaching styles, including field trips, films, guest speakers, case study and research projects, as well as lectures and seminars on a wide array of critical environmental issues. Readings will include classics of environmental literature that have inspired and informed citizens for generations, notable contemporary books in the field, textbooks, scientific articles, and a novel. A central goal of this program is to advance students' ability to think critically and in-depth about environmental challenges and solutions. The program will expose students to the following range of topics: climate change; pollutants in our air, freshwater, oceans, and soils; the mass extinction of species; sustainability and sustainable development; ecological restoration; environmental justice; protected areas; sustainable energy; human population and the environment; science and advocacy; and threats to Puget Sound, along with efforts to protect it.Focusing on ecosystems and environmental issues in the Pacific Northwest, the fall quarter will emphasize development of the skills and tools necessary to pursue environmental studies at a more advanced level. This means instruction and practice in using the following: systems-thinking; the principles of population, community, ecosystem, and landscape ecology; ornithology; the study of landscapes and soundscapes; urban ecology; social science principles essential for understanding sustainability and conservation; field research methods; introductory quantitative and qualitative analytical methods; and the general nature of biogeochemical cycles. Emphasis will also be placed on developing skill in analytical writing as practiced in the social and natural sciences, based on research using library databases of peer-reviewed journal articles, and demonstrating competency in formatting citations and references.The winter quarter will take a more global perspective on environmental studies. Students will be challenged to apply and more fully develop the skills and knowledge introduced in the fall quarter through in-depth research projects on critical environmental problems and associated solutions. Lectures and seminars will expose students to a more advanced and in-depth examination of critical environmental problems and solutions around the world.	Ted Whitesell Krishna Chowdary Rob Cole Alison Styring	Tue Tue Wed Thu Thu	Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Fall	Fall Winter
Moscow & Kazan: A Cultural and Ecological Excursion John Baldridge and Thomas Rainey ecology environmental studies field studies geography international studies language studies natural history study abroad Signature Required: Summer	Program	FR–GRFreshmen–Graduate	8	08	Day, Evening and Weekend				Su 16 Session I Summer	This study-abroad program will explore two great cultural centers of Russia, Moscow and Kazan. Moscow is Russia’s Eternal City, the old and the new capital of all the Russias. In Moscow, the group will take guided tours of major historical sites, including the Moscow Kremlin, the Armory Museum, the Tretyakov Art Gallery, Novodevichi Convent and Monastery, and the Trinity-St. Sergei Monastery outside the city. Then participants will take a night train to Kazan on the Volga River, the very heartland and capital of Tatarstan, a semi-independent republic in the middle of Russia. Kazan was the capital of the last Tatar successor state, re-conquered for Russia by Ivan the Terrible, in 1552. It is where the Asian East meets the Russian West, the population evenly divided between the Volga Tatars and Russians. The Tatars are Sunni Muslims, and the Russians are Eastern Orthodox Christians. In Kazan, student travelers will receive lectures on the culture, geography, and environmental history of Tatarstan from the faculty of Kazan Federal University. They will visit several cultural sites in and around the city, including the Kazan Kremlin, the city art museum, and archeological exhibits. The primary activities of the group in Tatarstan, however, will be several ecological field trips to protected areas, such as the Volga-Kama Nature Preserve ( ). The group will then return to Moscow, where, time permitting before our flights home, we will perhaps stroll along the Arbat, pay our respects at the monument of Russia’s unknown soldier, lay some flowers at the foot of the statue of Russia’s greatest poet, Alexander Pushkin, or spend a few quiet moments in one of the city’s famous churches, listening to a Russian choir singing a sacred mass. And wherever we go, we will enjoy Russian and Tatar food, sights, sounds and hospitality. Application and $200 deposit are due March 1, 2016. You can find more information here: /	John Baldridge Thomas Rainey			Summer	Summer
