Continuing Education
Natural History Field Studies Program

Cosponsored with the Graduate School USA since 1961

Summer | Fall | 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, taken in five subject areas. For more information on certificate courses offered, please email the certificate counselor or call 202-314-3320.

Classes are offered at several locations around the Washington, DC area, including the Audubon Naturalist Society's Woodend Sanctuary in Chevy Chase, MD, and the metro-accessible Capital Gallery (L'Enfant Plaza stop) in downtown DC. The Natural History Field Studies program is cosponsored by the Audubon Naturalist Society and the Graduate School USA.

Instructors Needed
The Field Studies program is looking for instructors who can teach the following courses: Mammals; Eastern Forest Ecosystems; Freshwater Ecosystems; Mushrooms; Wildlife Ecology; or Ferns. If you are interested in applying for one of these positions, or you know someone you can recommend, please email Cecily Nabors.

NHFS e-mail group
Have you ever taken a Natural History Field Studies class? Then join the NHFS e-mail group to keep in touch with other students, share natural history information and learn about nature outings and student events. Email Brady Hartley to join.

Summer Courses
June 24 - August 31 

Wetland Ecosystems
NATH 8211E, 2 credits
Class night and time: Mondays, 6-8 pm
Class meetings: June 24-August 26
Field Trip Dates: July 13, 20, and 27
Location: Woodend Sanctuary, MD
Tuition: $355
Instructor: Terry McTigue
Register Online
The National Capital area harbors a rich variety of wetlands, ranging from bogs to tidal marshes. Become familiar with the landscape and ecological processes that form wetlands and how to identify the plants and animals commonly found in wetlands. Gain an understanding of wetland conservation, including wetland restoration, and policy.

Required text: In Search of Swampland: A Wetland Sourcebook and Field Guide (paperback) by Ralph W. Tiner, 2009. Rutgers University Press; 2 Rev Exp edition (9/22/05). 352 pages.

Introduction to Grass Identification
NATH8225E, 1 credit
Class night and time: Tuesdays, 6-8 pm
Class meetings: July 16-August 6
Field Trip Dates: July 27 and August 3
Location: Capital Gallery, DC
Tuition: $259
Instructor: Paul Peterson
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Explore the biology, identification, and classification of grasses, with emphasis on local native and introduced species of the Mid-Atlantic region. Learn the ecological and economic significance of grasses. Two field trips will allow practice in field identification.

Recommended text: How to Identify Grasses and Grasslike Plants by H.D. Harrington. Swallow Press/Ohio University Press, Athens, 1977.
 

Understanding Evolution
NATH 8201E, 1 credit
Class night and time: Tuesdays, 7-9 pm
Class meetings: June 25-July 23
Field Trip Date: July 13
Location: Woodend Sanctuary, MD
Tuition: $259
Instructor: Jane Huff
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Explore the theory of evolution, the "grand idea of natural science." Consider the biological bases for evolution, including genetics, natural selection, sexual selection, and survival strategies. Read Darwin's "The Origin of Species," review the intellectual background of evolution from Aristotle to Wallace, and survey the modern literature of evolution, including Mayr, Dawkins and E.O. Wilson. Topics are presented for the layperson and amateur naturalist, but a background in biology is helpful. ACE College Credit Recommendation Service Reviewed.

Required text: The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin. The Modern Library edition has a nice intro.
 

Summer Bird Life
NATH7116E, 1 credit
Class night and time: Wednesdays, 7-9 pm
Class meetings: July 31-August 21
Field Trip Dates: August 3 and 17
Location: Woodend Sanctuary, MD
Tuition: $259
Instructor: Gemma Radko
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Bird activity is especially busy in the summer, with courting, nesting, and fledging happening in the space of a few short months. Learn about local summer birds and their breeding strategies, nests and nestlings, habitat requirements, and much more. We will discuss the recent state-wide atlas, and what we can learn from atlasing activities. Two field trips to local parks will help participants learn to identify local nesters, their nests, and young birds.

