Enrollment open to students from all US colleges
and universities
_________________________
6 Weekends At the
Mountain Research Station * Saturday and
Sunday Field Days *
Evening
guest lectures Saturdays *
* Wednesday Lectures, Main Campus
*
eve: Guest Lecture: Dr. Barry
Rosenbaum, Executive
Director,
Altai
Institute for
Research and
Conservation - "Winter
Feeding Strategy of a
Mongolian Argali (Ovis
ammon) in an Extreme
Environment"
Wintertime offers insights into the natural
history of organisms and function of ecosystems that are
not often appreciated in summer visits to the
field. Winter Ecology is a survey
of physical and biological processes and their
interaction in wintertime snow-covered
environments. Through classwork, fieldwork, and
individual projects, we will focus on the dynamics of
high-elevation ecosystems in the western US. Based
out of the CU Mountain Research Station's year-round
Science Lodge, we will spend 6 weekends exploring the
ecology of upper montane, subalpine, and alpine
landscapes in winter. We will study plant, vertebrate,
and microbial adaptations to winter and the dynamics of
terrestrial, aquatic, and snowpack environments.
We will consider how winter processes play a role in
growing season dynamics, shape landscapes, and are
important factors in conservation and management of
natural resources of the Rocky Mountains.
Lectures
(1hr/week) - background for the coming weekend's
field exercises
Weds, 5-6pm. Ketchum 1B20
Moores-Collins
Science
Lodge
Mountain Research Station
(photo: TKittel)
Course Registration
Credits:
3
- EBIO 4100, Sec 570
-
Open to students from all colleges and universities
Tuition & Fees:
$1800.
-
includes lodging
- no
additional tuition for out-of-state
-
meals to be arranged separately (see pre-course
organizational meeting)
-
sorry, no pets
Reserving
your Place in the Class
See the MRS
course reservation site for general information
and to sign up online. By phone: 303 492-8842
Please note: You must sign up
on the Mountain Research Station reservation
site and pay the deposit before you will be
counted as having a place in the course.
Enrollment
is limited to 15
MRS will
maintain a wait list
Course
Deposit: $300.
Cancellations
-
See the
MRS
registration site regarding the refund policy.
While MRS
does not offer financial aid for its courses
If you have
financial aid through CU, you can use it to cover
for course costs. Contact the Station to make
necessary arrangements (email mrs@colorado.edu,
phone 303 492-8842).
If you are
at another institution, please check with your
financial aid office.
Textbooks
Required
texts:
Life in the Cold. An Introduction
to Winter Ecology, by Peter
Marchand. 4th ed. 2014. University Press
of New England. ~$30.
ISBN -
(print)
9781611684285
(ebook)
9781611685060
eBook
version @ CU
Libraries: Call# QH543.2 .M37 2013eb
Winter
World. The Ingenuity of Animal Survival, byBernd Heinrich. 2003 (Ecco paperback edition
2004). HarperCollins. $10-20. ISBN-13:
978-0061129070
Autumn.
A
Season
of
Change, by Peter Marchand. 2000.
University Press of New England. $10-20.
ISBN-13: 978-0874518702
Note there are
readings assigned for both days of the first weekend
(see Week 1
readings)
The instruction we find in books
is like fire. We fetch it from our
neighbours,
kindle it at home, communicate it to others,
and it becomes the property of all.
- Voltaire
Getting There:
Directions to
the MRS from Boulder: Map
pdf file
(60k)
Please
arrive by 8a, class starts at 8:30. The drive
under good conditions generally takes 45 min from
downtown Boulder. I recommend planning on an hour
the first time around and given road conditions.
Due to
scheduling constraints, there'll be no opportunity to
make-up parts of the course including the exam
Final grades
assigned as follows: A 90-100%, B 80-89%, C
70-79%, D 50-69%, F <50%
(photo:
Alan Rosacker, Winter Ecology 2005)
Other Logistics:
See information
on Health matters and
Personal equipment
in preparation for the class's field work. Also see
other sections in 'What to bring'
for information on what's needed for staying at the
Lodge, food, and computer facilities.
