Traditional biology and ecology courses give little attention to plants and animals wintering in the north, especially considering that so much of our landscape lies under snow and ice cover for so much of the year in northern Michigan. This course is designed to explore the special problems and adaptations of life in the winter and how organisms interact with their environment and other organisms. Topics to be discussed include: overview of the science of winter ecology; options for overwintering success: migration, hibernation, resistance; strategies for coping with the effects of winter in animals and plants; the nivean, supranivean, and subnivean environments and their food webs; temperature, life, and biochemistry: physiological responses to cold; the physics of energy balance in winter; metamorphosis in snow pack; ideas and equipment for winter field experiments; human responses to cold environments; and physical and psychological survival strategies for safety in the cold.

Mary Hindelang (left) and Sara Keinath (right)

Mary Hindelang is a faculty member in the Education Department, and is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Wildlife Ecology in the School of Forestry and Wood Products at MTU. Mary is the Project Coordinator of the Educators¹ Science and Mathematics Institute Series, a series of multidisciplinary graduate courses for science and math teachers designed to integrate real-world concepts on the interdependence of all life into classrooms. She has a PhD in wildlife ecology and forest science from MTU, an MS in education from CMU, a BS in psychology from WSU, and is a registered nurse. Her doctoral research involved studies of moose skeletal pathology related to aging and vulnerability to wolf predation in Isle Royale National Park. Mary combines her love of nature with endeavors that bring her close to the earth such as backpacking, kayaking, and cross-country skiing.