SPRING 2012 – NEW!

ENVIR 280: Natural History: Knowing Our Non-Human Neighbors

Taught by Prof. Josh Tewksbury, Department of Biology

5 credits – NW credit

TTH 1:30-3:20 in Mary Gates Hall 231

Required overnight field trip to Pack Forest (near Mt. Rainier) on 3/31-4/1 (all day/overnight)

Required day field trip to Leavenworth on 5/12 (all day)

**This course fulfills the second biology course requirement for Environmental Studies majors**

(All Environmental Studies majors must take BIOL 180 and a second biology course – this course counts towards the second biology course).

Course Description:

Natural History – observation and representation of nature, at biological scales from organisms to landscapes – is the foundation of the natural sciences.  It is a discipline as old as art, and as modern as deep sea submersibles, satellites and smart phones.  It is both a practice (in art, science, and humanities) and a body of knowledge.  In this course, we will explore all of these aspects of Natural History, and we will learn the natural history of the Pacific Northwest through direct experience, field exercises, field trips, readings and discussion sections.    

Course Learning Goals

–To become more careful, astute observers of interactions in nature

–To become more familiar and comfortable with the various forms and tool used by naturalists to collect, organize, synthesize, and disseminate natural history

– To increase familiarity with the terrestrial and fresh-water flora and fauna of the Pacific Northwest.