Bringing Teens to Minnesota’s Biomes

The days of studying biology strictly from a textbook and classroom are long gone.

Thanks to an educational partnership between and the Audubon Center of the North Woods, the college is offering a new opportunity geared toward teens to experience Minnesota’s ecosystems by bringing students directly to the biomes.

“Humans in the Ecosystem: Special Ecosystems” is a two-credit course that will involve a week-long field trip to study various natural areas of Minnesota and camp out in the midst of them. The trip is scheduled for June 27 to July 1.

“We are very excited to offer this course for the first time this summer,” said Dr. Cynthia Weishapple, the dean of math, science and technology at Inver Hills. “The biology department here at Inver Hills has developed several service learning opportunities for students to get them out into field experiences. This particular summer course includes exploration of a variety of Minnesota biomes, including forests, prairies, woods, and bogs—with tie-ins to wildlife and geology.”

The course was originally designed for high school students looking to earn college credit, but the college decided to make registration available for anyone, Weishapple said.

The initial idea for the class came from a teacher at South St. Paul High School, Audubon Center of the North Woods Co-Executive Director Bryan Wood said.

“He had been to the Audubon Center with his school…[and] asked  me about the possibility of the Audubon Center offering a summer week course where they could earn credit,” said Wood. “That got me thinking about setting up the course for credit through Inver Hills.”

The course is appropriate for students completing high school, he said, but it is also for any undergraduate student seeking hands-on learning and more field experience in Minnesota habitats.

“We are very excited about this new course with Inver Hills Community College,” said Wood, who suggested it due to the Audubon Center’s relationship with the college in offering other courses.

“With our history with Inver [Hills], it seemed like a great way to add another layer to our partnership and provide a great, hands-on science opportunity for students.”

“The idea was to extend the college’s partnership into science and, particularly, into biology,” added Weishapple.

“Minnesota has so much environmental diversity, and this course looks at each of the major biomes (prairie, deciduous woods, conifer) and what makes each of those unique,” Wood explained.

The team of instructors for the course this year, according to Wood, will include:

• Jess Harguth, Audubon Center Intern Coordinator and Naturalist
• Luke Miller, Audubon Center Naturalist Intern
• Wayne Pikal, Retired Science Teacher and Limnologist
• Larry Weber, Retired Science Teacher and past MN Teacher of the Year, author of "Spiders of the North Woods and Backyard Almanac"
• Mike Link, Founding Executive Director of the Audubon Center of the North Woods and author of 23 natural history books

Students may leave their vehicles at the campus for the week, as all transportation will be provided from Inver Hills Community College.  

Course tuition is $376. Register by calling the college’s Enrollment Center at (651) 450-3503. Current IHCC students also can register online at www.inverhills.edu.