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
Trees south of AW
9am
10:00





room TBA
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
Trees south of AW
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
room TBA
9am
10:00


11:30

















12:00 - 2:00

room TBA
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
Trees south of AW
9am
10:30


11:30

12:00
Bird identification, part 2
Avian survey methods
BREAK
Grande Ronde research interests
Research groups: group norms
Teamwork: skills and strategies
Strategies for equitable teamwork
Advice for difficult feedback BREAK
Expedition cook group organization
Gear review
(**Elwha literature review due**)

Pt.count standards



Backpack packing strategy videos:
NOLS; Outside

References cited

Weekly Schedule

Field Camp home page

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