The best aspects of this course were the professor, whom students found knowledgeable and interesting, and the stimulating materials. Students especially liked the hands-on experiences they got on the field trips and believed that they learned an enormous amount over the semester. Students did not like the lectures as much, as they found them disorganized and hard to fol ow. Students suggested creating notes to put online and distribute in class and going over the materials a little more slowly. Prospective students should be prepared for a light-course load, but know that they should pay attention during the lectures.

The best aspects of the course included the knowledgeable instructor, field trips, and small class size which fostered interesting discussion. Students felt that the course lacked organization and structure, and that the difficult midterm was not a good reflection of what students had learned. Suggestions for improvement included having notes made available to students via Blackboard, creating more graded opportunities for feedback on student progress, and organizing more course related field trips. Prospective students should be interested in course subject matter; familiarity with ecology is helpful.