Online Self-Study · Beginner to Intermediate · 4 Courses
Ozark Ecology
Through the Seasons
A year-long journey through one of North America’s most ancient and ecologically rich landscapes — one season at a time.
The Ozarks are not one landscape — they are four.
The Ozark Plateau is one of the oldest upland regions in North America, shaped by ancient limestone, persistent springs, and unbroken forest. But to truly understand it, you have to watch it move through time.
This four-course series follows the ecological calendar of the Ozarks from the first bloodroot of early March through the ice-glazed silence of February. Each course focuses on a single season — its plants, animals, habitats, and ecological rhythms — building toward a complete, year-round picture of this remarkable place.
Whether you take one course or all four, you’ll come away with sharper eyes, a deeper sense of place, and the tools to keep learning on your own. All courses are available for free to members of the Herbal Database and are located IN the database.
Choose your season — or start them all
Ozark Ecology
in Spring
From the first wildflowers of early March through canopy closure in late May — the Ozarks reawaken, and every week brings something new.
- Geology, geography & habitats
- Phenology & spring wildflowers
- Trees in flower & leaf-out
- Amphibian breeding season
- Spring bird migration & song
- Pollinators & ecological webs
- Streams, springs & aquatic life
- Mammals & canopy closure
Ozark Ecology
in Summer
Peak biological activity fills the Ozarks from June through August. Learn to read a landscape alive with breeding, feeding, and growth at full intensity.
- Introduction to the Ozarks
- Forests in summer
- Glades, savannas & open land
- Streams, rivers & springs
- Caves & the underground
- Insects & pollinators
- Summer wildlife
- Conservation & stewardship
Ozark Ecology
in Fall
Mast crops ripen, hawks stream south, and the forest ignites in color. Autumn in the Ozarks is a season of abundance, migration, and preparation for winter.
- Fall foliage & mast ecology
- Hawk migration & raptors
- Seed dispersal strategies
- Fungi & decomposition
- Mammal fat & den preparation
- Monarch & fall insect migration
- Ozark streams in fall
- Land use & seasonal change
Ozark Ecology
in Winter
The Ozarks stripped bare reveal their bones — limestone bluffs, stream braids, and cedar stands — and the surprising abundance of life that endures the cold.
- Reading the winter landscape
- Tracking & sign identification
- Winter birds & irruptions
- Hibernation & torpor biology
- Ice, hydrology & cave streams
- Winter botany & bark ID
- Owls & nocturnal wildlife
- Ecological synthesis
Field-ready knowledge, built one observation at a time
Video Lectures
Expert-led sessions covering ecology, identification, and natural history — designed for curious learners, not specialists.
Field Journal Practice
Regular prompts build a habit of observation, reflection, and documentation that will serve you long after the course ends.
Species Identification
iNaturalist assignments, and illustrated guides give you real skills for recognizing what you find outdoors.
Field Assignments
Optional but encouraged — structured outdoor activities like stream surveys, dawn bird walks, and sit-spots that ground learning in direct experience.
Community Science
Contribute real data to platforms like iNaturalist, eBird, and Bumble Bee Watch while sharpening your own identification skills.
Seasonal Synthesis
Each course closes with a personal ecology portfolio, field journal, or reflection essay — that captures what you’ve learned and observed.
No biology degree required. No prior experience needed.
These courses are for anyone who wants to understand the living world outside their door — hikers, hunters, anglers, gardeners, landowners, teachers, and lifelong learners who have always wanted to know more about the natural landscape they move through.
The Ozark series is especially rewarding for people who live in or near the region, but learners from anywhere can engage with the concepts, identification skills, and ecological thinking these courses develop.
“To know a place deeply, you must sit in it quietly through all its seasons — but summer, alive and insistent, is the best place to begin.”
— Ozark Ecology in Summer
Begin with any season.
Stay for all four.
The Spring course is available now. Summer, Fall and Winter are in development.