Field Studies in Restoration Ecology - Course Details
Course Description:
Central Oregon is renowned for a diversity of habitats, including juniper/sage shrub-steppe, ponderosa forest, wet meadows, and riparian corridors. Areas throughout the Upper Deschutes Basin are being restored to reintroduce salmon and steelhead. This course offers hands-on experience in restoration ecology, including stream restoration and forest rehabilitation. Our field work is done on properties owned by the Deschutes Basin Land Trust, which is preparing for the return of salmon and steelhead to Whychus Creek and Lake Creek. We also are monitoring the South Fork of the Crooked River. Students will learn basic issues and techniques in ecological restoration, how to conduct and write an independent research project, and approaches to a career in environmental biology.
Left: Sampling stream invertebrates, Lake Creek
Dates:
The summer, 2012 session will run from Monday June 18 to Saturday June 30. Students may depart on the afternoon of June 30. Project write-ups will be due July 15 via email.
Room and Board
Expenses for room and board are included in the course fee (see below). We will camp under rustic but comfortable conditions (see the equipment list). Our camp includes showers, picnic tables, a storage facility, and food preparation/dishwashing facilities. Students bring their own tents. Most of our food is catered from a local natural foods grocery, and allows for specific dietary needs. Your tent can be placed anywhere from five to a few hundred feet from your car, so expect to camp comfortably.
Left: Stream survey, Jake Place
Faculty:
The course is run by Matt Orr and Karen Allen (Left). Matt (University of Oregon) has conducted field research on insect behavior, ecology, and evolution, and taught field courses in Costa Rica and Brazil. Karen teaches field courses in Belize, and is a former land steward for the Deschutes Basin Land Trust. We will be joined by faculty with specific areas of expertise: see the faculty photo album.
Evaluation
Students will be evaluated based on the merit of their independent project, participation in field work & class discussions, and a final exam. See the sample syllabus.
Texts
There will be a reader with scientific articles. See the sample syllabus. Supplementary texts and field guides will be available in a course library.
Class Size
The course will be limited to 8-10 students to allow for individual attention and a rich community experience. See what recent course graduates are up to.
Credits
Students who successfully complete the course will earn four credits (quarter credits) from the University of Oregon. This is based on approximately eight hours per day of field work, plus evening discussions and project write-ups.
Prerequisites
An introductory course in ecology (or related field) or consent of the instructor is required. Students who have any kind of field experience in ecology and a course in introductory biology are likely to be eligible. If you are uncertain whether you meet the prerequisites, please contact Matt Orr: matorr@uoregon.edu (541-617-4671).
Left: Morning, Cougar Hot Springs
Above: Visitor, Rimrock Camp
Fees
$580 (2011 fee--may increase slightly in 2011) covers tuition, fees, room, and board. The only other costs involve getting to and from the course, food during three days in Bend, and any camping or field equipment you may need to purchase for the course. (See equipment list.)
How to apply
Download the application form, and return it to the address at the bottom along with an essay (<1000 words - details are on the bottom of the form) and current transcript. Application deadlines are listed below.
Application timetable
Applications will be accepted any time. They will be reviewed on April 15. If the course is not full at that point, we will continue to accept applications until the course is full. (It is usually full after the first round of applications are reviewed.) To check whether we are still accepting applications, look at the top left of the home page at www.uoregon.edu/~ecolrest
Course Regulations
Rules of UO campus conduct, including no drugs or alcohol, will be observed during the course.
Further information
If you have further questions about the course, ask Matt Orr at matt.orr@osucascades.edu (541-322-3141).
What do students say about this course? Student comments page
What have recent graduates of the course gone on to do? Course graduates page
Left: Pillar, Rimrock Ranch