Dear colleagues, I have been enjoying this exchange immensely, especially because I lived through a similar shift in focus and institutional support (previously described by others) at a former institution. I was an outspoken critic of the lack of diversity in scientific approaches that ensued in that department. Coincidentally, I had written a blog entry in a similar vein a few days before the first posting in Ecolog-L (for my current university). All this to say that it seems like there are more people thinking about this than I believed, and to me that is an encouraging realization. The blog is here for those interested: http://www.auw.edu.bd/reflections-on-teaching-when-they-saw-the-birds/ Cheers,
Edwin ================= Dr. Edwin Cruz-Rivera Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Asian University for Women 20/A M.M. Ali Road Chittagong 4000 Bangladesh Tel: +880-31-2854980 Fax: +880-31-2854988 "It is not the same to hear the devil as to see him coming your way" (Puerto Rican proverb) On Mon, May 19, 2014 at 9:36 PM, Russell L. Burke < russell.l.bu...@hofstra.edu> wrote: > I mentioned in my previous post that we are happily increasing the field > courses associated with our new Urban Ecology program. We have BA & BS, MA > & MS, and combined BA-MA and BS-MS programs in UE. We have no problems > working with local mammals, which are abundant. Of course they include > feral cats and house mice, but also red fox, skunks, and otter here on Long > Island. There's no doubt these species are adapting to suburban > environments here as they have elsewhere. And there's clear evidence that > coyotes are coming, invading from both the east and west ends of Long > Island. We don't have to travel far to get to environments with a pretty > nice assortment of mammals, some of these are on our suburban campus. > > Dr. Russell Burke > Professor, Chair > Donald E. Axinn Distinguished Professor in Ecology and Conservation > Department of Biology > Hofstra University > 516.463.7272 > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto: > ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of David L. McNeely > Sent: Monday, May 19, 2014 10:35 AM > To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU > Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Loss of field courses, continued > > Excellent, Ryan. However, I will point out that though urban environments > may have limited access to field sites for study, that does not mean that > there are no field sites for study in urban environments. Urban > environments have substantial populations of wild mammals, some feral, some > natives that have adapted to the urban environment. Perhaps a look at > these populations might be in order in college vertebrate biology courses. > Surely interested faculty members could find a way to use their own campus > as a field site, and with cooperation from public agencies, other urban > settings could be studied. Most cities have parks, public buildings, > rivers and creeks, residential developments. Studying in such locales may > be more difficult than in rural locations, but it could not only be > educationally profitable, but could generate new information about poorly > understood populations and communities. > > David McNeely > > ---- "Ryan wrote: > > This discussion reminded me of the 2007 paper by Mark Hafner (a fellow > mammalogist/ecologist) titled “Field research in mammalogy: An enterprise > in peril (Journal of Mammalogy, 88:1119-1128). In that paper he describes > the decline of college-level field experiences for future mammalogists. > Partly in response to that paper, I wrote a field manual for vertebrates > that has 56 field-based exercises for college students. I say field-based, > because about 30% of the exercises can be done in the lab without actually > collecting field data. These use real world field datasets (available on my > website) in place of the students actually collecting the data themselves. > The main reason for that is the recognition that many institutions are in > urban environments and have limited access to field sites. Nevertheless, > students can see how the data was collected and then work with that data to > analyze patterns and test hypotheses. For example, there is a data set of > GPS tracking data for grizzly bears in Montana and southern Canada. > Students can make predictions about bear behavior and elevation/habitat in > June versus October and plot that data on Google Earth, etc. > > > > If any one is interested here is the link to the field manual: > > http://www.lulu.com/shop/james-ryan/field-and-laboratory-techniques-in > > -vertebrate-biology/paperback/product-18944438.html > > > > This may seem like shameless self promotion, but I don’t really make any > money off the manual. Rather my main goal is to provide people with some > ideas for field and/or lab exercises that could be used to train future > vertebrate biologists. I’m planning on revising the manual again this > summer so if any one has ideas for me to include, let me know. > > > > Find a detailed Table of Contents here: > > http://www.wildmammal.com/page15/ > > and a link to the datasets here: > > http://www.wildmammal.com/downloads.html > > > > > > -- > > Dr. Jim Ryan > > Biology Department > > Hobart & William Smith Colleges > > Geneva, NY 14456 > > Www.wildmammal.com > > > > > > On 5/18/14, 10:54 AM, "David L. McNeely" <mcnee...