Natural History

The objectives of this course are to introduce students to plants and animals that live within the major ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest (including marine coastlines, streams, lakes, wetlands, and forests, the adaptations that enable each organisms to thrive in their habitat, and to help students gain an understanding of the processes that shape these ecosystems (climate, geology, hydrology, ecology, biology). This is a field-based course where students will be actively engaged in their own hands-on learning. This means that students will use their own observations to develop inferences about the structure, function, and composition of local Pacific Northwest ecosystems. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: Identify several common plant and animal species found in the Pacific Northwest, and understand how the life-history strategy of each organism helps it thrive within its particular niche. Recognize the major ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest, as well as speak to their structure, function, composition, and distribution. Recognize and identify important ecological, climatological, hydrological, and geological patterns within and among ecosystems. Describe past and present anthropogenic impacts on the local environment. Identify the important biotic and abiotic components of any ecosystem, such that the student's skills are sufficient to walk into an unfamiliar area in the Pacific Northwest and determine what processes have shaped it. Use basic field ecology sampling equipment.