Winter Ecology

January 13 - February 27, 2027

Windy winter weather scene in the subalpine of Colorado. Drifting snowbanks lie at the foot of krumholtz crippled trees with snowy mountains in the background (Photo: Bill Bowman)

Wednesday – 5:00-6:00pm, seven lectures at Boulder campus starting January 13th, 2027. Carpooling will be organized at the 1st meeting.

Saturday & Sunday – 8:30am-5:00pm at Mountain Research Station.

Saturday evening – 7:30-8.30pm, at MRS, Overnight at MRS Saturday nights.

Wintertime offers insights into the natural history of organisms and function of ecosystems that are not often appreciated in summer visits to the field. Winter Ecology is a survey of physical and biological processes and their interaction in wintertime snow-covered environments. Through classwork, fieldwork, and individual projects, we will focus on the dynamics of high-elevation ecosystems in the western US.

Based from the CU Mountain Research Station's year-round Moores-Collins Lodge, we will spend 6 weekends exploring the ecology of upper montane, subalpine, and alpine landscapes in winter. We will study plant, vertebrate, and microbial adaptations to winter and the dynamics of terrestrial, aquatic, and snowpack environments. We will consider how winter processes play a role in “growing season” dynamics, shape landscapes, and are important factors in conservation and management of natural resources of the Rocky Mountains.

Instructors: Tim Kittel & Derek Sweeney
Location: 鶹ý campus (Wednesdays) and Mountain Research Station (weekends),
Dates & Times: January 13 - February 27, 2027

  • 6 Weekends at the Mountain Research Station (Saturday – 8:30am-5:00pm & 7:30-8:30pm, Sunday – 8:30am-5pm)
  • Boulder Main Campus – Lecture (Weds 5-6pm – 7 meetings)

Credit: 3 credit hours in biology (EBIO 4100)
Tuition: $2,500.00 USD(Includes a bed in a shared room in the Mountain Research Station Lodge on Saturday nights only) ($250.00 non-refundable deposit required for registration)

Prerequisite: One year course work in general biology or environmental science

For more information:

Questions about staying at the Mountain Research Station during your course?

Registration will open soon and be linked here.

Photos

On a bright blue sky winter day, a group of about a dozen people in warm winter gear and snowshoes stand on a snow-covered lake with conifers on the distant shoreline

Winter ecology class photo at Gold Lake, 2024. Photo: Tim Kittel

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A group of students gather around an alpine tundra wetland, with mountains and blue skies behind them
A red-breasted nuthatch sits on a branch with an insect in its beak.
Closeup of a small alpine plant with yellow flowers
An American pika forages avens on Niwot Ridge. Photo by Craig Stevenson.
A scientist sits at the edge of a high alpine lake while collecting water samples
Windy winter weather scene in the subalpine of Colorado. Drifting snowbanks lie at the foot of krumholtz crippled trees with snowy mountains in the background (Photo: Bill Bowman)