@cox.net<mailto: > mcnee...@cox.net>> wrote: > > > > Jordan mentions another aspect, the decline of courses on particular > taxonomic groups of organisms. Those of us old enough to have used (or > even taught) the Odum ecology text well remember his "layer cake" graphic > of the organization of biological science. He represented biology as a > layer cake, with taxonomic groups making up the cake's layers, while > "functional studies" such as ecology, evolution, and physiology he treated > as slices through the whole cake. Using that metaphor, the layers of the > cake are missing from the modern biologist's education. How many > institutions still offer courses in mammalogy, ichthyology, plant > systematics, phycology and so on? Some do, yes, but these courses may be > disappearing even more than courses with a field focus, much to the > detriment of those who need or want to learn about a particular group of > organisms. I realize that some of the organisms formerly grouped into some > recognized taxa have been recognized to be members of disparate > evolutionary lineages, but there is still reason for a prospective marine > biologist to know the "algae," or a fish and wildlife scientist to know the > "fish." We have the odd situation now where people investigate the > evolution of a group of organisms, without having ever formally studied the > group. Interesting, at any rate. > > > > David McNeely > > > > ---- Jordan Mayor <jma...@ufl.edu<mailto:jma...@ufl.edu>> wrote: > > Hi Ling, > > I think the onset of this discussion began with it being pointed out > that many Biology Dept.’s have gone “molecular” or even “nano” and this > financial refocusing, perhaps combined with increasing enrollment straining > class sizes, has resulted in a reduced number of field courses being > offered. > > I have experienced this while a T.A. at a major R1 US university. The > field-trip-oriented General Ecology course was under constant pressure to > eradicate field trips so more than 14 students (the maximum # of students > that could fit on the dept.’s buses) could enroll in a lab section (thus > removing a T.A.-ship for one ill-fated grad student). This was thankfully > avoided — much to the benefit of the students, many of whom have never > experienced an ecological perspective on the many unique ecosystems FL has > to offer (hint: it’s not just mangrove and slash pine). > > When I was an undergrad I also had direct experience in hitting a “pay > wall” while trying to increase my field biology experience. OTS and The > School for Field Studies both offered excellent programs that very much > piqued my interest but were quashed by my financial reality (loans and > part-time jobs). In the end I very much enjoyed field trips and eventually > found paid summer field experience chasing birds around on an undergraduate > professor’s research grant. > > I think another big issue, besides the reduction in field trips in > > Ecology courses, is the general loss of taxonomist positions at > universities. Taxonomy courses (plant tax, mycology, entomology, etc.) > often require direct observation or even personal collection of organisms > in their environment. Such taxonomy courses may offer the sort of field > experience that will energize young field biologists — not to mention make > them better ecologists ;) So please. If you are in a position to either > fight to retain field courses or offer one yourself please do. And make it > one to remember. > > -- > > Jordan Mayor, PhD > > Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU Forest Ecology & > > Management jordanmayor.com On May 17, 2014, at 3:00 PM, ling huang > > <ling.hu...@prodigy.net<mailto:ling.hu...@prodigy.net>> wrote: > > > Some thoughts and questions: > > > > > > I'm not sure if it has clearl > > > Hi all > > > > > > Some thoughts and questions: > > > > > > I'm not sure if it has clearly been mentioned but what are the reasons > for the loss of field courses? > > > Is it a recent phenomenon? Is it area / state/country specific? Are > there reasons given? Has there been a large reduction in the numbers of > field courses offered? or is it part of a reduction due to shortage of > interest, shortage of student enrollment, insurance, financial etc. ? (I'm > grabbing at straws)? > > > > > > In my previous email I did list some courses, programs offered that > looked very interesting and thorough in their field component (incl. at my > own school). > > > > > > All interesting stuff. > > > > > > Ling > > > Ling Huang > > > Sacramento City College > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > From: Malcolm McCallum > > > <malcolm.mccallum.ta...