Picturing Plants Frederica Bowcutt botany ecology field studies natural history visual arts Signature Required: Spring	Program	JR–SRJunior–Senior	16	16	Day			S 16Spring		In this program, students learn how to use Hitchcock and Cronquist's a technical key for identifying unknown plants. In the field and laboratory, they will hone their ability to recognize diagnostic characters of plant families. Students will also learn how to collect, prepare, and curate herbarium specimens. These skills will be applied to a collaborative research project. Through field trips, lectures, and readings, students will learn about Pacific Northwest plant communities, including prairies, oak woodlands, coniferous forests, sagebrush steppe, and wetlands. Students can expect to dedicate a significant amount of time to maintaining a detailed field journal, which will be used to assess their field skills. Another significant focus of the quarter is botanical illustration. Students will create a portfolio of artwork and participate in the curation of a show. In lectures, readings and critiques, participants will study the cultural history of botanical illustration. In workshops, students can expect to develop skills in pen and ink, scratchboard, and watercolor techniques. Students will practice these skills in the execution of a portfolio of illustrations. They will also learn to digitally reproduce and manipulate their images for publication. A five-day field trip to Sun Lakes State Park is critical to the work of this program. Participation in this and other field trips is required.	Frederica Bowcutt	Mon Tue Wed Fri	Junior JR Senior SR	Spring	Spring
Plant Biology Lalita Calabria biology botany ecology environmental studies field studies natural history	Course	FR–SRFreshmen–Senior	4	04	Day				Su 16 Session I Summer	This lab and field-based botany course is designed as an introduction to the evolution and diversity of land plants. In lectures, we will survey the major groups of the Plant Kingdom including bryophytes, seedless vascular plants, gymnosperms, and angiosperms. We will also draw on contemporary scientific journals articles to enrich our understanding of important biological concepts and to apply this understanding to current events. In labs, students will gain hands-on experience studying plants with microscopes as we examine the form and function of plant organs, cells, and tissues. On campus plant walks and field trips students will learn to recognize and identify some of the common native plants of the Pacific Northwest.	Lalita Calabria	Tue Thu	Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Summer	Summer
Plant Ecology and Physiology Dylan Fischer and Lalita Calabria biology botany ecology environmental studies field studies natural history writing	Program	SO–SRSophomore–Senior	16	16	Day		W 16Winter			How do plants sense and respond to changes in their external environment? What are the chemical signals produced by plants in response to external stimuli (light, gravity, temperature) and how are these signals amplified within the larger plant community? This program focuses on these questions through the study of individual plants (autecology), the interactions among plants (synecology), and the physiological interactions of plants with their environment (ecophysiology). Students will learn field and laboratory methods for studying plant ecology and plant physiology including vegetation sampling methods, soil analysis and methods for measuring plant growth, photosynthesis and nutrient cycling. Lecture topics will include plant communities; competition and facilitation ecology; plant growth and development; plant hormones; water use; photosynthesis; rooting; and the potential effects of large-scale disturbances, such as climate change, on plant communities. We will apply what we learn about plant physiology to better understand current research in the broader fields of ecosystem and community ecology. Our readings will be divided between current widely used texts in plant physiology and ecology, historical papers of great importance, and current research papers from technical journals. Local day trips, workshops, labs, and a multiple-day field trip will allow us to observe field research on plant physiology, plant restoration, and the plant ecology of diverse environments, as well as conduct student-driven research on plant ecology and physiology.This is also a writing intensive program for technical science writing. Communication skills will be emphasized, particularly reading scientific articles and writing for scientific audiences.	Dylan Fischer Lalita Calabria	Tue Wed Thu Fri	Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Winter	Winter
