Continuing Education
Natural History Field Studies Program
Cosponsored with the Graduate School since 1961

Winter | Spring | Certificate Program - Required Courses | Registration
Instructor Bios | Student Profiles


Fulfill Your Dream - Become a Naturalist!

Thirty-six Natural History Field Studies courses, offered quarterly on a rotating basis, provide a unique opportunity to learn natural science from experts while exploring the ecosystems of the Central Atlantic region. Intended for the lay person and taught at the college freshman level, these evening courses are open to anyone at least 18 years old. Individual courses are useful to professional and amateurs alike in acquiring knowledge of specific subject matter and enhancing enjoyment of the out-of-doors.

The Natural History Field Studies curriculum has been designed to provide participants with a comprehensive and stimulating overview of the regions natural history and conservation issues and applications with an emphasis on learning in the field. A Certificate of Accomplishment is awarded for completion of a required curriculum of 26 credits.

Classes are offered at several locations around the Washington, DC area, including the Audubon Naturalist Societys sanctuaries in Chevy Chase, MD, and Leesburg, VA, the metro-accessible Capital Gallery in downtown DC, Brookside Gardens, and the University of Maryland, College Park.

The Natural History Field Studies program is cosponsored by the Audubon Naturalist Society and the Graduate School.

Winter Courses 2010
January 13 – April 5

Introduction to Ecology  2 credits
NATH 1160E
A fundamental understanding of ecology and the physical and biological principles on which ecosystems depend is essential for any naturalist. In this course students learn to interpret the patterns and processes of nature by studying energy flow, food webs, biogeochemical cycles, population dynamics, communities, behavioral and evolutionary ecology, biodiversity, biomes and plant/animal interactions.  Prerequisite: Biology for Naturalists (NATH1110E) or another biology course is recommended. 
Class Night and Time: Mondays, 6-8 pm
Course Duration: January 25-April 5
Field Trip Dates: March 13 and March 27
Location: Capital Gallery, DC
Tuition: $355
Instructor: Gary Evans
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Required text: Ecology - Concepts & Applications, Molles, Manuel C.

Dr. Gary Evans is Director, Natural Resources Distance Learning Consortium, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Ph.D., Colorado State University.

Land-Use Principles   2 credits
NATH2255E
Examine the social, economic, ecological, legal and physical principles that govern land use. Apply a variety of land-use principles to land-resource use and conservation by planning the use of an actual site. Additional examples of land-use problems in the Central Atlantic region are considered. Field trips visit several sites to study typical land uses and land-use problems.
Class Night and Time: Mondays, 6-8 pm
Class meetings: January 25-April 5
Field Trip Dates: February 27, March 21
Location: Woodend Sanctuary, MD
Tuition: $355
Instructor: Katherine Nelson
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Katherine Nelson is a Planner-Coordinator with the Montgomery County Department of Parks and Planning. She is a recipient of the Outstanding Award in Physical Planning. She is a certified Arborist. Masters in Planning, University of Virginia.

Wildlife Ecology    2 credits
NATH 2265E                          
Gain an understanding of wildlife techniques and theory, including the basics of life history, identification, population ecology, habitat management, and animal behavior.  Learn how institutional missions and federal laws influence wildlife and habitat conservation, and how humans affect and are affected by wildlife in rural, suburban, and urban environments of the Mid-Atlantic region.  Pressing concerns about invasive and introduced species, the effects of climate change on wildlife, and the influences of a changing economic environment will also be discussed.  Previous courses such as Biology for Naturalists (NATH1110E) and Intro. to Ecology (NATH1160E), or equivalent, are recommended.
Class Night and Time: Tuesdays, 6-8 pm
Course Duration: January 19–March 23
Field Trip Dates: January 30, February 20 and March 6
Location: Capital Gallery, DC
Tuition: $355
Instructor: Kimberly Winter
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Required text: Problem-Solving in Conservation Biology and Wildlife Management, 2nd Edition
James P. Gibbs, Malcolm L. Hunter, Jr., Eleanor J. Sterling
ISBN: 978-1-4051-5287-7. Paperback
February 2008, Wiley-Blackwell

Kimberly Winter has worked as a Habitats Program Manager for the National Wildlife Federation, as an International Coordinator for the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign, and as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia. PhD in Wildlife Ecology and Management, University of Georgia.

