Course Catalog

Instructor: Alexander Braidwood

Credit Hours: 2

This course introduces students to the field of acoustic ecology.  Build a strong understanding of the role sound plays in the environment. Explore a variety of tactics for exploring, documenting, and analyzing soundscapes at various locations surrounding Lakeside Lab.  

Instructor: Paul Weihe

Credit hours: 4

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 the origins and global distribution of lakes. Topics also include biogeochemical nutrient cycling, phytoplankton and zooplankton ecology, and the management of aquatic ecosystems. This includes 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. Instruction includes using organisms as indicators of environmental conditions and understanding how hydrologic and soil conditions influence flora and fauna. Students will also learn methods to measure underwater light climate and lake mixing regimes, as well as nitrogen and phosphorus analytical techniques. Additional topics include phytoplankton, zooplankton, and macroinvertebrate identification and enumeration, and measures of community metabolism in aquatic ecosystems.

Students will further develop skills in statistical analysis, ecological data interpretation, and scientific writing through independent group research projects.

Credit hours: 4

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

This course introduces the principles of ecology at the population, community, and ecosystem levels. Field studies of local lakes, wetlands, and prairies are used to examine factors that influence the distribution, 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 and microclimates, soil and aquatic environments, and organismal responses to environmental conditions. Additional topics include 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

Academic credit is awarded through the University of Iowa. 

Instructors: David Burge (University of Minnesota, Science Museum of Minnesota); Sarah Spaulding (University of Colorado) 

This intensive, field-based course provides advanced training in diatom biology, taxonomy, and applied ecological analysis. Designed for advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, post-graduates, and natural resource professionals, the course integrates field sampling, laboratory preparation, microscopy, taxonomic identification, and data interpretation within a research-focused framework.

Students will conduct field investigations across a diverse set of aquatic environments, including fens, wetlands, lakes, rivers, and fossil deposits in the Upper Midwest. Laboratory work emphasizes diatom preparation techniques, light microscopy, digital imaging, and taxonomic verification. Lectures and discussions integrate diatom evolution, systematics, ecology, paleolimnology, biogeography, and environmental assessment, highlighting how taxonomic resolution underpins ecological inference and environmental decision-making.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Design and implement a field study of diatom communities across contrasting aquatic habitats.
• Apply standardized laboratory protocols for diatom preparation, microscopy, and digital imaging.
• Assemble a voucher flora to document and verify taxonomic identifications.
• Critically evaluate primary literature in diatom ecology and systematics.
• Explain the role of nomenclatural types and taxonomic standards in biological classification.
• Prepare and submit a draft species treatment for review in the Diatoms of North America (diatoms.org) project.

Students are encouraged to integrate their own research materials or datasets and will receive individualized mentoring on research design, methodological challenges, and best practices in diatom-based ecological and paleolimnological investigations. The course emphasizes professional skills in taxonomy, data analysis, and scientific communication that are directly applicable to academic research, environmental monitoring, and resource management careers.

Pre-requisites: none
Credit hours: 4 
Time: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday - Friday

Tuition and Fees: https://iowalakesidelab.org/college-students/tuition-fees-and-scholarships 
 

Range of room/board costs per week at Lakeside:
Cabin, room w/o bathroom, meals included, $ 250 per week
Room with bathroom, double occupancy, meals included, ~$ 300 per week
Single room with bathroom, meals included, $ 450 per week

Optional Workshop

Students may also choose to attend the on-site workshop, “Advancing the global diatom DNA reference library”, held 22-24 May, for no additional fee. 

Scholarships

In addition to the relatively low tuition rates, Iowa Lakeside Laboratory, Friends of Lakeside Lab, and scientific societies offer many scholarship opportunities. The course instructors are actively recruiting students from institutions with limited access to field-based training and provide mentoring to broaden participation in taxonomy and aquatic science. We strongly encourage students to register early and apply for one or more scholarships. Any student within the US who would like to attend, but is limited by funding should contact the instructors. 

General Scholarships - a limited number of $250/week (4 week max.) room and board scholarships to qualified students who register for a Lakeside Lab course and have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above (students may request a waiver for special circumstances). In exchange, students provide 3 hours of service each week at the campus.

Endowed Scholarships – Students may apply for the Charles Reimer Scholarship, E.F. Stoermer Scholarship, G. Dennis Cooke Scholarship, Craven Family Undergraduate Scholarship, Becker Family Graduate Fellowship.

Instructor: Lisa Dill

Credit hours: 3

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.  

Instructor: John Doershuk

Summer 2025 - This course is available for 1, 2 or 4 credit hours.
1 credit hour course meets June 22 - June 26, 2025
2 credit hours meets June 22 - July 3, 2025
4 credit hours meets June 15 - July 10, 2025 

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 of western Iowa. It will also feature day trips to the Sanford Museum in Cherokee, Iowa, and the Dixon Oneota site. Additional visits may include 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. 

Instructor: Drew Howing

Credit Hours: 2 

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

This course introduces students to the concepts and applications of geographic information systems (GIS).  Students will become familiar with using GIS software to visualize, query, create, edit, analyze, and present vector and raster geospatial data.  Additionally, this course will also use global positioning systems (GPS), drones, and phone survey applications to create data and prepare maps.  A field trip to the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) facility near Sioux Falls, South Dakota will be included along with field work.   

Instructor: Brianna Burke and Zoe Fay-Stindt

Credit hours: 3

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

Although this is a literature course, it is grounded in the Environmental Humanities and American Indian Studies and is inherently interdisciplinary. Readings include works by ecologists, botanists, climatologists, Indigenous writers and theorists, fiction writers and poets, playwrights, and a small number of 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. These projects involve exploring archives, maps, and collections of fossils, species, and scientific studies to build connections, narratives, and new understandings of how to relate to—and live intermeshed within—place.

Credit hours: 2

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.

Credit hours: 2

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. 

Credit hours: 2

This course introduces Earth systems, processes, and environments through experiential, immersive, and place-based approaches. These methods build confidence with the subject matter and deepen understanding of landforms, landscapes, climate, geology, and geologic time. The course is designed for in-service teachers, pre-service teachers, and informal educators.

Credit hours: 2

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. 

Credit hours: 2

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. 

Credit hours: 4

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. 

Credit hours: 4

This course introduces the principles of classification and evolution of vascular plants. Students learn taxonomic tools, collection techniques, and the use of identification keys. Emphasis is placed on field and laboratory studies to identify local flowering plants and recognize major plant families.