NATH7301, 1.5 CEUs
Class night and time: Wednesdays, 6-8 pm
Class meetings: April 24-May 22
Lectures online via Zoom
Field Trips: May 5 (Scott’s Run Nature Preserve); May 19 (Glendening Nature Preserve Park, Jug Bay); June 2 (Soldiers Delight Natural Environmental Area)
Members $240, nonmembers $290
Instructor: Clare Walker, PhD
You’ve heard that biodiversity is important but what does that really mean in your backyard or our local parks? Instead of identifying local plants or animals in isolation this class explores how they are interconnected and dependent on each other. Looking at unexpected local diversity, both rare and abundant, from wasps and millipedes to sedges and orchids, we will explore the complex topic of how we ‘measure’ diversity. This class will open your eyes to variety of life around us and challenge your ideas on how we choose conservation priorities. The class field trips will visit some of the ‘biodiversity gems’ found in our local parks. REGISTER

Required Textbook: A good field guide to the trees and/or wildflowers of Maryland will be useful and other guides to area birds and/or insects depending on your interests.  We will discuss good guides during class and on fieldtrips 
A hand lens or magnifier  

Suggested readings: Interesting background includes: 
Watching Nature: A Mid-Atlantic Natural History Mark S Garland 
A Year Across Maryland Bryan MacKay 
The Field Guide to Wildlife Habitats of the Eastern United States