3 Sigma Institute is pleased to announce the 2015 Summer Academy course line up in affiliation with Northland College and the Chequamegon National Forest. Undergraduate credit (in some cases, graduate credit) is offered through Northland College for these courses or courses can be taken as a non-credit option.
Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for updates! @3SigmaInstitute Facebook.com/3sigmainstitute More details at: http://www.3sigmainstitute.org/projects/FL-summer-academy/ <http://www.3sigmainstitute.org/projects/FL-summer-academy/> Short Courses *Introduction to Environmental Modeling: Linking Social and Natural Sciences* *Instructor: Elizabeth Allen <http://www.3sigmainstitute.org/projects/FL-summer-academy/allen-bio.html>, Ph.D. Candidate, Washington State University* Course #NRS 250 F1 (1 credit) or #3SI 250 1 (non-credit) | August 3-12, 2015 (10 days) | Max 15 students Students will learn about the important role models play in understanding the environment and making policy decisions. They will get hands-on experience building system dynamics models of integrated systems and will explore how collaborative modeling might be used to support a decision-making process among stakeholders with diverse interests. *-----------------* *Assessment of Wetland Food Web Support – Patterns in Primary and Secondary Production* *Instructor: R. J. Garono <http://www.3sigmainstitute.org/projects/FL-summer-academy/garono-bio.html>, Ph.D.; University of Minnesota and J. Kooser <http://www.3sigmainstitute.org/projects/FL-summer-academy/kooser-bio.html>, Senior Ecologist, Gomez and Sullivan Engineers, DPC* Course #NRS 350 F1 (1 credit) or 3SI 350 1 (non-credit) | July 31- Aug 6, 2015 (7 days) | Max 20 students In this course, students will sample Great Lakes and inland lake emergent/submergent plant communities and the insect assemblages that these communities support. Students will compare multiple survey and collection techniques, construct and analyze data sets, and calculate and compare diversity indices. Students will compare community classification techniques to determine if wetland plant communities support characteristic invertebrate assemblages. *-----------------* *Lake Ecosystem Ecology: biological and hydrologic sustainability of lake ecosystems * *Instructor: R. Kiesling <http://www.3sigmainstitute.org/projects/FL-summer-academy/kiesling-bio.html>, Ph.D., USGS; R. J. Garono <http://www.3sigmainstitute.org/projects/FL-summer-academy/garono-bio.html>, Ph.D., University of Minnesota* Course #NRS 250 F2 (1 credit) or 3SI 250 2 (non-credit) | July 24 - 30, 2015 (7 days) | Max 15 students The course will introduce students to the study of lakes as sentinel systems capable of tracking these types of environmental change along natural and human-produced gradients. Students will participate in the field collection and analysis of data from coastal Lake Superior, Lake Namekagon and other Chequamegon and Nicolet National Forest lakes as they help establish and maintain a regional network of sentinel lakes of climate change. *-----------------* Workshops All of the following workshops are offered as a non-credit option. Cultural Understandings and Batik will be offered on the Northland campus in 2015; however, students will make day trips to Forest Lodge and Chequamegon Bay during these courses. Students registering for the Amphibian Monitoring will have the opportunity to camp and take meals on the estate. *-----------------* *Amphibian Inventory and Monitoring Survey Techniques* *Instructor: B. Hill <http://www.3sigmainstitute.org/projects/FL-summer-academy/hill-bio.html>, 3 Sigma Institute* Course #3SI W001 | June 22 - 23, 2015 (2 days) | Max 25 students This two-day workshop introduces students to aquatic and terrestrial amphibian survey techniques. During this event, students will become acquainted with commonly used methods for amphibian inventory and monitoring projects. Students will learn the importance of amphibian surveys, and what species assemblage and relative abundance data translates to in terms of ecosystem health. They will be exposed to a variety of different survey techniques and methodologies, understand the benefits and short falls of each, and will implement many of them first hand in the field on day two. Performing pre-survey site assessments in small groups, with desired project goals in mind, will help students recognize the most appropriate method and time of year to use it at a given site, and why. The course format is a combination of classroom lecture and “hands-on” field exercises. This course is designed for biology or environmental majors, those interested in herpetology, or those who work in the wildlife biology field who have an understanding of basic biological principles. This workshop is field intensive; students should be prepared for all weather conditions. *-----------------* *Cultural Understandings and Relationships to Nature * *Instructor: S. Perez <http://www.3sigmainstitute.org/projects/FL-summer-academy/perez-bio.html>, Land Management Consultant/PhD Candidate Cornell University* Course #3SI W002 | July 20 - 24, 2015 (5 days) | Max 15 students This land of lakes and forest is the ancestral home of the Native Americans. It also became the home, and workplace, of the French, Scots, Swedish, and Norwegians. Each of these groups had a particular understanding of nature. The latter groups came with their understandings and developed their own relationship to the new lands. In this 5-day course, we will explore the historical records, listen to stories from the past, and visit various sites in the area. Students will come away with a deeper understanding of not only how different cultures interpret and adapt to their surroundings, but also how the area we see now has changed over time due to the activities of humans. *-----------------* *Batik* *Instructor: A. Gray <http://www.3sigmainstitute.org/projects/FL-summer-academy/gray-bio.html>, Ph.D.* Course #3SI W003 | July 27 - 31, 2015 (5 days) | Max 15 students Explore the Chequamegon National Forest to find inspiration and then use wax and paint to capture your imagination in the positive and negative space on cotton, silk, rayon or linen. Course combines interpretive hikes in the forest with regional ecologists with learning techniques of the ancient art form of batik, and includes learning the history of the art form, a survey of batik art, and various aspects of the technique such as the importance of wax mixture and temperature, application using painting tools, painting techniques, and dyeing and finishing work. Becky Hill C: 541.231.9653 3 Sigma Institute <http://www.3sigmainstitute.org/>
