Education

Teaching and learning at the Warren Woods Ecological Field Station is as diverse as the natural and human communities found at the site. Educational programs include undergraduate class visits, graduate student seminars, summer internships, youth experiences, faculty professional development workshops, community programs, one-on-one mentoring, and continuing education experiences for learners of all ages. 

The Field Station is available for use by any University of Chicago schools and departments, as well as external institutions, including schools, non-profits, and businesses. Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to visit and participate in experiences that support coursework, research, and other educational activities and programming. Dr. Bretl is happy to support place-based curriculum design and instruction and experiential learning program development. 

To learn more about teaching and learning at the field station or to propose a course or program offering, please contact: 

Emily Bretl, EdD, Field Station Managing Director – t-9bretl@uchicago.edu

Examples of Ecological & Place-based Teaching and Learning at WWEFS

Courses & Internships

  • Ecology and Conservation Course (UChicago) – taught Fall Term, Pfister and Larsen – 3 days, 2 nights field trip to learn conservation ecology field methods and experience dynamic ecosystems up close
  • Human Health and Natural Environments (Indiana University – Bloomington) – Spring Semester, An examination of the relationships among human health, quality of life, and natural environments from the perspective of cognitive, emotional, spiritual, and related domains; includes experiential learning in local natural settings and field trip to Indiana Dunes and Warren Woods Ecological Field Station in SW Michigan.
  • Community Research and Ecological Stewardship Internship (Summer, Undergrad) – a 9 week experience living on-site and taking part in field surveys, ecological research, and community engagement; positionas announced annually via Handshake in February.

Research and Professional Development Experiences

  • InPLACE Lab – Link coming soon! Innovative Pedagogies for Learning with Art, Culture and Ecology (InPLACE) incubates high- quality, interdisciplinary, and community-aware research and teaching through place-based practices at the intersections of ecology and the environmental humanities and social sciences. Housed at UChicago’s Warren Woods Ecological Field Station, InPLACE has the following main objectives: 
    1. to create a model for pedagogically rich, hands-on experiential training in field-based and faculty- led environmental humanities, social science, and ecological science research; 
    2. to contribute to regional ecological knowledge and to deepen individual and collective “sense of place” and commitment to local environmental problem-solving through innovative, interdisciplinary methods; 
    3. to provide students, faculty, and staff with meaningful professional mentorship by experts in related fields through community partnerships, workshops, and lectures
  • Arboreal Humanities Conference and Workshop – an interdisciplinary group of scholars from around the United States focusong on the intersection of humans and trees across ecosystem and experiences. Contact Jonathan Flatley for more information.
  • Victorian Ecologies (vCologies) – Vcologies is an interdisciplinary, international collective of scholars committed to the environmental humanities, the energy humanities, and other ecology-focused approaches. Contact Benjamin Morgan to be added to or subtracted from the Vcologies listserv: bjmorgan at uchicago.edu
  • UChicago Office of Civic Engagement – College & Career Catalyst Program– Ecology Exploration at WWEFS
  • MSU’s Conservation Stewardship Program – 3 classes hosted at the Field Station, Fall 2024, including lectures & walks related to local ecology, invasives management, and water quality.
  • Numerous Lab retreats, writing retreats, and other day-long and overnight events – inquire to learn more!

Community Programs

  • Introduction to Natural Dyes – half-day workshop offered Fall 2024
  • Spring Ephemeral Hike w/ Nathanael Pilla of Midwest Biological Survey, Botany and Beer  & Chikaming Open Lands – a celebration of spring plants plus unique local beer tasting
  • Good Bat Neighbor – The Good Bat Neighbor (GBN) Program helps inform about the plight of bats and how to protect and restore their habitat right in your own backyard.
  • Seed collection and propagation workshops – coming soon!