Plants in Motion Krishna Chowdary and Lalita Calabria biology botany mathematics natural history physics	Program	FR–SOFreshmen–Sophomore	16	16	Day			S 16Spring		How do plants move? Growing from tiny seeds to giant trees, turning to face the sun, slowly reorienting in response to gravity, and rapidly ejecting spores, plants have developed diverse mechanisms for adjusting their bodies in physical space and in response to their environments. This program will explore the fascinating intersection of physics and botany by focusing on plants in motion. We will study plants in the lab and in the field to learn how the laws of physics constrain and enable their form and function and particularly their growth and motion. Topics will include plant growth and reproduction, tropism, transport, and conversion of energy from sunlight to sugar. Labs will involve both observation and experimentation, including the study of plant anatomy, photosynthesis, and water and nutrient transport.We welcome students new to studying college level science, and will pay particular attention to developing foundational skills in quantitative and scientific reasoning. We will work to create a supportive learning community and to improve scientific literacy through interactive lectures, seminars, workshops, labs, and field trips. Regular assignments and assessments will include readings, homework sets, short papers, lab notebooks, and exams. Students will complete a quarter long group research project related to plant physics that will culminate in a popular science and/or science education demonstration at Evergreen’s Spring 2016 Science Carnival.Students who successfully complete this program will have covered the equivalent of one quarter of introductory botany/plant biology with lab and topics in algebra-based physics with lab, and will be prepared for further introductory programs with significant science content such as Introduction to Environmental Studies, Introduction to Natural Science, and Matter and Motion.	Krishna Chowdary Lalita Calabria		Freshmen FR Sophomore SO	Spring	Spring
Relentless Entomology: The Unceasingly Amazing World of Insect Diversity Emilie Bess and Christophor Looney biology environmental studies natural history	Program	FR–SRFreshmen–Senior	8	08	Weekend				Su 16 Summer		Emilie Bess Christophor Looney		Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Summer	Summer
River Reciprocity Carri LeRoy and Lucia Harrison aesthetics ecology environmental studies field studies natural history visual arts	Program	FR ONLYFreshmen Only	16	16	Day	F 15 Fall				This interdisciplinary science and visual arts program is focused on rivers, streams, and watersheds and is designed for beginning students in art and ecology. Students will explore the role of art and science in helping people develop a deep and reciprocal relationship with a watershed. We will study physical stream characteristics that affect the distributions and relationships among biological organisms. We will develop observational skills in both art and science as well as keep illustrated field journals that are inspired by a connection to a specific stream.The first half of the program focuses on the Nisqually River watershed. Through readings and field studies, students will learn the history of the watershed, study concepts in stream ecology, learn to identify native plants in the watershed, and learn about current conservation efforts. We will work with local K-12 schools to conduct water quality testing, identify aquatic macroinvertebrates, and provide environmental education to elementary school students. The study of freshwater ecology will include basic water chemistry, stream flow dynamics, primary productivity, organic matter and nutrient dynamics, aquatic insect taxonomy, ecological interactions, current threats to freshwater ecosystems, and ecological restoration. The program will focus on current research in riparian zones, streams, rivers, and watersheds. Students will have opportunities to be involved in small-scale group research projects in stream ecology. An overnight field trip will be organized to provide in-depth experiences in the field and study of rivers on the Olympic Peninsula.Students will develop beginning drawing skills and practice techniques for keeping an illustrated field journal. They will work in charcoal, chalk pastel, watercolor, and colored pencil. They will explore strategies for using notes and sketches to inspire more finished artworks. Through lectures and readings, students will study artists whose work is inspired by their deep connection to a place. Each student will visit a local stream regularly and, in the second half of the quarter, will create a series of artworks or an environmental education project that gives something back to their watershed.	Carri LeRoy Lucia Harrison		Freshmen FR	Fall	Fall
Summer Ornithology: Birds in the Hand Steven G. Herman biology ecology environmental studies field studies natural history zoology	Program	FR–SRFreshmen–Senior	8	08	Day, Evening and Weekend				Su 16 Session II Summer	Summer Ornithology is a three-week bird course taught entirely in the field. We leave campus shortly after our first meeting, travel through some of the finest birding country in Oregon, camp the first night in a remote site about halfway to our target location. The next morning novices are introduced to the business of birding, including use of binoculars and the basics of bird identification. The next afternoon we are in our campsite on Steens Mountain, a 28 mile long fault block that rises to nearly 10,000 feet some 150 miles east and south of Bend. Based there, we study birds the majority of daylight hours for the remainder