Animal Behavior  2 credits
NATH 1151E
Develop your skills in ob¬serving the behavior of animals while learning the basic concepts and theories of modern ethology. Learn the physical and physiological bases for the ways animals do things and the evolutionary and ecological contexts for what they do. A field trip to the National Zoo and examples drawn from familiar animals will help you understand what you see as you learn to recog¬nize patterns of communica¬tion, aggres¬sion, social behavior and species interactions.
Class Night and Time: Tuesdays, 7-9 pm
Course Duration: January 19-March 23
Field Trip Dates: February 13, March 13
Location: Woodend Sanctuary, MD 
Tuition: $355
Instructor: Jane Huff
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Basic text: An Introduction to Animal Behaviour by Aubrey Manning & Marian Stamp Dawkins (paper). 1998.

Students may also purchase Animal Behavior: An Evolutionary Approach by John Alcock. 2009.

Dr. Jane Huff is a natural science educator and former Director of Education for the
Audubon Naturalist Society. She is a recipient of the Graduate School Faculty
Excellence Award. Ph.D., Michigan State University.

Winter Woody Plant Identification   2 credits 
NATH 1146E                                      
Winter unmasks nature, revealing our local woody plants in their most skeletal form.  Students will learn to identify trees and shrubs by studying the “bare bones” of plants – branching structure, bark, buds, and leaf scars.  Classroom lessons and three field trips will help students develop observational skills such as persistent and fallen fruits and leaves, aromatic twigs, and habitat. 
Class Night and Time: Wednesdays, 6-8 pm
Course Duration: January 13–March 17
Field Trip Dates: Jan. 23, Feb. 6, Feb. 20
Location: Capital Gallery, DC
Tuition: $355
Instructor: Elizabeth Rives 
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Required texts:

1. Grimm, William C. The Illustrated Book of Trees. Rev. ed. (by Kartesz, John). Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2002.

2. Virginia Department of Forestry, Central Office. Common Native Trees of Virginia. Charlottesville, VA, 2007. ($2.00 through Dept of Forestry website (www.dof.virginia.gov) or Audubon Sanctuary Shop; downloadable at http://www.dof.virginia.gov/edu/resources/pub-Native-Trees-Va_2009.pdf)

3. Harlow, William M. Trees of the Eastern and Central United States and Canada. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 1957. 
 
4. Harlow, William M. Fruit Key & Twig Key to Trees & Shrubs. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 1959.

5. Watts, May T. and T. Watts. Winter Tree Finder. Rochester, NY: Nature Study Guild Publishers, 1970.

Elizabeth Rives teaches tree selection for Arlington-Alexandria's tree steward training class. She has conducted tree identification surveys, advised on tree care and maintenance, and researched native flora. B.A., University of Virginia.

Conservation Philosophy   2 credits
NATH 2250E 
Learn the history of conservation in America. Discover the importance of worldwide environmental history for today’s conservation problems. Study the development of conservation ethics and issues. Read, discuss, and report on the classic books of conservation literature. Trace the evolution of conservation concepts from Henry David Thoreau and George Perkins Marsh through John Wesley Powell and John Muir to Rachel Carson and E. O. Wilson. Explore the relationships between attitudes toward nature and environmental action.
Class Night and Time: Wednesdays, 6:30-9:30 pm
Course Duration: January 20-March 31
Location: Woodend Sanctuary, MD
Tuition: $355
Instructor: Kent Minichiello
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Books required of all students (listed in the order that they are to be read):
 
1. Udall, Stewart: The Quiet Crisis and the Next Generation. Gibbs Smith, 1988. (This is the 1988 expansion of The Quiet Crisis, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1963.) This book out of print, but it is available as loan from the instructor at the first class meeting or before; and it is available at a modest price used on the Internet.
 
2. Leopold, Aldo: A Sand County Almanac. Oxford, 1949,1967 (revised ed.), 1987. Available new or used.
 
3. Carson, Rachel: Silent Spring. Houghton Mifflin, 1962. Available new or used.
 
4. Scientific American: Managing Planet Earth. W. H. Freeman, 1990. Available as a loan or used.
 
5. Minichiello, J. Kent, and Anthony White: From Blue Ridge to Barrier Islands. Johns Hopkins, 1996. Available new or used.

Dr. Kent Minichiello is co-editor of From the Blue Ridge to Barrier Island: An Audubon Naturalist Reader, Johns Hopkins Press, 1997. He is a recipient of the Graduate School, USDA Directors Award. Ph.D., George Washington University.

