<rtunately there is no Arb Studies 395 for the true Arb enthusiasts among us, but spring term means an approximation of that for some classes. If you’ve been wondering what those students are doing out in the prairie or back in the woods, the answer is: lots of things. Many classes are using the Arb this term, as it is a veritable living textbook, available to us without the exorbitant price tag (and far more interesting than those backbreaking bound books anyway).
So then, what exactly are all of those students up to? Those digging around in the dirt could be part of the Population Ecology class, doing a survey of worm abundance. Or they could be taking (surprise!) Geology of Soils, which is doing all sorts of final projects in the Arb, including land use history, evaluation of soil for future prairie, oak savannah, or forest restorations, and a search for good clay sources for ceramics.
The students wandering around (seemingly) aimlessly are likely seeking the transcendental experience of those they are studying in Concord Intellectuals, or they may be doing a project for Geospatial Analysis. The Field Drawing class is also out and about sketching and painting this first flush of green, bring new buds, dark patches of burned prairie, the first spring wildflowers, birds of all sorts and the rushing Cannon River. They might also be scavenging around all of the interesting bones, nests, skulls, plant identifications and other artifacts in the old creaking drawers of the Arb Office.
Opportunities abound for research and projects in the Arb. Why spend springtime in the libe when you could be in the prairie? Be creative and figure out how to make your homework take you beneath trees, along the river, in the grass, in the arb, outside. Or at least take Arb Studies 110: a walk.
