Education of Natural History

Nationally and internationally there is a great need for knowledge and experience in the organization of biological diversity, even more so considering the diminishment of biodiversity occurring on a global scale. In addition, the next generation of students needs to be immersed in a more modern, data driven, approach of ecology and evolution. At QBD, we develop and provide courses and educational programs to accommodate both the academic field of taxonomy and biodiversity and simultaneously teach novel methodologies of mining existing data towards a more data driven approach to ecological and evolutionary studies.

This includes but is not limited to courses on evolutionary biology, plant ecology, taxonomy, biodiversity and ecosystem services as well as BSc. and MSc. research projects. By doing so we aim to maximize our impact on future generations of scientists. At QBD we are involved in a number of courses throughout the curriculum at the Department of Biology. In addition to these courses, there are several opportunities for students to apply for both BSc. and MSc. projects.

In addition to courses taught at the Department of Biology and the BSc. and MSc. projects, we also aim at developing citizen science projects, engaging the public with scientific exploration and to quantitatively explore ways of disseminating our expertise and knowledge on taxonomy, ecological dynamics and ecosystem complexity to the larger public via various means (e.g. guided tours, social media, lectures).