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.

Non-credit

Residential

Accepts International Students

Application fee waiver

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!

Program Outcomes:
- Learn to work in teams in a classroom setting
- Develop an understanding of the principles of Environmental Science
- Explore ecology and wildlife in Los Angeles' Ballona Wetlands

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.

Single Session

Jun 23 - Jul 06

2 weeks

Residential

5400 USD

2023 Program Cost: $5,400*
*2024 program costs will be posted by November 1, 2023.

The program cost includes:
- Tuition for two-week, non-credit course
- Housing and meals for two weeks
- Course materials
- Use of campus recreation facilities
- Class field trips
- Two weekend social trips off campus

Application Fee: A $65 non-refundable application fee is due to the Summer Programs office to complete your application. Application Fees can be paid online using a credit card or via personal check payable to Loyola Marymount University.

Enrollment Deposit: A non-refundable deposit of $350 must be submitted once a student has been notified of his or her acceptance into the program. Enrollment deposits can be paid online with credit card or via personal check, payable to Loyola Marymount University. To ensure their spot in the program, deposits are due no later than two weeks after a student's acceptance into his or her program.

Financial Aid

Application fee waivers are granted rarely and only in extreme circumstances.