For those particularly interested in field ecology for instance Hi all For those particularly interested in field ecology for instance; there are some great programmes out there in field ecology (I have an interest in eco-chemistry). In CA for instance at the College of the Atlantic there is this graduate program: http://www.coa.edu/field-ecology-conservation-biology.htm
At UC Riverside you can take a certificate at UCR extension in field ecology http://www.extension.ucr.edu/academics/certificates/field_ecology.html Locally down the road from me at UC Davis, where I teach part time, graduate students have to take field courses as part of the program: http://ecology.ucdavis.edu/programs/ and where I teach at Sacramento City College we have a certificate program in Field Ecology (within the Biology dept) - great set of courses/classes http://www.scc.losrios.edu/biology/field-ecology-certificate/ Regards Ling Ling Huang Sacramento City College http://huangl.webs.com http://www.scc.losrios.edu ________________________________ From: Cory <corywsu2...@gmail.com> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 8:50 PM Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Loss of field-based courses Hello everyone, I have to agree with Amod - it comes down to funds and jobs. I went into a Masters wanting to dedicate my career to basic field ecology (and that is what my MS thesis was in), but after two years of non-funded research project and very low stipend I redirected my research to molecular entomology. This allows me to have a small focus of ecology and fieldwork, but there are many more grant and job opportunities. Although I would love to go back to basic field biology, it isn't financially wise until the funding situation greatly improves. Many thanks, Cory > On May 14, 2014, at 8:01 PM, amod saini <ammod.sa...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Hello Mates, > just to add from India also some direction, here is > the same dilemma......now ecology students are demotivated by > biotechnological advances and ecological students have to divert their > career because biotech and biochemistry student replacing them very > fast....myself was ecology student and i had to divert my career to support > my family(otherwise i had to face problem even for my bread)....there was a > very less money for ecology projects than others one.......so they are > discouraged at many account.. > > amod, north India > Forest ecologist > > >> On 15 May 2014 02:11, Judith S. Weis <jw...@andromeda.rutgers.edu> wrote: >> >> Also field trips/courses may be more expensive to run with transportation >> of groups of students to field sites etc etc. >> I don't think we should worry about the status thing. We all know that >> what we do is the most fun, and students often rate the field trips as the >> best part of the class. >> >> >>> It's not just a US issue - we have seen similar pressures to reduce the >>> field component in degrees in the UK and across Europe. >>> It's worth reading the piece by Robert Arlinghaus (pages 212-215) in the >>> May issue of Fisheries >> http://fisheries.org/docs/wp/UFSH395_final_web.pdf >>> (PDF), where he makes the point that the academic status of those doing >>> dirty/field stuff is less than that of their peers doing 'clean' lab >> work. >>> >>> Arlinghaus, R. (2014) Are current research evaluation metrics causing a >>> tragedy of the scientific commons and the extinction of university-based >>> fisheries programs? Fisheries, 39, 212-215. >>> >>> Chris >>> >>> >>>> <> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> >>> Dr Chris Harrod* >>> Senior Lecturer in Fish & Aquatic Ecology, >>> School of Biological and Chemical Sciences >>> Queen Mary University of London >>> 1.31 Fogg Building >>> Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK >>> >>> Email: c.har...@qmul.ac.uk >>> Twitter: @chris_harrod >>> UK Mobile: +44 (0) 797 741 9314 >>> UK Office: +44 (0) 207 882 6367 >>> http://webspace.qmul.ac.uk/charrod/ >>> http://www.sbcs.qmul.ac.uk/research/researchgroups/aquaticecology >>> >>> *Chile address >>> Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander Von Humboldt, >>> Universidad de Antofagasta, >>> Avenida Angamos 601, Antofagasta, Chile >>> >>> *Chile Mobile: +56 9 7399 7792 >>> *Chile Office: +56 55 637400 >>> <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< >>> >>> >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news >>> [mailto:ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Fisher, Shannon J >>> Sent: 14 May 2014 12:36 >>> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU >>> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Loss of field-based courses >>> >>> At the Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference in Kansas City this past >>> January, I noted the absence of many University graduate students that >>> once represented the