ESCI Field Camp Schedule

Department of Environmental Sciences
College of the Environment
Western Washington University

ESCI Field Camp
Week 1 Schedule
Spring 2026

Instructor: John McLaughlin
Office: ES 434
Phone: 360-650-7617
E-mail:
( Please do not send attachments in proprietary formats.)
Office Hours: by appointment
Field Camp home page: https://faculty.jmcl.wwu.edu/Field_camp/field_home.htm

Day	Location	Topics	Reading
Tue 3/31	Rock Ring sculpture 9am CF 026 12:00 13:00	Participant introductions Orientation, forms, and norms Itinerary review BREAK Research project interests Wildlife research design Research project proposal review Ropes and knots BREAK Sampling design; Examples Literature searches Literature review writing Citations and references	Giracca 2016 McGill et al. 2021 Ford 2018 Wallace 2021 Prescod-Weinstein 2021 Elwha project ideas Turbek et al. 2016 Grogan 2021 Hotaling 2020
Wed 4/1	Rock Ring sculpture 9am TBD 11:00 16:00 CCF off campus (end by 20:00)	Bird identification Research interest meetings BREAK Meet @ Old Fairhaven Parkway x 24th St. Conservation: Regional safe operating space Wildlife research ethics Amphibian survey methods Frog survey Frog survey sites Frog survey data form (Elwha literature search ref. list due)	Cornell Lab.Ornithology McLaughlin 2018 Steffen et al. 2015 Raez 1998 May 2004 Minteer & Collins 2005 Moore & Campbell 2019 Mossman et al 1998
Thur 4/2	CF 110 9am 10:00 11:30 CF 125 12:00 - 2:00 CF 026 2:00 - 4:00	River structure and functions River tripod: water, sediment, LWD BREAK Elwha ecosystem restoration Wildlife roles in restoration BREAK Elwha restoration presentations, at SSEC 2018 Crain et al. Lessons from Elwha Ecosystem Restoration: Integrating science, policy, and management https://cedar.wwu.edu/ssec/2018ssec/allsessions/13 Peters et al. Planning, implementation, and monitoring Pacific salmonid recovery following the removal of two hydroelectric dams on Washington's Elwha River https://cedar.wwu.edu/ssec/2018ssec/allsessions/22 Chenoweth & McHenry. Monitoring and adaptation management of revegetation in the former Elwha Reservoirs https://cedar.wwu.edu/ssec/2018ssec/allsessions/31 McLaughlin et al. Recognizing and integrating wildlife as Elwha restoration agents https://cedar.wwu.edu/ssec/2018ssec/allsessions/48 Film: Return of the River (Introduction to R computing environment) Frog survey data analysis; Plot of data and model Age structured populations Spatially structured population methods	Duda 2022 Chenoweth et al 2023 McCaffery et al 2024 McCaffery et al 2018 Johnson et al. 2023 Gelarden&McLaughlin 2013 McLaughlin 2013 Elwha orthophoto 2018
Fri 4/3	Rock Ring sculpture 10:00 11:30 12:00	Avian survey methods Grande Ronde research interests BREAK Research groups: group norms Teamwork: skills and strategies Strategies for equitable teamwork Advice for difficult feedback BREAK Expedition cook group organization Gear review (Bird identification: during Elwha trip) (Elwha literature review due)	Pt.count standards Backpack packing strategy videos: NOLS; Outside thruhikers

References cited

Weekly Schedule

Field Camp home page

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