Participatory Science, Outside Experiences
Were you that kid who played outside all day long? Do you miss being outside and losing track of time? Do you hear the call of a red-tailed hawk and wonder what the heck is going on up above?
This course will get you OUTSIDE. In fact, students should expect to spend 3 hours a week outdoors immersed in the Bay Area as they learn about ecology, wildlife, plant communities, land use, natural and cultural history, citizen science, tools for collaborative conservation, and environmental advocacy. Students will meet local experts and scholars and learn tricks of the trade from invited guests from a wide variety of backgrounds. The course will culminate with students showing off their naturalist skills and interpreting the world around them through interpretive talks and making meaning for themselves and others.
The goal of this course is to develop and support a cohort of naturalists and citizen scientists. Other course objectives include:
- Understand what it means to be a naturalist.
- Practice and apply the skill of interpretation in the field.
- Understand the abiotic, biotic and cultural factors that make up the unique natural, cultural and ecological histories of the Bay Area.
- Demonstrate skills in making and recording natural history observations in a field journal and on iNaturalist.
- Participate in local service learning.
- Participate in citizen science and contribute to an iNaturalist project throughout the term.
- Effectively communicate meaning about the natural world by identifying methods to gather accurate information about topics related to the local environment.
- Conduct an effective interpretive talk that helps the audience connect emotionally and intellectually with your topic.
- Apply knowledge of Bay Area ecology and ecosystems to local and global environmental issues.
About the Instructor
Liz Gottlieb – Marin Academy
Liz teaches Chemistry, Advanced Biology, and Environmental Science at Marin Academy. She also coaches the Cross Country team at MA and leads a number of running, hiking, and restoration outings. She has led summer trips to Alaska to study biodiversity, the high Sierras to study climate change (& pika) and the American Prairie Reserve in Montana to participate in citizen science projects.
Liz was a founding BlendEd Consortium teacher, leading 3 successful cycles of the Bay Area Field Ecology course and is excited to pioneer a new immersive blended/hybrid model with the Wilderness Studies Summer/Fall trimester course.
Liz earned a B.A. from Colby College and also a Masters in Science from Montana State University. She began her teaching career by participating in Teach for America, where she taught seventh- and eighth-grade science at Roosevelt Middle School in Compton, California.
Student Testimonials from Field Ecology & Wilderness Studies
I enjoyed the flexibility of my blendEd course, and I also enjoyed the connections I was able to make with the other members of my class, as well as with my teacher. In addition, the course content was super interesting.
Junior at Lick-Wilmerding, Fall 2016I love how the course allowed me to focus more on learning for myself and at my own pace.
Senior at Marin Academy, Summer/Fall 2019I enjoyed getting to know Liz, online meetings, spending time outside, and face to face outings!
Senior at College Prep, Fall 2016I really liked the virtual meetings and face to face outings, because it was always nice to check-in with other students and the teacher. Personally, I found interactive learning to be really enjoyable and important. I also loved Liz’s contagious passion and support for her students.
Senior at Marin Academy, Fall 2016I love how the content connected me to my everyday life and prompted me to spend more time outside! It also prompted me to spend time with my mom, because my mom is a really big gardener. I also found that I spent more time with my family overall, because we took walks together on trails with my dog.
Junior at Lick-Wilmerding, Spring 2016Everyone who is willing to challenge themselves in wilderness and wants to learn more about it should take this course. I highly recommend this course because of the amazing experiences you will have.
Junior at Athenian, Summer/Fall 2019