cutting edge of natural resource research. The >>> programs that have nearly all but vanished are from large research >>> institutions that followed the path Mike described below. In fact, one >>> major university in my area has fisheries students - yes, fisheries >>> students, that graduate with both B.S. and M.S degrees that have never >>> once set a net, measured a fish, or run a boat. It is very shocking to >>> potential employers when these "trained" fresh employees are put in the >>> field and are basically helpless. The good students are securing those >>> experiences through summer internships, etc... but many are not. >>> >>> The programs that were prominent at the Midwest, those that are not only >>> surviving by thriving, are mostly small to mid-sized academic units that >>> continue to have a strong foundation in field labs, field research, and >>> applied sciences. I was told that during a past North-Central Division >>> Presidents Luncheon for the American Fisheries Society, that our incoming >>> President even made note of the changes she has seen in the prominent >>> programs. Those large programs are no longer leading the way in field >>> biology/ecology, and she called out specific smaller programs that were >>> truly represented at the conference. Even here, however, where we can >>> show success of our field/applied sciences graduates, there is constant >>> pressure to move faculty lines to other programs. I, along with a few >>> other faculty, are doing everything we can to not only maintain, but grow >>> our field and applied sciences program. It is a tough battle, though, >>> because we are one of those "biology" departments and field faculty >>> positions are almost always prioritized very low. For example, we have a >>> solid foundation of plant, wetland, environmental science, and >>> ecology-based courses, and we are in one of the richest crop-producing >>> areas of the world, but yet we do not have a soil scientist within the >>> faculty, and our colleagues do not make this expertise a high priority - >>> when it is needed so badly. >>> >>> Kudos to all that brought this issue up and have commented. >>> >>> Dr. Shannon J. Fisher, Professor and Director Water Resources Center >>> Minnesota State University, Mankato >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news >>> [mailto:ECOLOG-L@listserv.umd.edu] On Behalf Of Mike Nolan >>> Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 10:23 AM >>> To: ECOLOG-L@listserv.umd.edu >>> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Loss of field-based courses >>> >>> Thanks for bringing this topic up Dr. Inouye. >>> >>> You know what they say...."Specialists learn more and more about less and >>> less until someday they will know everything about nothing". >>> >>> It's even happening at the High School level. I was once given carte >>> blanche to to re-design an ailing advanced Biology program at a high >>> school. Was heavily criticized for choosing Ecology and some of the >>> classic discoveries in Biology as the theme of the class. Parents were >> the >>> biggest critics. They just didn't see how the content of my course was >>> going to get their children in medical school. They got over it and it >> was >>> a good decision. I tried to use Biochemistry and Genetics without losing >>> focus on the bigger picture. It was a fairly large, rural high school and >>> I was quite surprised every spring when I would put a small bowl of >>> tadpoles on my desk, and count the number of kids that didn't have a clue >>> as to what they were. Pretty sad state of affairs.... >>> >>> Have a now retired friend from Penn State who did most of his research on >>> Peccaries, he told me on several occasions that he was what was left of a >>> dying breed. I found his work, and especially that dealing with >>> hibernation biology and physiology to be incredibly fascinating. >>> >>> Thank for anyone's feedback on this all important issue. Am copying this >>> to several High School Bio lists and am curious what their feelings are >> on >>> this. >>> >>> Thank you. >>> >>> Mike Nolan >>> >>>> On 5/14/2014 10:07 AM, David L. McNeely wrote: >>>> I have been observing this for some time now. Organisms and their >>>> habitats are being written out of biology, so far as direct experience >>>> with them is concerned. We soon will have no means of knowing what is >>>> going on in nature, as no one will be investigating nature, or even have >>>> a clue as to how to do so. It is somewhat disconcerting to attend >>>> conferences and witness paper presentations where it is clear that the >>>> presenter has never seen a living, wild specimen of the organism being >>>> reported on and would not know how to go about finding one. >>>> >>>> The Southwestern Association of Naturalists has recently approved, to be >>>> awarded for the first time at its annual meeting in San