Introduction to Ornithology  2 credits
NATH 1118E    
Learn about birds and their special characteristics. Study their external and internal anatomy, feather structure, plumage, special adaptations, flight, migration, courtship, mating, nesting, eggs, incubation, care of the young, habitats, ecology, behavior, conservation, evolution, classification, distribution, worldwide birds and bird-related activities. Three field trips emphasize field identification, bird song and other behavior.
Class Night and Time: Thursdays, 7-9 pm
Course Duration: January 21-April 1
Field Trip Dates: February 6, March 6, March 27 (all day)
Location: Woodend Sanctuary, MD
Tuition: $355
Instructor: Don Messersmith
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Required text: The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior by Chris Elphick, John B. Dunning, Jr., David Allen Sibley. 2001. Alfred A. Knopf, NY. 

Dr. Donald Messersmith is a retired professor of entomology at the University of Maryland and leads international birding trips. Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

Spring Courses
April 8 – June 16

Spring Birding    1 credit  
NATH 1187E
Bird migration is one of nature’s most mysterious and impressive spectacles. Learn more about this annual phenomenon through a combination of class and field study. Topics covered include bird migration patterns, navigation techniques, important staging areas, and migration monitoring. Songs of local migrants and breeders will be covered. Special emphasis is placed on conservation issues that impact North American migrants.
Class night and time: Mondays, 7-9 pm
Class meetings: April 12-May 10
Field Trip Dates: April 24 and May 8
Location: Woodend Sanctuary, MD
Tuition: $259
Instructor: Gemma Radko
To Register Online: http://graduateschool.edu/course_details.php?cid=NATH1187E

Gemma Radko is the Communications/Media Manager for the American Bird Conservancy. She completed MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) training through the Institute for Bird Populations in1998. A licensed bird bander, she has operated the MAPS station at Adventure in Potomac, MD since 2000. B.A., Allegheny College.

Biology for Naturalists       2 credits
NATH 1110E    
Explore basic biological principles and theories with hands-on examples drawn from the natural world around us. Understand the classification and adaptations of organisms as we explore living things. Outdoor activities and field trips will help you develop the naturalist's way of seeing. This course is recommended background for other courses in the Natural History Field Studies Certificate program.
Class night and time: Tuesdays, 7-9 pm
Class meetings: April 13-June 15
Field Trip Dates: May 8, June 12
Location: Woodend Sanctuary, MD
Tuition: $355
Instructor: Jane Huff
To Register Online: http://graduateschool.edu/course_details.php?cid=NATH1110E

Dr. Jane Huff is a natural science educator and former Director of Education for the
Audubon Naturalist Society. She is a recipient of the Graduate School Faculty
Excellence Award. Ph.D., Michigan State University.

Birds of North America       2 credits  
NATH 1167E
Study the bird families found in all parts of North America north of Mexico.  Learn about North American fossil birds; the origins of our bird families; and the conservation of North American birds. The course will focus on classifications, species, and distribution patterns. Preserved bird specimens will be on display for students’ examination. Field trips will foster knowledge of habitats and identification. Prerequisites: Introduction to Ornithology (NATH1118E) or a basic knowledge of birds is recommended.
Class night and time: Tuesdays, 7-9 pm
Class meetings: April 13-June 15
Field Trip Dates: April 24, May 22, June 5
Location: Woodend Sanctuary, MD
Tuition: $355
Instructor: Don Messersmith
To Register Online: http://graduateschool.edu/course_details.php?cid=NATH1167E

Dr. Donald Messersmith is a retired professor of entomology at the University of Maryland and leads international birding trips. Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

Cristol Fleming is a former regional ecologist for the Maryland Natural Heritage Program. She is a recipient of the Graduate School, USDA Faculty Excellence Award. BA., Bennington College.

Registration for these classes can be completed:

• online at www.graduateschool.edu
• by phone at 202-314-3320 or toll free at 888-744-GRAD
• by FAX at 866-FAX-GRAD or 202-475-6843
• by mail:
  Registrars Office
  Suite 120
  600 Maryland Ave., SW
  Washington, D.C. 2004
• in person at the Registrars office, 8 am-7 pm, Mon.-Fri.

Bookshop Open!
On the first night of classes held at Woodend, our Sanctuary Shop will be open for a half hour prior toclass for students to buy books and other items. A special 20% discount will be offered to field studies students. We usually carry textbooks for classes, but call to confirm (301-652-3606).

The Natural History Field Studies program is jointly sponsored by the Audubon Naturalist Society and the Graduate School.

For more information on certificate courses offered, please contact the certificate counselor at 202-314-3320 or certificates@graduateschool.edu.

Basic Studies (complete 6 credits):

Ecosystems (complete 6 credits):

Conservation (complete 4 credits):

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