Course Catalog

This course is an introduction to acoustic ecology. Field studies, lectures and assignments will work to build a strong understanding of the role sound plays in the environment. Acoustic Ecology studies the relationship between living things and their surrounding soundscape. Throughout this course, students will explore a variety of tactics for exploring, documenting and analyzing the soundscape at various locations surrounding Lakeside Lab and beyond. Studying the soundscape crosses into a variety of disciplines and topics. There are issues relating to biology, audio engineering, acoustics, community development, social engagement, design, art, health and many, many more. While some portion of this course will discuss art and design as it relates to the study of acoustic ecology, no previous art or design knowledge is required to successfully complete this course

8:00am - 5:00pm, M-F

Examination of ecological and evolutionary theories of animal behavior through field studies of animal coloniality, courtship, territoriality, predator defense, habitat selection, foraging, mating systems, and parental care.

This course is offered at the undergraduate and graduate level. Academic credit is awarded through the University of Iowa. 

8:00am - 5:00pm, M-F

In this course, students will study the ecological principles of aquatic ecosystems at the population, community, and ecosystem levels. The course is divided into two, 2-week sections which can also be taken independently as stand-alone sections. The first half focuses on the ecology of wetlands and streams with an emphasis on faunal and floral diversity. The second half will focus on limnology: an overview of the biology, chemistry, and physics of lake ecosystems. Students will investigate how physical and chemical environments of aquatic ecosystems affect the distribution and composition of aquatic biota, and vice versa. Lectures will cover such topics as the origins of lakes and their global distribution, biogeochemical nutrient cycling, phytoplankton and zooplankton ecology, and management of aquatic ecosystems, including wetland delineation and regulation.

This course will have a strong field and laboratory component, in which students will learn field techniques and laboratory analyses commonly used by aquatic ecologists. For example, students will learn to sample and identify common plants and animals of streams and wetlands including use as indicators of environmental conditions, the relationship of hydrologic and soil conditions to flora & fauna, methods to measure underwater light climate and mixing regimes of lakes; nitrogen and phosphorus analytical techniques; phytoplankton, zooplankton, and macroinvertebrate identification and enumeration techniques; and measures of community metabolism in aquatic ecosystems. Students will also learn statistical analyses, interpretation of ecological data, and writing of scientific manuscripts through independent group research projects.

This field based course is intended as an introduction to design ecology principles for students of all levels interested in design, art, architecture and making. No prior experience is required, and students from all disciplines are encouraged.   In this special Lakeside Lab course, we will: Survey both scientific and creative field research methods that engage with the physical and invisible ecologies of Northwest Iowa’s Great Lakes region. Conduct material studies on local low-carbon, earthen/plant-based and repurposed materials. Be introduced to design tools and concepts like LCA material analysis, cradle to cradle thinking, and multi-species design. Collectively research, design and build an interactive pavilion that enhances the public’s perception of water, soil, geology, flora and fauna on Lakeside’s campus.   

How to introduce, explore, and understand Earth systems, processes, and environment; use of experiential, immersive, and place-based approaches to build confidence with subject matter and deepen understanding of landforms, landscapes, climate, geology, and geologic time; for in-service teachers, pre-service teachers, and informal educators

8:00am - 5:00pm, M-F

An introduction to environmental geology. 

Essentials of earth science, including astronomy, meteorology, geology, and paleontology; includes laboratory and fieldwork. The 2023 course has a focus on drones and AUV data collection methods.  

This course is offered at the undergraduate level. Academic credit is awarded through the University of Iowa. 

8:00am - 5:00pm, M-F

Introduction to the principles of ecology at the population, community, ecosystem levels; field studies of local lakes, wetlands, and prairies used to examine factors that control distributions, interactions, and roles of plants and animals in native ecosystems.

An introduction to the principles of ecology at the organismal, population, community, and ecosystem levels. The course integrates lectures and field studies to examine factors controlling the distribution and abundance of plants and animals in native ecosystems. General topics include climate, microclimates, soil, aquatic environments, responses of organisms to environment, life history, population growth and regulation, demography, species interactions, community composition and structure, landscape ecology, trophic structure and productivity, and biogeochemical cycles. There is a strong emphasis on field ecology (what do ecologists do?), meaning that students will conduct many field research projects. These require collection, analysis, and the interpretation of data in short reports.

Pre-requisites: Two semesters of introductory biology or consent of the instructor

This course is offered at the undergraduate and graduate level. Academic credit is awarded through the University of Iowa. 

This course is offered on-line with synchronous and asynchronous sessions.

Ecology, morphological structure, phylogeny, and taxonomy of freshwater algae based on field material collected; emphasis on genus-level identifications, biodiversity, ecology; habitat visits to lakes, fens, streams, rivers; algal ecology. 

8:00am - 5:00pm, M-F

This course is an intensive, field-oriented class appropriate for advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and post graduate workers in ecology, geology, environmental sciences, and diatom taxonomy. We will immerse ourselves in the diverse aquatic habitats and fossil deposits of the Upper Midwest to observe freshwater diatoms. Students will learn techniques in diatom collection, preparation, and identification. Lectures will cover taxonomy, systematics and biogeography of most freshwater genera. Students will complete individual voucher collections using modern database techniques and produce a written species treatment using guidelines for electronic publication. Students are encouraged to bring research materials. The use of diatoms in ecological and paleoecological research will be discussed.

Instructors: Mark Edlund, St. Croix Watershed Research Station, Science Museum of Minnesota.
Sylvia Lee, United States Environmental Protection Agency. 

Scholarships: Available through Iowa Lakeside Lab including The Charlie Reimer Scholarship, which is awarded to one student annually based on scholastic merit. For more information see the scholarship section of the Lakeside Lab web site (www.iowalakesidelab.org). 

