Students with a passion for the natural and social sciences, a love of the outdoors, and an interest in learning about urban ecosystems, will thrive in this adventurous, pre-college immersion program built for curious environmentalists who want to explore a human-nature connection. 

Painted hummingbird casts made out of Alumilite urethane resin.

Students enrolled in this inspiring field-ecology course will explore how the scientific disciplines of biology, chemistry, botany, ecology, social science, animal science and engineering intersect to help urban ecologists work together towards solutions to the complex environmental and social challenges facing urban communities.  

Students will learn about research being conducted by faculty, staff and undergraduates in the LMU-CURes’ Lab on coyote-management, hummingbird torpor and behavior, tree health and growth, mosquito abundance, water quality, social stewardship mapping, and much more! 

This in-depth, two-week scientific adventure takes place amid the back-drop of a uniquely complex ecosystem of the Ballona Wetlands, a coastal estuary located just below the bluffs of LMU and the last remaining wetland in Los Angeles.  Students will learn about the diverse flora and fauna that enable this wetland to thrive in the heart of Los Angeles! Students who may attend LMU in the future will be forever changed after learning about all the ecosystem services the Ballona Wetlands has to offer.

Through a series of daily lectures and hands-on lab work, students will find themselves immersed in the world of field ecology and the research paradigm. Specific topics include hummingbirds, corvids, coyotes, osprey, trees, songbirds, and more. Artistic components of the course will include the production of a painted hummingbird cast. 

The Los Angeles story is a complex one of urban growth, restoration, and community solutions to complex socio-ecological challenges, including the human-wildlife intersect, habitat fragmentation, climate change mitigation, protection of wildlife corridors & biodiversity, pollution management, water quality, and green space equity, among others. 

This course will teach students ways they can make a difference in their own communities by working collaboratively towards sustainable solutions to build resilient communities.