No required text. Any field guide to birds of eastern North America.
 

Summer Wildflower Identification
NATH 7149E, 1 credit
Class night and time: Wednesdays, 7-9:30 pm
Class meetings: July 3-24
Field Trip Dates: July 13 and 20. Optional kayaking trip on July 27.
Location: Woodend Sanctuary, MD
Tuition: $259
Instructor: Melanie Choukas-Bradley
Register Online 
From milkweeds and morning glories to orchids and asters, summer presents a diverse array of wildflowers for study of plant family characteristics and ways to identify different species. Field trips to two scenic locations for summer wildflowers provide an opportunity for practice in the use of identification guides. Previous Spring Flower Identification class or similar course is recommended but not required. 

Required text: Newcomb's Wildflower Guide by Lawrence Newcomb.
Required text: Finding Wildflowers in the Washington-Baltimore Area by Cristol Fleming, Marion Blois Lobstein, Barbara Tufty.
Recommended: An Illustrated Guide to Eastern Woodland Wildflowers and Trees: 350 Plants Observed at Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland by Melanie Choukas-Bradley and Tina Thieme Brown. Instructor has loaner copies. 

Insect Life
NATH 7130E, 2 credits
Class night and time: Thursdays, 7-9 pm
Class meetings: June 20-August 29
Field Trip Dates: July 13, August 3 and August 10
Location: Long Branch Nature Center, VA
Tuition: $355
Instructor: Cliff Fairweather
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Learn to identify insects and discover their roles in the balance of nature. Study their life histories, the ecologies of important insect forms, the necessity of insects in biotic communities and principal insect families of the Central Atlantic region.

Required text: National Wildlife Federation's Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America by Art Evans, Sterling Publishing, New York, 2007.
Strongly recommended for field work: Field Guide to the Insects by Eric R. Eaton and Kenn Kaufman, 2006. 

Fall Courses
September 9 - November 25


Bird Life
NATH7115E, 2 credits
Study the life histories and ecology of resident and migrant birds of the Central Atlantic region. Emphasis is on birding techniques, use of field guides, introduction to birdsong, and identification of our area’s birds.  Bird forms and adaptations, habitats, classification, plumage, migration, and conservation are also covered.  The course features a field trip to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland as well as two other field trips.
Class Night and Time: Mon. 7 - 9 p.m. 
Class meetings: Sept. 9 – Nov. 25, 2013 
Field Trip Dates: Sept. 21, Oct. 19, and Nov. 23
Location: Woodend Sanctuary
Tuition: $355
Instructor: Mark England
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Estuarine Ecosystems
NATH8206E, 2 credits
Discover the dynamic nature of the estuarine environment through study of the interaction between basic physical, chemical and biological processes in the Chesapeake Bay.  Explore biological and geochemical cycles and discuss the interaction between nutrients and overall productivity affecting the health of the Bay.  Examine the effects of pollution and resources management and the processes that influence temperature and salinity distributions. ($35 field trip fees are collected in class.)
Class Night and Time: Monday, 6 - 8 p.m.
Class meetings: Sept. 9 – Nov. 25, 2013
Field Trip Dates: Sept. 21 and 28, and Oct. 5
Location: Woodend Sanctuary
Tuition: $355
Instructor: Terry McTigue
Register Online

