Trees and forests in urban areas and in the wild provide essential benefits to society and the environment but face increasing challenges that put them at risk. We will explore forest ecology through three units that include presentations, discussion, and field exploration:
- Ecological principles at four major scales of biological organization (individual, populations, communities, ecosystems) with an emphasis on forests
- Applications of these principles to current environmental problems impacting forests (the biodiversity crisis, global climate and environmental change, and others)
- Current methods in forest ecology, which we will explore through hands-on field experiences in Northern Illinois and during a week long trip to Costa Rica
The course will take place in person and online, and includes a combination of field experiences, classroom instruction, and community engagement. Students will gain a rich understanding of the biodiversity, ecological importance, and sustainable development practices for temperate and tropical forests, and conduct field visits to research and restoration sites both in Northern Illinois and the Monteverde cloud forest of Costa Rica.
Instructors: Spencer Campbell, MS, plant clinic manager, The Morton Arboretum; M. Isabel Loza Rivera, PhD, post-doctoral researcher, The Morton Arboretum; Megan Dunning, PhD, manager of adult learning programs, The Morton Arboretum
Credit: 4 semester hours (or equivalent), upper division undergraduate
Prerequisites: For additional information on prerequisites, travel requirements, and registration, please review the What to Know section. This course requires an $1,800 course fee, payable to The Morton Arboretum
Age: This course is open to students currently enrolled in the Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area (ACCA) consortium.
Scholarships: If the course fee or cost of travel to Costa Rica would be a barrier to your participation, a limited number of scholarships are available to offset course costs. If you are interested in applying for a scholarship, please email education@mortonarb.org.
Course number: ACCA-FE