@gmail.com<mailto:malcolm.mccallum.tamut@GMAI > > > L.COM>> > > > To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU<mailto:ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU> > > > Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2014 11:11 AM > > > Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Loss of field courses, continued > > > > > > > > > For perspective...This is what financially disadvantaged students deal > with.. > > > > > > Every single decision made is based on whether or not you will have > > > to pay for it above and beyond the cost of attendance. The class > > > has an optional field trip to a place 10 mi away? I don't have a > > > car, how will I get there? Sometimes you can go with other > > > students, but often you can't because the seats are taken. there is > > > an optional class to be taken on the other side of the > > > city/county/state/planet...its not happening. > > > > > > I came into undergrad broke. > > > The dorms fed you M-F, then Sat you got two meals, and Sunday you got > one. > > > That is what I ate my first year in college because all of my money > > > went to school. The rules were all freshman and sophomores that > > > lived outside of a certain distance form ISU had to live in the > > > dorms (unless married). > > > > > > Each summer, I would work multiple jobs so I had enough to pay for > > > books and possibly some other expenses. The summer after my > > > freshman year I worked night shift at the truck stop as a janitor > > > 40+ hrs a week, then turned around and worked in the kitchen washing > > > dishes and cleaning vats at the hospital. Between these two I made > > > enough at $4.00/hr to pay for most of my expenses. This gave me > > > just enough money I could afford to go to the movies once a week and > > > eat on the weekends after also working 20-30 hours a week at school. > > > The end of Sophomore year I was an undergrad research assistant for > > > 5 hrs a week and worked at burger king for $3.35/hr. Most of that > > > went into school. > > > > > > Junior year I started working in the night manager program (night > > > shift) 30 hr/wk. I did this through my senior year. It paid > > > substantially more and financial aid benefits had grown a lot by > > > that time. However, my father lost his job after 22 years and so I > > > was sending money home. Even though I was now making more. That > > > continued on midway through my MS. > > > > > > Then, when you graduate with a PHD, you don't have the option of > > > declining a bad job, because you have a student loan heap on your > > > head that must be paid, forget feeding yourself or your children. > > > > > > It sounds like no big deal to go off campus to take necessary > > > courses the school doesn't offer. But if you are financially > > > disadvantaged, its not an option. And, that financial disadvantage > > > continues to haunt you all the way through until after you graduate > > > with a PHD because you have to take care of all those student loans, > > > and deal with the missed opportunities that result because you could > > > not afford to take advantage of them. > > > > > > It actually angers me quite a bit when people use the old, "well you > > > can just..." No you can't if you are living from dime to dime, day > > > to day. > > > > > > Malcolm > > > > > > > > > On Sat, May 17, 2014 at 12:23 PM, <mcnee...@cox.net<mailto: > mcnee...@cox.net>> wrote: > > >> Absolutely true, Malcolm and others. Sure, OTS is an important > organization that provides access to tropical field locations for those > students who can afford it. But when I was an undergrad, I had to work at > a job year round, and go to school near home. I did not have money for > travel to foreign countries, I had to spend my money to eat, have a roof > over my head, have clothing to wear, and pay school expenses. > > >> > > >> I have been a faculty member in institutions that served primarily > poor and mostly first generation students. Though they generally had more > financial support than was typical 50 years ago, they still struggled > financially. Some were single parents, trying to get a leg up in school. > Try telling the OTS adviser that you'll be bringing your three year old > with you. > > >> > > >> No field courses at the institution? Then for them, no field > courses. Even making the field trips in country can be a struggle for some > poor students, when the institution specifies that students pay their own > travel expenses. Getting their head, and their wallet, around travel to > Brazil may just be beyond them. > > >> > > >> But I made it a point to provide meaningful field biology experiences > within my department, and close to home. And a major reason that is going > away in so many institutions is that field biology is going away. It > needn't. > > >> > > >> David McNeely > > >> > > >> ---- Malcolm McCallum <malcolm.mccallum.ta...@gmail.com<mailto: > malcolm.mccallum.ta...@gmail.com>> wrote: > > >>> When students must travel half-way around the world to get this > > >>> kind of experience, you can be assured that their will be a > > >>> significant disadvantage for those who are financially > > >>> disadvantaged. My attitude as an undergraduate would have been > > >>> (and was) if this was really important, the school would have it on > campus for everyone to take. > > >>> > > >>> Boy, I've learned how wrong I was about how schools often select > > >>> what they offer. > > >>> > > >>> On Fri, May 16, 2014 at 10:41 PM, Kimberly G. Smith < > kgsm...@uark.edu<mailto:kgsm...