Spiders (and Opiliones) of the Southern Appalachians (August 1-12, 2022)
Highlands Biological Station, Highlands NC
Instructors: Dr. Kefyn Catley (WCU) and Dr. Sarah Stellwagen (UNCC), with guest Dr. Mercedes Burns (UMBC)
This course will present a comprehensive introduction to spider biology and an additional arachnid order, Opiliones (daddy-long-legs). Lectures and discussions will cover systematics, morphology, behavior, physiology, and ecology. Afternoons are devoted to fieldwork and evenings will be spent identifying specimens, with the objective of assembling a collection of the extraordinarily rich local arachnid fauna while studying their ecology and behavior. This course satisfies the UMBC BIOL BS Column B or BA Elective 1 with department petition.
We have limited NSF grant funding to support student attendance for 4 at this field course, covering tuition, travel, and housing! We additionally received a generous donation from Illinois photographer Jo Ann McNaughton-Kade to help fund an additional attendee.
Congratulations to Bukola Molake (UMBC), Ryan O’Hare (UNCC), Mack Gore (UW Green Bay), Hannah Alexander (WCU), and Domonique Hill (Piedmont University), who were awarded scholarships to attend Spider Camp 2022!