Welcome to Fall Quarter

If you are enrolled in the class, your first "assignment" is to email the instructor. To find their email addresses click on the "Instructors" link on the right. This will enable us to make sure we are all on the same cyber page.

Once you have emailed us, the fun can begin...

***Attention***
If you missed the on-campus orientation,
please email your instructor.

Although Fall quarter begins on September 28th, Fall officially begins with the Autumnal Equinox on September 21st. On the equinox the number of hours of daylight equals the number of hours of darkness.

Most living organisms are preparing for fall as the days get shorter and the weather gets cooler. This is evident as plants lose their leaves (look in your yard) and we see fewer animals.

Poikilothermic organisms are most affected by the changing temperatures as they depend on the environment to "set" their body temperatures, but even the homeothermic animals make adaptations to the changing environments and temperatures. Migration is also occurring as animals move from southern latitudes to northern latitudes or from lower elevation to higher elevation. Birds maintain a higher body temperature than most mammals so they migrate to regions where there are more daylight hours to forage. Animals with very high metabolisms such as hummingbirds and shrews must consume food throughout the day to maintain their body temperature.

Of course, for most of us humans (especially in rainy Seattle), Fall is also associated with fewer daylight hours, cooler temperatures and rain that rarely prevents us from getting outside to enjoy the beautiful Northwest.

Course Basics

Course Progress Chart

Course Syllabus

Instructors

Weekly Schedule

We will begin the course by exploring our own environments in the Backyard Ecosystem Module.