@uark.edu>> wrote: > > >>>> I am following this thread with some amusement... I am in Belize > with 20 undergraduates on a natural history course... next week, 45 > students from University of Arkansas will travel to Dangriga Belize for > your 7th summer of service/learning for 3 weeks.... > > >>>> > > >>>> As others have mentioned, if you feel seriously about field > experiences, it is up to you to provide those experiences for your > students... I find it is very rewarding and a life changing experience for > many students.... > > >>>> > > >>>> Saludos, Kim > > >>>> **************************************** > > >>>> Kimberly G. Smith > > >>>> University Professor of Biology > > >>>> Department of Biological Sciences University of Arkansas > > >>>> Fayetteville, AR 72701 USA phone 479-575-6359 fax 479-575-4010 > > >>>> email kgsm...@uark.edu<mailto:kgsm...@uark.edu> > > >>>> **************************************** > > >>>> > > >>>> ________________________________________ > > >>>> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news > > >>>> [ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU<mailto:ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU>] on > > >>>> behalf of Andrés Santana > > >>>> [andres.sant...@ots.ac.cr<mailto:andres.sant...@ots.ac.cr>] > > >>>> Sent: Friday, May 16, 2014 5:20 PM > > >>>> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU<mailto:ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU> > > >>>> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Loss of field courses, continued > > >>>> > > >>>> We at OTS share this concern. We truly believe that field courses > and field research present students with some of the best opportunities to > do research and understand nature. I know firsthand that spending a > semester out in field stations taking courses and doing research is a life > changing experience. I was fortunate enough to be chosen to participate in > a field semester with and OTS program. > > >>>> OTS specializes in field courses and we welcome any faculty member > that wants to teach a course at any one of our field stations. We are > constantly working on and thinking of new field course topics in ecology > and evolution that will prove beneficial to students (undergrad and grad) > in their professional and academic careers. We would be glad to hear your > input and work with any of you setting up courses to teach your students or > students from any university. > > >>>> > > >>>> Best, > > >>>> > > >>>> Andrés Santana > > >>>> Graduate Education Department > > >>>> Organization for Tropical Studies San Pedro, Costa Rica. 676-2050 > > >>>> (506) 2524-0607 ext. 1511 > > >>>> Skype: andres.santana_otscro > > >>>> www.ots.ac.cr > > >>>> twitter: @ots_tropicaledu > > >>>> > > >>>> > > >>>> -----Original Message----- > > >>>> From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto: > ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Malcolm McCallum > > >>>> Sent: Friday, May 16, 2014 01:08 PM > > >>>> To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU<mailto:ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU> > > >>>> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Loss of field courses, continued > > >>>> > > >>>> Bruce Bury's article... > > >>>> Bury, B. 2006. Natural history, field ecology, conservation > biology, and wildlife management: Time to connect the dots. Herpetological > Conservation and Biology 1:56-61. > > >>>> http://www.herpconbio.org/volume_1/issue_1/Bury_2006.pdf > > >>>> > > >>>> On Fri, May 16, 2014 at 10:19 AM, David Inouye <ino...@umd.edu > <mailto:ino...@umd.edu>> wrote: > > >>>>> Paul Dayton asked me to post this: > > >>>>> > > >>>>> Dear Colleagues, I have enjoyed reading your laments about the > loss of > > >>>>> field courses and of course have strong opinions about this > because it > > >>>>> really is also the loss of respect for nature herself. We can't > > >>>>> really understand nature without experiencing it and students can't > > >>>>> experience it hiding behind computers in cloistered ivory towers. > > >>>>> Harry Greene and I have written about this: > > >>>>> > > >>>>> The importance of Natural Sciences to Conservation, 2003. American > > >>>>> Naturalist (162) and Organisms in Nature as a central focus in > biology > > >>>>> 2005, TREE (20) > > >>>>> > > >>>>> and Ian Billick and Mary Price have a wonderful book: The > Ecology of > > >>>>> Place I urge you to buy and read it. > > >>>>> > > >>>>> But the most important challenge I offer those of you who care > enough > > >>>>> to comment is to offer a field course yourself. Try it; it takes a > > >>>>> little time but even if you don't know that much, your students > will > > >>>>> help teach it for you and soon you will be considered a legendary > > >>>>> naturalist. Don't just complain, offer a field course yourself. > It > > >>>>> will evolve and you will learn a lot and have a lot of fun as > well. > > >>>>> Finally, ESA has a Natural History Section in need of your support > and > > >>>>> enthusiasm as it I think Nature is disappearing within ESA just as > it did in the Amer. Soc. of Naturalists. > > >>>>> Once students lose track of nature and become professors with no > > >>>>> understanding or experience themselves, it is hard to recover the > > >>>>> sense of wonder nature can induce in our science. > > >>>>> > > >>>>> Paul Dayton <pday...@ucsd.edu<mailto:pday...@ucsd.edu>> > > >>>> > > > > -- > > David McNeely > > > > -- > David McNeely >
