Summer 2025
NRES 374 - Field Herpetology
Learn through hands-on experiences how to do research on native reptile and amphibian species while in a natural Nebraska setting.
4 credit hour
When: June 15 - July 5, 2025
Where: Cedar Point Biological Station
Course Description
- Learn to recognize and identify Nebraska amphibians, turtles and reptiles, and how to manage and conserve for them.
- Learn methods, techniques and standards to collect herpetofauna field data.
- Utilize critical thinking skills to propose conservation and management solutions.
- Build a sound understanding of the diversity and ecological significance of amphibians, turtles and reptiles.
- Build a background in herpetofauna morphology, physiology and ecological behavior.
Instructor
Enrollment & Housing
- Contact Jon Garbisch - jgarbisch2@unl.edu
Fall 2025
NRES 115 – Intro to Environmental Science
Building a foundation of environmental science knowledge
4 credit hours
When: Fall 2025 | Lecture: T/TH 12:30-1:45pm | Lab: T 2:00-4:50 pm
Where: Hardin Hall
Course Description
Want to learn more about environmental science?
Not sure what career options exist or how to prepare?
Want to build community within SNR and start establishing future career connections?
- Outcome one: Build a strong foundation in environmental science.
- Outcome two: Build knowledge essential for upper- level classes and your future career.
- Outcome three: Create a community of faculty and peers in SNR.
- Outcome four: Learn about career opportunities as well as opportunities for involvement in UNL and SNR.
Prerequisites
None
Instructor
NRES 208 – Climate Literacy in Natural Resources
3 credit hours
When: Fall 2025 | MWF 9:00 - 9:50 pm
Where: 163 North Hardin Hall
Course Description
For students who want to learn about climate and its impacts on our natural resources. You will develop an understanding of the climate system and the interactions with the environment. It is a required class for the Environmental Science major and the Applied Climate Science minor.
- Outcome one: knowledge regarding the climate system and the issues of climate variability and change.
- Outcome two: knowledge of the six different spheres of the climate system: atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, and anthroposphere.
- Outcome three: understanding of the key linkages between climate and natural resources.
Prerequisites
None
Instructor
NRES 898 - Science Communication, Ethics, and Philosophy
An introduction to key areas necessary for success in a scientific career
3 credit hours
When: Fall 2025 | Tuesday/Thursday 11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Where: 209 South Hardin Hall
Course Description
Graduate students in natural sciences are expected to be able to communicate to professional and lay audiences. A significant feature of this communication is that the data, analysis, summary and the communication itself all reflect high ethical standards and avoid even minor missteps. Additionally, in forming cogent scientific arguments sciences should draw on the philosphic basis for science.
Course Objectives
- Indentify potential and actual ethical missteps associated with science and scientific careers, and articulate ethical principles for resoloveing question of right and wrong science.
- Act as a professional guardian of the scientific literature
- Communicating technical information so its relevance is understandable to a lay audience
- Be able to articulate and demonstrate a personal understandingof how science operates
Instructor
NRES 930 - Conservation Agriculture Systems
3 credit hours
When: Fall 2025 | MW 12:30-1:45 pm
Where: Online || Asynchronous || In-person 162 North Hardin Hall
Cross Listing: AGRI 930
Course Description
Develop in-depth knowledge and systematic evaluation skills needed to tackle modern agriculture production issues.
- Discover historical foundations, motivations, advances, and outcomes in agricultural systems across time
- Gain comprehensive, scholarly knowledge about system variability from external influences
- Learn scientific-based methods to sustain natural resources and manage food systems
- Examine ways social and civil issues influence the viability of production agriculture, food security, economic prosperity, environmental health, and cultural sovereignty
- Explore feasible opportunities and develop purposeful solutions to scenario-based problems
Prerequisites
Graduate Student Status and a contextual understanding on the ecology of managed landscapes.
Instructor
NRES 945 - Resilience Design in Agriculture
3 credit hours
When: Fall 2025 | MW 2:00 - 3:15 pm
Where: Online || Asynchronous || In-person 162 North Hardin Hall
Cross Listing: AGRI 945
Course Description
Learn to design, or redesign, food systems to optimize resource use and enhance agroecosystem resilience in a changing climate.
- Explore land mitigation and adaptation methods that protect and conserve natural resources, regenerate ecosystems, reduce disaster risks, and promote value-added incentives to controlling waste and pollution
- Investigate ways production and consumption patterns affect social and environmental sustainability
- Examine economic concepts emphasizing aspects of circularity and solidarity
- Learn to apply transdisciplinary approaches to ecological solution development, including practices based in agroecology, permaculture, biosystems engineering, and conservation agriculture management
Prerequisites
Graduate Student Status and a contextual understanding on the ecology of managed landscapes.