Project #1 - Community Ecology and Wetland Restoration Trip

Photos from our fen restoration work!
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Ecology Overview

Ecology is the study of the interactions between organisms and their environment. This course will study the fundamentals of ecological science with an emphasis on place and sustainability.  Students will practice the core skills of doing science in field, laboratory, and classroom settings and will be challenged to apply these skills toward building a more sustainable relationship between human societies and the land.  An extensive field component will engage students in local citizen science projects and ecological restoration service work.  This course is designed for students who want to practice hands-on, real world science and gain experience working in a field biology setting.


Enduring Understandings

Everything in the living world is connected in a profoundly beautiful web of relationships that together comprise a mutually-supportive network.  Every little part matters.  

Science is a powerful tool to help us understand our place within that web, and to tailor our behaviors toward sustaining its beauty and function. 

Close observation and study of the land can become a lifelong passion that enriches our experience of the natural world, deepens our sense of belonging, and supports our own peace and well being. 


Essential Questions
  • How do organisms interact with each other and their environment? 
  • How do nutrients (the ingredients for life) and energy move through ecosystems? 
  • What factors determine which species exist in different areas?  In other words, who lives where and why? 
  • How and why do local populations of organisms change over time?  
  • How do ecosystems maintain healthy conditions for life to flourish?
  • What are the 8 core skills of doing science, and how can they help us to build a better relationship with the land and a more sustainable future? ​​