A personal
goal for me, as an instructor, [is] to foster
familiarity with the nature of science. There
are many facets to understanding the world of
science. One is experiencing the process of
accumulation and evaluation of scientific
understanding how do new ideas arise and how are
they tested? Another is developing the ability
for independent thought, to be able to generate
innovative ideas and [to] critically assess the
results of others. And finally, gaining what
is often called a sense of place, which is to say
in this context, to start on the road to develop an
intuitive, personal sense of how natural systems
work.
T. Kittel (Center for Environmental
Research & Conservation Notes, Fall
2000, Columbia University, NY)
Words from
Previous Years' Students to Incoming Students from Student Course
Evaluations and Journals
Limnological
field
data
collection,
Gold Lake, CO. Winter
Ecology 2005 (photo: Alan Rosacker)
Hands down
the best class ever taken at CU. (Spring 2011)
The Winter
Ecology Field Course at CU Boulder's Mountain
Research Station is like no other ecology course.
Covering a wide range of topics, from climate to
small mammals winter ways to plant distribution, it
was a wonderful way to experience winter research
conditions and a great introduction to ecology, from
a winter perspective. I would say prepare to
work hard, and say I didn't know that! a
lot. (Spring 2005)
There are few ways to get the hands on experiences a
field course provides. (Spring 2005)
The field
exercises were great! Everyone should take a
course like this. (Spring 2006)
I also really love the
small class environment. Its really cool to go out
into the field and take samples, cook dinner, and play
card games together. This class is a bonding
experience like none other. Lectures arent really
lectures; theyre more like conversations with
individuals who know a lot more about this stuff than
I do. (Spring 2013)
Outside time was fantastic. Being able to talk
about a subject and then go study/observe was
crucial. Field courses are great and should be
required for all physical geography students.
(Spring 2005)
Expect to
learn new things with fun people. I thought
this class was great. Out of [my field
courses], this was definitely my favorite field
class. ... A really great
experience! (Spring 2005)
The format was great mixing lecture,
field, guest lectures, etc. (Spring 2005)
Guest field instructors
were all awesome. The 'expert of the day' made
the class great. Do it Do it
Do it! (Spring 2010)
Tim is an excellent prof. He will excite your
interest and encourage you to learn immense amounts
about winter ecology. (Spring 2005)
Be ready for snow & cold, 10-20 other friends,
and a beautiful environment (Spring 2010)
"I really love this place.
I thought
adding a class on the weekend would stress me
out, but this class does the exact opposite:
it's the perfect getaway to my week.""
(Spring 2019)
It is a great course, pay attention, and put the
effort in. (Spring 2010)
Snowpit
field day, Winter
Ecology 2009. Student Ryan Provencher
(right) &
Instructor T Kittel (photo:
Drew Habig)
Health
Matters
Most fieldwork
will be in high elevation, snow-covered, and/or wind-blown
areas. Students must come prepared to do wintertime
fieldwork under such conditions (see Required Equipment).
Participants need to be in good health and physical condition
and aware of the physical stress of being out in
high-elevation wintertime environments, including low
oxygen, high exertion, and cold temperatures
those with respiratory or heart conditions are advised to
consult their physician before enrolling.
Required
Personal Equipment
Equipment required
for field work includes, in the minimum:
Backcountry
skis
(telemark
or touring) with climbing skins, or snowshoes
(with sufficient floatation on unpacked
snow and grip on packed/icy surfaces)
Extreme
cold weather clothing and boots - sufficient to
stay warm while standing about for substantial
periods (e.g. 1 hr),
Ski
goggles, skiing face mask or balaclava, day pack,
...
