Immersive Global Change Ecology Course Expands Experience of First-Years

Dave Orwig, Senior Forest Ecologist at Harvard Forest, isn't your typical Harvard instructor. A leading researcher examining - firsthand - a variety of disturbances to forests across the northeast, Orwig is acutely aware of these threats, affecting individual tree species, complex vegetative communities, and the web of organisms that rely upon them. Summers spent conducting research at remote, threatened old growth forests inevitably give way to Orwig's fall course, Global Change Ecology: Forest, Ecosystem Function, and the Future. 

Uniquely comprised of three weekend-long, retreat-style excursions to Harvard Forest, the course immerses students in a globally-renowned climate change research facility that includes over 100 active research projects conducted by scientists worldwide. Roughly 90 minutes west of Cambridge, "the Forest" is comprised of 4,000 acres, predominantly wooded, with oodles of gadgets, trees hopped up on wifi, and charismatic experiment nicknames like "the snow pillow."

Orwig began co-teaching the course more than 20 years ago, weathering a variety of institutional, technological, and climate-driven changes. “What I love about the course is the immersive format, which allows students to get a hands-on introduction to forests, learn about ecology, and help build their literacy and sense of empowerment in understanding ecological concepts related to global change, climate justice, and the science behind current predictions of future climate scenarios."

Each year, course enrollment is limited by the number of students that can be piled into a van. (In fact, visits to Harvard Forest are almost always limited by some transportational impediment, but we're working on it.) Each weekend includes themes, with readings and subsequent woods walks that urge students to think deeply about the science behind climate change issues. Topics have changed over the years, reflective of the Forest's evolution, and while unfamiliar at first, these new themes bring new perspectives, discoveries, and opportunities for growth.

It's no coincidence that we see many of our First-Year Seminar students continue on into careers focusing on climate change research, policy, and environmental justice. "The concepts they learn will hopefully inform their appreciation for forest ecosystems, how they function, the important role they play in combatting climate change, and the vital role of human decision-making in determining their future,” says Orwig. Offering enthusiasm,  a thoughtful approach, and real-world relevance, Orwig's teaching style is emblematic of Harvard Forest's quiet and steadfast commitment to the future of this work.