Grizzly bear paw print (Chris Morgan, IWM, Inc.)
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The North Cascades Wilderness
FOLLOW-UP TO 2001 COURSE
GRIZZLY BEARS BLACK
BEARS COUGARS WOLVES
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Grizzly bear paw print (Chris Morgan, IWM, Inc.)
| THE COURSE
Eleven students joined bear specialist and Huxley College of Environmental Studies (WWU) faculty member Chris Morgan in the majestic North Cascades of Washington State this summer. The two-week experience was highly successful and helped to change and forge the perceptions, career paths and lives of the participants involved. The four-credit field course included five classroom-based days which gave students the opportunity to meet and listen to 13 guest speakers. Each of the speakers talked about their experiences and lives as wildlife biologists, environmental activitists and conservationists, and it provided a great networking opportunity for course participants. We also spent 8 days conducting carnivore fieldwork in the mountains - camping in the backcountry when necessary. Our main fieldwork activities involved grizzly bear DNA research, remote camera sensing, and army cutworm moth trapping (army cutworm moths are an important food resource for grizzly bears). Students also had plenty of opportunities to become proficient at identifying and recording field data relating to bears by using such instruments as spherical densiometers, altimeters, clinometers, GPSs, hiding cover boards, compasses and other variable measurement devices. The experiences we shared will stay with us forever. Thanks to all participants for your energy and enthusiasm! "Thanks again for the amazing experiences we all shared
in our two weeks in the mountains. I enjoyed the course very much and learned
many things I hope to hold on to forever. Good luck with your amazing research
and keep inspiring our generation."
PHOTOGRAPHS 
Above: North Cascades Wilderness Field Course Participants 2001 head towards study site Okanogan National Forest, WA. Front to back: Adam Bailey, Sherry Palmer, Andre Kaeppele, Hugh Robinson (assistant), Kyle Entrop, Scott Morton, Staryn Wagner, Adam U, Scott Fields, Megan Masten, Kate Odneal, Peter Strow (Chris Morgan, IWM, Inc.).
Above: Black huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum)!
SOME COMMENTS FROM CHRIS MORGAN'S
"This was the best course of my
academic career and was the springboard for my current career in wildlife
conservation. As a learning environment, the outside classroom is incomparable.
It offers both an inexhaustible source of academic investigation and the
opportunity for personal growth and inspiration. The framework of the course
provides the chance to get to know your peers well, to learn from their
experience, and to share your own. Also, having access to a well-qualified,
interesting, and enthusiastic instructor made a huge difference. Because
the natural world is unpredictable, it is necessary for all the group participants
to make the best of any given situation to make the course successful.
Because of this, the course was both challenging and fun, and the lessons
long-lasting."
"Although all of my instructors
were wonderful, I think that Chris was perhaps my favorite. He possessed
a great camaraderie with the group and was extremely knowledgeable about
the material. He is patient, thoughtful, level-headed, funny, intelligent,
kind, a superb teacher and an excellent person in general. His enthusiasm
toward the project, group and subject matter was refreshing and inspiring
and I would recommend him to anyone as a fabulous instructor. In addition,
he really made a great effort (and very much succeeded) in getting to know
the students on a more personal level and was quite encouraging and helpful
with giving advice, information and contacts."
"In September and October of 1999,
I spent a few weeks on a field course taught by Chris Morgan. The course
involved rigorous field activity in Glacier National Park and it also involved
multi-day classroom participation. Chris has an unbelievable talent for
combining separate aspects of an intensive course. The classroom course
was insightful, challenging and creative. Chris has contagious energy which
created an exciting learning atmosphere. Chris also gave perspicuous lectures
concerning ecology, conservation and bear management, all of which nicely
supplemented our fieldwork. In the field Chris was very knowledgeable.
he maintained a very affable, yet professional attitude through sometimes
demanding field conditions. Once again, his enthusiasm carried into the
outdoors, and he made data collection a terrific learning experience. Without
a doubt, I would recommend anyone to take a course with Chris."
"Chris Morgan is not only an exceptional,
knowledgeable and prudent instructor, but also a delightful person and
a personal friend. He is intensely excited and involved in his work, as
well as accommodating, good spirited, hard working and kind. I give him
my utmost recommendation and respect and would strongly encourage anyone
to participate in one of his field projects. Last year I had the pleasure
of working with Chris in Glacier National Park as a student on his wildlands
studies program. The experience was easily one of the best of my life,
and a large part of that had to do with his wonderful teaching skills and
his very company."
Chris Morgan (course leader)
For general enrollment information:
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IWM
'BearTrack'
weekends
The
'Bear
Safe' program
Slide
shows & lectures
