Department of Environmental Sciences
College of the Environment
Western Washington University

Fall 2025
Friday 12-3pm
Locations: mostly outside, on campus and local field sites;
see schedule for details
[This site is subject to revision. Changes will be announced in class or online.]

Instructor: John McLaughlin
Office: ES 434
Phone: 650-7617
E-mail:
( Please do not send attachments in proprietary formats.)
Office Hours: after class in-person and by appt. in-person or via zoom
Course Web Site: https://faculty.jmcl.wwu.edu/Field.intro/field.intro.home.pdf

Textbook: Mathews, D. 2021. Cascadia Revealed: A Guide to the Plants, Animals, and Geology of the Pacific Northwest Mountains. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

Required Equipment: writing implement and a sturdy field notebook with a waterproof cover.

Prerequisites: none.

Welcome

You belong here, and we are pleased that you joined us. This is a new course intended to provide an immersive, fun, and inclusive experience of field science. Evidence from comparable courses at other universities demonstrates this approach to learning can have benefits beyond the course itself, including improved skills and knowledge, higher GPAs, and higher graduation rates than conventional lecture-based introductory science courses. We hope you will enjoy similar outcomes.

This course provides an introduction to field science through immersive, hands-on, field-based experiential learning emerging from your own scientific inquiry. More than a body of knowledge, science is a practice. We will honor this meaning through immersion in the practice of field science, using local field sites as our classroom. Field trips will include locally accessible environments, topics, processes, and ways of knowing. We will consider applications of science to inform human-nature relationships. The course will form a learning community, in which participants collaborate to understand the history, structure, and function of field sites. You will develop scientific competency by designing, conducting, and presenting your own field research project. Specialized outdoor gear is not required, except for a rain jacket and footwear suitable for walking on trails. Rain jackets, rain pants, and other outdoor gear may be available at no cost from a new CENV gear lending libary, managed by the Outdoor Center. Please see the instructor for details.

To avoid course fees and minimize course expenses, course field trips will occur at local field sites. We will discuss inclusive transportation options early in the quarter and consider adjustments to field trip locations as needed. If you would find accessing and hiking on trails in or near Bellingham for up to three hours to be an unreasonable logistical or physical challenge, please contact the instructor by the second course meeting. Although the schedule may change according to the weather, you should come to class prepared to be outside regardless of weather conditions.

Learning Outcomes:
(1) Competence in field observation and ability to discern environmental patterns and variability, including detailed field journaling.
(2) Connection to local ecosystems and their inhabitants, including strategies for recognition.
(3) Improved critical thinking ability and problem-solving skills.
(4) Increased understanding of the nature of field science.
(5) Understanding of scientific hypothesis structure and competence in formulating hypotheses.
(6) Improved competence in field research project design and implementation.
(7) Ability to present ideas effectively using visual and narrative modalities.
(8) Increased comfort and confidence in field settings.
(9) Experience and competence in equitable teamwork and scientific collaboration.
(10) Develop identity as a scientist, and greater sense of belonging in the scientific community.

Policies and Resources

Course norms: to be reviewed, revised, and adopted by the group.

Illness Policies, including COVID-19:
Please make your health and the health of others in your sphere your highest priority.
If you feel sick, stay home, take care of yourself, and do not attend course meetings until you are fully well. No penalty will be applied for classes missed for health reasons, even if your illness turns out to be a mild cold.
Seek medical attention if your symptoms become severe, particularly high fever or difficulty breathing.
If you have had close contact with someone known to have COVID-19, self-quarantine for at least 10 days. If you had close contact with someone known to have COVID-19 and you manifest symptoms, self-isolate for at least 10 days and get tested. Similar precautions with generally shorter time frames apply to other respiratory diseases, including flu and RSV.
Please contact the instructor to arrange accommodations if you must miss multiple classes due to illness or self-isolation.

We will practice COVID-19 safety throughout the course.
(1) Most in-person meetings will occur outside.
(2) Wearing face masks during indoor course meetings is optional but encouraged. Masks should cover nose and mouth.
(3) Please wash your hands before and after class meetings.
(4) If disease prevalence rises substantially in our region, additional measures may be implemented.
Information about COVID-19 symptoms, treatment, prevention, and safety are at the following.
WWU
COVID-19 exposure FAQ, WA DOH
WA Department of Health

WWU Course Policies: We will observe all university policies regarding academic honesty, (non)use of generative AI, disability accommodation, religious accommodation, and equal opportunity. Please review those policies at the following site. https://syllabi.wwu.edu/

In particular, reasonable accommodation for students with documented disabilities should be established within the first week of class and arranged through the Disability Access Center: https://disability.wwu.edu/
Students seeking religious accommodation should provide written notice to the instructor within the first two weeks of the course.

WWU provides resources for additional student needs.
Students with medical needs may find help at the Student Health Center.
Students with emotional or psychological concerns may find help at the Counseling Center.
The Office of Student Life can help with difficult personal or family issues and in navigating the university bureaucracy.

We intend for everyone to succeed in this course, and we will support this intention with action. Success should be collaborative, involving shared efforts by individual students, student teams, and the instructor. Students with challenging personal circumstances are encouraged to contact the instructor before those issues impact work in the course, or as soon as possible. I will not consider this as weakness or requests for special favors. We will have better opportunities to develop strategies to help you succeed if we begin early.

Course Evaluation

Course Schedule (Topics, dates, and locations may be revised, according to student interests, weather conditions, field site access, and other factors beyond our control. Please check here regularly for updates.)

Readings to be revised.

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