NTRES 2150

The Art of Writing Field Observation

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2026-2027 Catalog.

Flip a rock over on the shores of Beebe Lake in fall, and you will uncover a hidden ecosystem. How would you describe what you observe? Would it be limited to the scale of a snail, or zoomed out to encompass the wider system of the lake, its history, and role in campus life? This field course will focus on observing and writing about the environment at multiple spatial and temporal scales, with the campus natural areas as the primary field site. Students will read natural history texts, such as Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac, and practice the art and science of phenology in areas such as the Cornell Botanic Gardens. Weekend trips to Cornell Biological Field Station on Oneida Lake and Sapsucker Woods.

Fees Field trip, $40. Course fee for the two weekend field trips.

Last 4 Terms Offered (None)

Learning Outcomes

• Write phenological field observations of local environments with reflection and illustration.
• Explain the connections between detailed observations, participatory science, and long-term ecological research.
• Identify the processes that shape place across multiple spatial and temporal scales.
• Create multimodal narratives that synthesize field observations and archival research.

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