Natural Science 0372 - Local Ecology and Agriculture

This course is primarily for a relatively small group of more advanced students to pursue field studies in local agriculture and ecology. Our nearby area is actually quite diverse and interesting in its variety of ecological habitats and farming systems, and well worth knowing and studying. We will be outside a lot as weather permits and visit several nearby habitats and sites (e.g., mountaintops, flood plains, and bogs), farms, and research sites and institutes. We will also make use of our own Hampshire College farm, forests and fields, including the forest canopy walkway. The focus will be studies of vegetation, birds, insects and other invertebrates, and salamanders, among others. Some examples of previous and also ongoing possible projects include: how insects and birds occupy different heights in our forest, the distribution of insect predators as well as pollinators in and on the edge of our farm fields (as well as harvesting and analyzing some summer project crops), the distribution and behavior of red-backed salamanders in this area, the use of trail cameras to study local wildlife (mammals and birds), looking at microbes and vegetation in local bogs, experiments with parasitoid wasps (that are used for crop pest control), studies of garden beds, composting, and aquaculture, and more (new projects will emerge as we go). Instructor permission required.

Independent Work Quantitative Skills Writing and Research Students are generally expected to spend 8 hours per week on work outside of class time.