Essential
Information for Students Taking Ecology and
Environmental Science Courses at Eastern Nazarene College
On this page, you will find
some information that is helpful to you, whether you are taking just
one or two ecology courses, or you are an environmental science
major. Some of these links provide free tools that you
might use in field work for lab courses or independent research.
Others will link you to useful information that will help you to
develop good study habits, or writing and research skills. Use
the menu below to get you to the links of interest.
Improving Your
Study Skills
Return to menu
at top of page
Experimental
Design
One of the hardest things for
some students to do is to design a good scientific experiment.
The links below provide information on asking appropriate questions,
making observations, formulating hypotheses, designing an experiment,
and proper interpretation of results. Every biology, chemistry,
and environmental science students should spend some time reading the
information in these links before attempting a research project for
Junior or Senior Seminar.
Return to menu at top of page
Reading and
Writing Scientific Papers and Reports
One of the most essential
skills that you can develop as a biologist or environmental scientist
is the ability to write a scientific paper, report, or journal
article. You will be practicing these skills in each class as you
prepare lab reports for your field exercises. Many of these lab
reports will be prepared for our partners, so they must be written
well. Below are some links to help you develop your skills at
writing a scientific report. Of course, you should also purchase
a copy of "Standard Methods for Writing in Biology", a required text
for many of your ENC biology courses.
Return to menu at top of page
Essential Books about Ecology and
Environmental Science
Most scientists start a
library of books and periodicals that they can refer to as
needed. Here are some books that you might want to invest in that
will help you during your time at ENC and beyond. Most of these
are available from on-line sources, including Amazon.com, or from the
college bookstore.
"Practical Methods in Ecology", P.A. Henderson, Blackwell
Publishing, 2003.
"Student Handbook for Writing in Biology"
Return to menu at top of page
Global
Positioning System (GPS)
GPS is an important tool used
by ecologists and environmental scientists for determining position and
mapping. At ENC, you will use the Garmin eTrex GPS
receiver. A link to the instruction manual is provided, as well
as links to fact sheets, free GPS software, and other information that
will help you learn about this tool.
Return to menu at top of page
Geographical
Information Systems (GIS)
We will use Geographical
Information Systems (GIS) to create maps and link data to points of
interest (e.g., sampling points) on the map. We will use a number
of different free GIS packages, which you can download to your computer
from the links below. If you are not familiar with what a GIS is
or what it can do for you as a scientist, please read the guides and
tutorials at the links below.
Return to menu at top of page
Sampling and
Monitoring Protocols
Return to menu at top of page
Community
Environmental Databases
If you want to know more about the environmental condition of a
particular community, the resources below will help you. Some of
these are from government sources, and others are from non-profit
environmental organizations and watchdog groups.
Return to menu at top of page
Our ENC
Partners and Local Friends
Return
to menu at top of page
Equipment
Suppliers
The companies listed below
are those that sell equipment that you might use for conducting field
and laboratory studies.
Return to menu at top of page
Other Useful Tools
for Students
Return to menu at top of page