Fall Woody Plant Identification
NATH7145E, 2 credits
Autumn's glory is created by colorful trees and shrubs, so fall is the ideal time to study techniques of woody plant field identification. Participants study the major woody plant families and species found in the Central Atlantic's forest communities. Field trips feature the use of recognition characteristics and botanical keys to identify many local woody plants.  Two sections of the course are being taught.  Students should have a 10x hand lens.
Class Night and Time: Tuesday, 7 - 9:15 p.m.
Class meetings: Sept. 17 - Nov. 12, 2013
Field Trip Dates: Sept. 28, Oct. 19, Nov. 2 (individual make-ups on day following scheduled field trip). Make-up field trip on Nov. 9 for weather or other issues. All field trips mandatory for successful completion of course.
Location: Long Branch Nature Center
Tuition: $355
Instructor: Elizabeth Rives
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Class Night and Time: Wednesday, 7 - 9:15 p.m.
Class meetings: Sept. 18 – Nov. 13, 2013
Field Trip Dates: Sept. 28, Oct. 12, and Nov. 2
Location: Woodend Sanctuary
Tuition: $355
Instructor: Melanie Choukas-Bradley
Register Online

Geology 
NATH7125E, 2 credits 
We may not have the Rockies in our back yard, but we have the roots of mountains that were as high as the Alps. Although local earthquakes are rare now, this area broke in two twice and oceans flowed in. Central Atlantic geology tells a story as fascinating as any place on the planet. Course lectures introduce the landscapes, subsurface structures and geologic history of our region. Two field trips emphasize the recognition of local landforms and of the geological processes that created them. ACE College Credit Recommendation Service Reviewed. There will be no class on Oct. 17.
Class Day and Time: Thursdays, 6 – 9 pm
Class meetings: Sept. 19 – Nov. 21, 2013
Field Trip Dates: Oct. 20 and Nov. 9
Location: Capital Gallery
Tuition: $355
Instructor: Joe Marx
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Introduction to Ecology
NATH7160E, 2 credits
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 (NATH 1110E) or another biology course. ACE College Credit Recommendation Service Reviewed.
Class Night and Time: Tuesdays, 7 - 9 p.m.
Class meetings: Sept. 17 – Nov. 19, 2013
Field Trip Dates: Oct. 6 and Nov. 2
Location: Woodend Sanctuary
Tuition: $355
Instructor: Jane Huff
Register Online
 

The Living Soil
NATH7175E, 2 credits
Knowledge of soils is basic to understanding plant communities and ecosystems. Examine the nature of soils and their influence on environment. Learn the structure, properties and the classification of soils and the significance of these factors to plant growth and other uses. Discover life in the soil, and study the soil groups and natural land resource areas of the Central Atlantic region. Previous courses in climate and biology are helpful. Purchase of a soil test kit will be required (about $50). ACE College Credit Recommendation Service Reviewed.
Class night and time: Wednesdays, 7 - 9 p.m.
Class meetings: Sept. 18 – Nov. 20, 2013
Field Trip Dates: Sept. 28, Oct. 19, and Nov. 16
Location: Woodend Sanctuary
Tuition: $355
Instructor: Joel Cohen
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Weather and Climate
NATH 7140E, 2 credits 
Explore a wide range of weather phenomena. Learn about weather observation, clouds and cloud formation, weather map analysis and forecasting, weather satellite imagery and the weather's role in global and local ecological systems and the environment. Note: A fee of $20 for the Chesapeake Bay boat trip will be collected in class.
Class Night and Time: Wednesdays, 7 – 9 p.m.
Class Meetings: Sept. 18 – Nov. 20, 2013
Field Trip Dates: TBA
Location: Capital Gallery 
Tuition: $355
Instructor: Dan Ferandez
Register Online 

Registration is Easy! You can sign up ...

• Online HERE
• By phone: 202-314-3320 or toll free at 888-744-GRAD
• By fax: 866-FAX-GRAD or 202-475-6843
• By USPS:  Registrars Office, Suite 120, 600 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. 2004
• In person at the Registrars office, Mon-Fri, 8 am-7 pm.

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).

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 REQUIRED COURSES (complete 26 credits)


Basic Studies (complete 6 credits):

 
Identification Courses
(complete 6 credits to include 2 plant and 2 animal credits):

Ecosystems (complete 6 credits):

  
Conservation (complete 4 credits):

Electives (complete 4 credits):

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