of the course. Our studies are built around banding birds after we have captured them in mist nets and taken them to a central location for processing. All birds are routinely released within a few minutes of capture. Typically we band between 400 and 500 birds of about 25 species, focusing on aspects of banding protocol including met placement, removing birds from nets, identification, sexing, ageing, and record-keeping. We balance the in-hand work with field observations, and take local field trips to provide instruction in the myriad aspects of natural history and local culture in the High Desert of southeastern Oregon. We focus in particular on the wildlife of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. This course has been taught for over 30 years; more than 24,000 birds have been banded in that time. The only prerequisites are enthusiasm for studies in natural history and a fascination with wildness in the American West. Entry level students are welcome. Upper Division credit is awarded for Upper Division work. Two links to photo essays describing aspects of the program are here: and a slide show through .	Steven G. Herman	Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun	Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Summer	Summer
Territorial Expansion: America West and Russia East Thomas Rainey and Geoffrey Cunningham geography history natural history	Program	FR–SRFreshmen–Senior	16	16	Day		W 16Winter			This program will simultaneously examine the expansion of two empires into remote regions, regions that over time became integral components of the United States and Russia. European Americans expanded into the western territories of North America not long after European Russians expanded into the eastern territories of North Asia. Washington State today is as much a part of the United States as Siberia is a part of Russia. These are recent historical events, however, for indigenous non-European peoples have lived in Siberia and North America at least twenty times longer than have the now dominant Europeans. We will therefore investigate the historical, environmental and geographical conditions that led to the territorial and political expansion by Europeans into these “new” lands. We will explore how European methods of land acquisition redefined territory by using mathematical constructs to create new and clearly defined political spaces, some of which (like Alaska) Russia sold to the United States. Because territorial expansion into what became the western United States and eastern Russia also played a significant role in nation-building and national self-perception, students will also examine differing concepts of nations and nationalism.The program will include lectures, book seminars, field trips, and film analyses. Students will have the opportunity to earn credit in the following fields: history, environmental history, geography, writing, and film analysis.	Thomas Rainey Geoffrey Cunningham	Mon Mon Wed Fri Fri	Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Winter	Winter
Visualizing Climate Change Anne de Marcken (Forbes) and Peter Impara environmental studies field studies geography media arts natural history visual arts writing	Program	FR–SRFreshmen–Senior	16	16	Day			S 16Spring		The shapes of coastlines and glaciers, the migratory paths and distribution of species, the length and character of the seasons…climate change is visible in large and subtle shifts, but still it is hard to grasp and hard to communicate. We will spend spring quarter learning to see, interpret and represent our changing world using computer mapping, spatial analysis and presentation, visual storytelling, web development, creative nonfiction, and crowd-sourced narrative. Students will develop critical, creative, scientific and technical skills as they research, analyze and interpret ecological change through readings and seminars, in writing and computer workshops, and by using the landscape itself as a classroom.This program will emphasize creativity and hands-on learning. Students will spend extended time in the field conducting structured observations, practicing site and landscape analysis and collecting the data and images they will use to shape representations of climate change. There will be two all-program, multi-day field trips: one to study the shrinking glaciers of Mt. Rainier and the other to the Olympic Peninsula coast where sea level rise and warming, increased storm action, and acidification are having dramatic effects on the coastal ecosystem. In both places we will consider the geological, ecological, cultural and economic implications of climate change.These two extended all-program field studies will provide opportunities to practice skills and expand ideas gained in workshop and seminar settings and which will inform ongoing independent work leading to a cumulative web-based project employing maps and images to tell the story of climate change.	Anne de Marcken (Forbes) Peter Impara		Freshmen FR Sophomore SO Junior JR Senior SR	Spring	Spring