Field courses provide authentic and inspiring experiences for ecology students because they spark students’ curiosity about the natural world, provide opportunities for them to closely observe ecological interactions, allow them to collect data in all types of weather, and facilitate conversations with long-term residents, land managers, and indigenous people who know the ecology and culture of a place. However, field courses require more faculty time, logistical support, and energy than classroom courses.  The number of field opportunities for students is declining, but we need them to be inspired by these of experiences if we want the next generation of ecologists to be competent naturalists, comfortable working outdoors, and prepared for the profession.

I have developed a structured, creative, and practical process to plan outcome-driven field-based courses.  I would like to share this process with other ecologists so they too can efficiently plan effective, engaging field courses.  This workshop will include short lectures about preferred practices in outdoor and experiential education, group discussions, creative brainstorming sessions, and independent work time. Attendees will bring course ideas to the workshop and leave with an actionable plan.  They will clarify their learning outcomes, consider risks in planned course activities, build course calendars that maximize group development while minimizing logistical stress, and form strategies to continuously improve their courses.  Participants will also be encouraged to share teaching stories throughout the workshop in order to form a supportive community of inspiring peers that will stay connected via Internet after the workshop.