The Hannah T. Croasdale Fellowship is available through the Phycological Society of America (deadline March 1): http://www.psaalgae.org/hannah-t-croasdale-fellowship 

The John C. Kingston Diatom Fellowship was established in 2004 by colleagues, friends and family to honor John's memory and to recognize the contributions he made to the study of diatoms at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory. Each summer, an award is made to one advanced student or researcher to serve as teaching assistant for the Ecology and Systematics of Diatoms course and to engage in a research project. The fellowship includes a stipend and room and board at Lakeside and is available to domestic and international students, at the graduate level or advanced undergraduate level. See the Iowa Lakeside Lab webpage (www.iowalakesidelab.org) to apply.  The JC Kingston Fellowship is administered by the Friends of Lakeside Lab.

Pre-requisites: none

This course is offered at the undergraduate and graduate level. Academic credit is awarded through the University of Iowa. 

8:00am - 5:00pm, M-F

Learn the ways scientists can better communicate discoveries and ideas.  Learn the importance of identifying your audience and how you can adapt your writing based upon your understanding of those varying audiences.  

Summer 2023 - This course is available for 1, 2 or 4 credit hours.
1 credit hour course meets June 26 - June 30, 2023
2 credit hours meets June 26 - July 7, 2023
4 credit hours meets June 19 - July 14, 2023 

8:00am - 5:00pm, M-F 

Nature of cultural and environmental evidence in archaeology, how such evidence is used to model past human behavior and land use; emphasis on Iowa prehistory; basic reconnaissance surveying, excavation techniques.

As this is primarily a field course, excavation and mapping notes as well as recording of general observations while digging will be required. Lab processing forms will also be completed by field school participants. No formal tests or writing assignments are required beyond the field notebooks (which will include building an annotated bibliography from pertinent source materials provided by the instructor).

Participants will be introduced to the essential methods of field archaeology including artifact identification, site mapping, excavation techniques, artifact processing, and beginning analytical methods. The field school will include lectures on Iowa archaeology and the culture history sequence of western Iowa as well as day trips to the Sanford Museum in Cherokee, Iowa and the Dixon Oneota site, and possibly the Blood Run National Historic Landmark, Jeffers Petroglyphs, and Pipestone National Monument.

This course is offered at the undergraduate level. Academic credit is awarded through the University of Iowa. 

WINTER 2023 DATES - January 23, 2023 to March 3, 2023

This introductory course provides the history, purpose, functionality and basic uses of geographical information systems (GIS) as a tool for demonstrating information in relation to locations on the earth and moments in time. While map data may often serve as the basis for using or understanding geographical information, more complex data and systems may be analyzed using GIS tools to grow understanding of geographical phenomena. For the sake of consistency, ArcGIS tools will be used to familiarize students with the basic application and function of GIS technology in relation to data.

The major goals of the course are to: Understand the basic functionality of GIS software using ESRI tools; and apply this knowledge to real-world problems. By the end of the two-week course, students should be able to:

Successfully navigate ArcGIS software to perform basic map building and data management.

Apply GIS techniques to questions related to human and environmental challenges.

8:00am - 5:00pm, M-F

Lichens are a diverse, abundant, and readily accessible group of organisms that are routinely overlooked. This course will focus on allowing students to appreciate the beauty and diversity of local lichen species, while learning to identify these organisms.

Course Objectives: By the end of the course, students will be able to: 1) recognize and describe the biology and morphology of lichens; 2) use taxonomic keys to identify lichens; and 3) recognize local lichen species in the field.

This course is offered at the undergraduate and graduate level. Academic credit is awarded through the University of Iowa. 

8:00a - 5:00p, M-F

In this class, we will explore what it means to build kin with a place, while in a place—specifically, Lake Okoboji and the grounds of the Lakeside Laboratory.

The class will begin by thinking about and the human impact on our planet and the inherent demand issued by climate change to abandon anthropocentrism and fundamentally alter human relationships with our environments, places, and the species therein. After discussing the cultural and human dimensions of climate change, we will consider multispecies kinship systems and how to build meaningful relationships with place. Our goal? To fully understand, and attempt to inhabit, interconnectivity and reciprocity.

Although a Literature class, this course is based in the Environmental Humanities and American Indian Studies, and thus inherently interdisciplinary; readings will include texts by ecologists, botanists, climatologists, indigenous writers and theorists, fiction writers and poets, playwrights, and even a few podcasters. While studying and reading, we will embark on a number of projects designed to build familiarity and relationships with Lake Okoboji and the grounds of the Lakeside Lab, pawing through their archives, maps, and collections of fossils, species, scientific studies, working to build connections, narratives, and new understandings of how to relate to, and live intermeshed within, place.

8:00am - 5:00pm, M-F

Biology, ecology, and behavior of birds; emphasis on field studies of local avifauna; group projects with focus on techniques of population analysis and methodology for population studies.

This course is offered at the undergraduate and graduate level. Academic credit is awarded through the University of Iowa. 

Principles of classification and evolution of vascular plants; taxonomic tools and collection techniques; use of keys; emphasis on field and laboratory studies to identify local flowering plants; recognition of major plant families.

8:00am - 5:00pm , M-F

Basic patterns, underlying physical and biotic causes of regional and local distributions of North American prairie plants and animals; field and laboratory analysis and projects.

Prairie Ecology is divided into two separate courses: 
Prairie Ecology 1 (2 credits) runs from June 5 through June 16, 2023. 
Prairie Ecology 2 (2 credits) runs from July 10 through July 21, 2023. 
Taken together they cover the material traditionally covered in Prairie Ecology (4 credit hours).

This course is offered at the undergraduate and graduate level. Academic credit is awarded through the University of Iowa.