Diego next >>>> April, a new Student Field Natural History Award. Details concerning >>>> this competition will be available on the SWAN web site and in the >>>> annual call for papers, but essentially it provides a prestigious award >>>> and a monetary prize for the outstanding paper which includes a >>>> substantial field component presented by a student member at the annual >>>> meeting. More details will appear on the SWAN web site and in the >>>> annual call for papers for next year. To qualify for the competition, >>>> the investigation reported on must have been carried out on the natural >>>> history (essentially ecology and evolution) of organisms in the >>>> southwestern portion of North America (as defined by SWAN) where they >>>> occur in their environments. >>>> >>>> I would encourage ESA and other societies to consider implementing >>>> awards for field based studies. >>>> >>>> David McNeely >>>> >>>> ---- David Inouye <ino...@umd.edu> wrote: >>>>> I'm posting this for a colleague who wanted to remain anonymous but >>>>> would be interested in your comments. We've suffered the same loss of >>>>> field-based courses at the University of Maryland, but I think for >>>>> other reasons. >>>>> >>>>> David Inouye >>>>> >>>>> My ecology/evolution/plant diversity students are always shocked when >>>>> I tell them about one way in which the shift towards genomics in >>>>> ecology and evolution is largely responsible for the disappearance of >>>>> almost all field courses in my department (and probably elsewhere). >>>>> I don't think that this is exactly what you had in mind regarding an >>>>> example of "how rapidly and significantly ecological science and >>>>> evolution are changing", but I don't think it's too off-track. >>>>> >>>>> We now have six evolutionary biologists in my department (including >>>>> myself), and only one of us (me) does any field work other than to >>>>> find-and-grind organisms for genomics work. The rest is computer >>>>> modeling and lab work, conducting Petri-dish and vial-based >>>>> experiments with flies or microorganisms. Not surprisingly, these >>>>> lab-based faculty are not only pale and wan, but they're completely >>>>> uninterested in -- and dismiss as too "noisy" -- field experiments >>>>> aimed to detect the process or outcome of natural selection in wild >>>>> populations. So, not only are they unable to teach field-based >>>>> courses (or even to run local field trips), but they're now raising a >>>>> cohort of graduate students who are exactly the same. While genomics >>>>> can answer certain kinds of questions in evolutionary ecology and >>>>> detect phylogenetic patterns that population-based studies of natural >>>>> selection cannot, I think it's really important to inform >>>>> undergraduates about this major political and financial shift in >>>>> evolutionary research, and to point out the kinds of questions that >>>>> cannot be addressed with genomics. >>>>> >>>>> Invariably, these students are very surprised to learn that this is >>>>> part of the story explaining the demise of field courses. At my >>>>> institution, their lack of field experience prevents them from being >>>>> outraged, as they don't know what they're missing. >>>> -- >>>> David McNeely >>> >>> -- >>> >>> If we are on another line or away from the phone, please leave your >>> number, best time to return your call and your e-mail address. >>> >>> After hours and weekend phone appointments are available upon request. >>> >>> Sincerely, >>> >>> J. Michael Nolan, Director >>> >>> Rainforest and Reef >>> >>> Try to learn something about everything and everything about something. >>> >>> -Thomas H. Huxley >>> >>> PLEASE CONFIRM THE RECEIPT OF THIS E-MAIL. THANK YOU. >> ***************************************************************************************************************** >>> "Outstanding-Affordable Field Courses in Rainforest & Marine Ecology" >>> >>> References/Comments from past Group Leaders and Individual Participants >>> can be found at: http://rainforestandreef.org/comments.htm, many more >>> available upon request. >>> >>> U.S.: >>> Rainforest and Reef >>> 161 Main St. >>> Coopersville, MI 49404 >>> International Phone from outside the U.S. or Canada: 011.616.604.0546 >> Toll >>> Free U.S. and Canada: 1.877.255.3721 Cell Phone: 1.616.312.5744 >>> Skype: rainforestandreeffieldcourses >>> E-mail: mno...@rainforestandreef.org or travelwithra...@gmail.com >>> Note: Please send inquiries to both e-mail addresses >>> Web: http://rainforestandreef.org (under revision for 2014 and beyond) >>> >>> Europe: >>> Rainforest and Reef >>> Haguenau, France >>> Att: Marion Stephan >>> Local/International Phone: 49.0.177.1747485 >>> Skype: walli044 >>> E-mail: mstep...@rainforestandreef.org >> ***************************************************************************************************************** >>
