Courses at the Loyola University Retreat and Ecology Campus
Immersive summer courses at the Loyola University Retreat and Ecology Campus (LUREC) give students the opportunity to learn via hands-on, place-based education and deepen their appreciation for the natural world. For the last three weeks in May, students live and study at LUREC, which offers 98 acres of prairies, woodlands, and wetlands about 60 miles northwest of Chicago. Students stay on campus in a dormitory setting, eat meals together in the cafeteria, and complete the equivalent of one semester-long course in only three weeks.
Faculty members teaching the courses take advantage of the LUREC facilities and the nearby natural areas and farms in McHenry County to combine classroom learning, lab activities, and hands-on experiences in the field. View the video above for an overview of the LUREC experience or read more here.
In addition to the summer session, faculty members use the facilities at LUREC throughout the academic year for field trips for courses such as plant biology, bird conservation, and ecology.
LUREC Summer Session 2024
The 2024 Summer Session at LUREC will run from Sunday, May 12 through Friday, May 31. The following courses will be offered:
ENVS 423/323, Environmental Microbiology (Engaged Learning)
Instructor: Greg Palmer, PhD
Environmental Microbiology at LUREC is an Engaged Learning course that introduces students to the diversity of microbes and their significant roles in environmental and human‐engineered processes. Students will conduct an original research project to isolate bacteria or fungi useful in bioremediation of organic contaminants. In the process, they will master microbiology lab skills like isolating and growing microbes, detecting their presence in the environment, and identifying them through biochemical and molecular biological techniques. In the classroom, students will learn about the importance of microbial diversity to agriculture, public health, ecological restoration, transmission of pathogenic diseases, and other emerging microbial issues. LUREC will provide the perfect backdrop for a fun, intensive experience to build community, develop lab skills, and learn how microbes are relevant to your fields of study and daily lives.
ENVS 469/369, Field Ornithology
(Cross-listed with BIO 348-E, Field Biology)
Instructor: Steve Mitten, SJ, MS
Field ornithology is an intensive and fun three-week hands-on immersion and engaged learning course at the Loyola University Retreat and Ecology Campus during the peak of the spring bird migratory season. The course provides an applied introduction to the theory and practice of field ornithology. The class will cover aspects of avian biology and ecology, such as evolution, diversity, anatomy, physiology, and reproduction. It will also provide an introduction to bird conservation and management, emphasizing field identification and song recognition, field census techniques, and avian behavior. Students will participate in field trips to view birds in the wild, observe their behavior, and collect data on avian behavior and habitat structure. Students will also contribute to an ongoing research project that monitors the birds of McHenry County and documents how migratory and breeding birds use vegetative structures at LUREC. The class includes participation in a community service project that gathers critical data necessary for avian conservation and management and satisfies Engaged Learning criteria.
ENVS 426/326, Agroecosystems
Instructor: Ray Dybzinski, PhD
In this hands-on course, students will build knowledge and skills in agriculture and ecology through practical experiences in the greenhouse, laboratory, and classroom and on visits to local farms. Students will build on the foundations of environmental science and biology by examining challenges of food production, management decisions, and environmental change facing agroecosystems locally and abroad. Students will develop an understanding of agricultural systems as they relate to sustainable practices and develop skills in ecological analysis of these systems. On top of a fantastic educational experience, the immersive, live-in LUREC experience is an amazing way to build community and have tons of fun!
Scholarships
Students who register for a LUREC class before April 1 will receive a scholarship between $700 and $1,600, depending on the availability of funds. Scholarships will cover room and board and a portion of the tuition. Email SES@luc.edu for more information.
Immersive summer courses at the Loyola University Retreat and Ecology Campus (LUREC) give students the opportunity to learn via hands-on, place-based education and deepen their appreciation for the natural world. For the last three weeks in May, students live and study at LUREC, which offers 98 acres of prairies, woodlands, and wetlands about 60 miles northwest of Chicago. Students stay on campus in a dormitory setting, eat meals together in the cafeteria, and complete the equivalent of one semester-long course in only three weeks.
Faculty members teaching the courses take advantage of the LUREC facilities and the nearby natural areas and farms in McHenry County to combine classroom learning, lab activities, and hands-on experiences in the field. View the video above for an overview of the LUREC experience or read more here.
In addition to the summer session, faculty members use the facilities at LUREC throughout the academic year for field trips for courses such as plant biology, bird conservation, and ecology.
LUREC Summer Session 2024
The 2024 Summer Session at LUREC will run from Sunday, May 12 through Friday, May 31. The following courses will be offered:
ENVS 423/323, Environmental Microbiology (Engaged Learning)
Instructor: Greg Palmer, PhD
Environmental Microbiology at LUREC is an Engaged Learning course that introduces students to the diversity of microbes and their significant roles in environmental and human‐engineered processes. Students will conduct an original research project to isolate bacteria or fungi useful in bioremediation of organic contaminants. In the process, they will master microbiology lab skills like isolating and growing microbes, detecting their presence in the environment, and identifying them through biochemical and molecular biological techniques. In the classroom, students will learn about the importance of microbial diversity to agriculture, public health, ecological restoration, transmission of pathogenic diseases, and other emerging microbial issues. LUREC will provide the perfect backdrop for a fun, intensive experience to build community, develop lab skills, and learn how microbes are relevant to your fields of study and daily lives.
ENVS 469/369, Field Ornithology
(Cross-listed with BIO 348-E, Field Biology)
Instructor: Steve Mitten, SJ, MS
Field ornithology is an intensive and fun three-week hands-on immersion and engaged learning course at the Loyola University Retreat and Ecology Campus during the peak of the spring bird migratory season. The course provides an applied introduction to the theory and practice of field ornithology. The class will cover aspects of avian biology and ecology, such as evolution, diversity, anatomy, physiology, and reproduction. It will also provide an introduction to bird conservation and management, emphasizing field identification and song recognition, field census techniques, and avian behavior. Students will participate in field trips to view birds in the wild, observe their behavior, and collect data on avian behavior and habitat structure. Students will also contribute to an ongoing research project that monitors the birds of McHenry County and documents how migratory and breeding birds use vegetative structures at LUREC. The class includes participation in a community service project that gathers critical data necessary for avian conservation and management and satisfies Engaged Learning criteria.
ENVS 426/326, Agroecosystems
Instructor: Ray Dybzinski, PhD
In this hands-on course, students will build knowledge and skills in agriculture and ecology through practical experiences in the greenhouse, laboratory, and classroom and on visits to local farms. Students will build on the foundations of environmental science and biology by examining challenges of food production, management decisions, and environmental change facing agroecosystems locally and abroad. Students will develop an understanding of agricultural systems as they relate to sustainable practices and develop skills in ecological analysis of these systems. On top of a fantastic educational experience, the immersive, live-in LUREC experience is an amazing way to build community and have tons of fun!
Scholarships
Students who register for a LUREC class before April 1 will receive a scholarship between $700 and $1,600, depending on the availability of funds. Scholarships will cover room and board and a portion of the tuition. Email SES@luc.edu for more information.