Sarah Willig teaches for the Master of Environmental Studies Program at Penn, and advises students as they develop their academic careers as well. Sarah has her A.B. in Geology from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in Geology from the Universityof Pennsylvania. 

Courses Taught

• ENVS 507 Wetlands
  The course will focus on the natural history of different wetland types including the factors of climate, geology, and hydrology which influence wetland development and associated soil, vegetation, and wildlife characteristics and key ecological processes. Lectures will be supplemented with weekend trips to different wetland types ranging from tidal salt marshes to non-tidal marshes, swamps, and glacial bogs in order to provide field experience in wetland identification, characterization, and functional assessment. Outside speakers will discuss issues in wetland seed bank ecology, federal regulation, and mitigation.

• ENVS 610 Regional Field Ecology
  Over the course of six Saturday field trips, we will travel from the barrier islands along the Atlantic Ocean in southern New Jersey to the Pocono Mountains in northeastern Pennsylvania and visit representative sites of the diverse landscapes in the region along the way. At each site we will study and consider interactions between geology, topography, hydrology, soils, vegetation, wildlife, and disturbance. Students will summarize field trip data in a weekly site report. Evening class meetings will provide the opportunity to review field trips and reports and preview upcoming trips.