Biological Science

Travel and Field Courses

This page lists field courses in the biological sciences. These require a fee and are typically eligible for college credit, though for some it may be via Independent Study arranged at your home institution.

Fall 2025

7/2 – Pelagic Research course through FHL – WA

There is still room in the Pelagic Ecosystem Function Research Apprenticeship at Friday Harbor Laboratories.

  • Hands-on independent research opportunity.
  • Take bi-weekly cruises to collect oceanic data
  • Marine Birds, Fishes, Ocean Chemistry, Plankton!
  • Join a tight-knit community of marine scientists.
  • Scholarships are available.

Learn more at: https://fhl.uw.edu/courses/course-descriptions/course/pelagic-ecosystem-function-of-the-san-juan-archipelago-2025/. Learn more about Friday Harbor Labs: https://fhl.uw.edu/.

Direct questions to Maia Kreis at fhlstudents@uw.edu.

Winter 2025-2026

Sky Islands Biodiversity – AZ (through UVM)

Biology professor Elise Lauterbur will be offering a new undergraduate course this winter, Sky Islands: Ecology and Biodiversity in a Changing Landscape. It will be a 10-day course taking place in the desert and mountains of Southeastern Arizona, January 1-10th. It will cover evolution and ecology, biodiversity, and the impacts of climate change in a unique landscape, and conclude by making connections with these processes in the Green Mountains here in Vermont.

Applications are open until Sep. 5. The program fee will be about $4,000 (includes all lodging and some meals), plus airfare. Course credits will be included in a UVM students’ spring semester credits, so won’t cost extra.

The course website is here: https://go.uvm.edu/tucson. Feel free to reach out to Dr. Lauterbur with any questions.

Field Ecology Courses – Panama

WINTER COURSES (Dec. 20, 2025-Jan. 9, 2026) – See http://www.itec-edu.org for details.
 
TROPICAL RAINFOREST AND CANOPY ECOLOGY (TRE W-25/26): This field course is designed to provide the student with a foundation in ecological concepts and field techniques as applied to tropical rainforest ecosystems.  The material covered is equivalent to a university upper level course in tropical ecology.  The course is divided into three parts.  During the first few days students will become familiar with the many ecosystems found in our area and with the trail systems during “orientation” walks.  The bulk of the first 10 days will be spent learning field techniques and carrying out various group projects or exercises (see below).  It is during this time period that students will learn to access the canopy using various rope techniques (Climbing Certification is available, please contact Tanner Frost for details).  During the second half of the course students work on their individual research projects and continue to receive lectures in the evening.

FIELD COURSE IN CORAL REEF ECOLOGY (CRE W-25/26): This course is designed to provide the student with a sound foundation in ecological concepts, techniques and experimental design in field research as applied to coral reef ecosystems. The material covered is equivalent to a university upper level course in coral reef field ecology. The course will begin with a global ecosystem perspective and then will progressively narrow to assess the way in which local reefs are influenced by both global and local phenomena. We will focus in depth on Caribbean reefs using the reef at Bocas del Toro as an example. We will provide a brief introduction to plate tectonics as a basis for understanding the production of substrate for reefs and their distribution in the biosphere.  In this context we will discuss several theories of the origins of reefs and characterize a general reef community. The major reef biota that form the character of reefs will be discussed in terms of their anatomy, physiology, ecological requirements, roles on the reef and overall impact. We will examine and discuss some controversial formulations of community structure such as the role of competition, stochastic vs deterministic models in reef organization, diversity/stability relationships and trophic dynamics. Sampling methodology will be discussed with regard to the peculiar demands of the reef setting and we will examine several experimental designs and sampling schemes with regard to their strengths and weaknesses as well as their theoretical bases.

COURSE LOCATION: Bocas del Toro Biological Station, Boca del Drago, Isla Colon, Republic of Panama. The biological station is located on a hill facing Almirante Bay and Volcan Baru on the mainland.  Coral reef and lowland tropical rainforest ecosystems are immediately accessible from the field station.  This juxtaposition of the two most biologically-diverse ecosystems along with Panama’s rich cultural diversity provides tremendous opportunities for education and research.  

Center for Wildlife Studies Courses

Look for course available for academic credit; you will want to set it up as an independent study through your home institution. https://www.centerforwildlifestudies.org/courses

More Organizations that run Field Courses

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