Go to WHAT
TO
BRING!for
a full listing of required and suggested equipment --
Accommodation for
Disabilities or Temporary medical condition or
injury
If
you
qualify for accommodations because of a disability,
please submit your accommodation letter from
Disability Services to your faculty member in a timely
manner so that your needs can be addressed.Disability
Services determines accommodations based on documented
disabilities in the academic environment.Information
on requesting accommodations is located on the Disability
Services website. Contact Disability
Services at 303-492-8671 or dsinfo@colorado.edu
for further assistance.
If
you
have a temporary medical condition or injury, see Temporary
Medical
Conditions under the Students tab on the
Disability Services website.
- 12/2018
Professional Behavior
Students
and
faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an
appropriate learning environment. Those who fail to
adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to
discipline. Professional courtesy and sensitivity are
especially important with respect to individuals and
topics dealing with race, color, national origin, sex,
pregnancy, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual
orientation, gender identity, gender expression,
veteran status, political affiliation or
political philosophy.
Class
rosters
are provided to the instructor with the student's
legal name. I will gladly honor your request to
address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun.
Please advise me of this preference early in the
semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my
records.For
more information, see the policies on classroom
behavior and the Student Code
of Conduct.
- 12/2018
Academic Integrity /
Honor Code
All
students
enrolled in a University of Colorado Boulder course
are responsible for knowing and adhering to the
Honor Code. Violations of the policy may include:
plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, lying, bribery,
threat, unauthorized access to academic materials,
clicker fraud, submitting the same or similar work in
more than one course without permission from all
course instructors involved, and aiding academic
dishonesty. All incidents of academic misconduct will
be reported to the Honor Code (honor@colorado.edu); 303-492-5550).
Students
who are found responsible for violating the academic
integrity policy will be subject to nonacademic
sanctions from the Honor Code as well as academic
sanctions from the faculty member. Additional
information regarding the Honor Code academic
integrity policy can be found at the Honor Code Office website.
- 12/2018
Students
should
note that their work may be evaluated with a
plagiarism detection service; and that this service
retains a copy of the submitted work for future
comparisons.
Sexual Misconduct,
Discrimination, Harassment and/or Related
Retaliation
The
University
of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) is committed to
fostering a positive and welcoming learning, working,
and living environment. CU Boulder will not tolerate
acts of sexual misconduct (including sexual assault,
exploitation, harassment, dating or domestic violence,
and stalking), discrimination, and harassment by
members of our community. Individuals who believe they
have been subject to misconduct or retaliatory actions
for reporting a concern should contact the Office of
Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC) at
303-492-2127 or cureport@colorado.edu. Information
about the OIEC, university policies, anonymous
reporting, and the campus resources can be
found on the OIEC
website.
Please
know
that faculty and instructors have a responsibility to
inform OIEC when made aware of incidents of sexual
misconduct, discrimination, harassment and/or related
retaliation, to ensure that individuals impacted
receive information about options for reporting and
support resources. - 12/2018
Religious Holidays
Campus
policy
regarding religious observances requires that faculty
make every effort to deal reasonably and fairly with
all students who, because of religious obligations,
have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or
required attendance.See the campus
policy
regarding religious observances for full
details. - 12/2018
In
this
class, it is
your responsibility to make such requests to your
professor at the start of the course. - 7/2018
General Course Policy on
Absences
Missing a class can be
detrimental to your grade, this is especially given
that there are only ~11 full class (weekend) days for
a 3-credit course.Each day contributes directly both to your
participation grade and any graded activity for the
day, and cannot be excused or made up unless you have
a documented legitimate reason (such as those noted
above).Each
day works out to be enough points to change your
letter grade.In
addition, there's an indirect impact of missing skills
or other information related to take-home assignments
or individual projects that is covered on any given
day. Late
assignments are docked points or considered
uncompleted if more than 2 days
late.
- 7/2018
Course Description
Moores-Collins
Science
Lodge 
Map
