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Biological Station

A walkway surrounded by trees and lampposts with OU flags in Norman, Oklahoma.

Welcome from the Biological Station Director

Heather Ketchum, PhD

Professor and Director of the Oklahoma Biological Station


heather.r.ketchum-1@ou.edu

The University of Oklahoma Biological Station (UOBS) is a remote campus of the University of Oklahoma, and a unit of the School of Biological Sciences located on the shores of Lake Texoma. Our mission is to provide excellence in education, research, and service for students and faculty of both the University and broader community. We provide educational opportunities to students through courses, research involvement, and outreach activities. We have a seven-decade history of research in biology and the environment that has contributed to a better understanding of our planet. Service activities at UOBS foster learning through activities for K-12 students and teachers, scientific conferences, workshops, student and faculty informal education, and more.  

 

Our station is open for events year-round! We have dormitory style housing, and each room has its own bathroom and a refrigerator. We also have a kitchen, dining hall, recreation room, library, boat dock, classroom and research buildings with plant, insect, fish, mammal, reptile, and amphibian collections, in addition to pollinator gardens and access to forested and grassland habitats as well as wetlands, streams, and Lake Texoma.  

 

If you are a student looking for summer field courses. We are the place for you!  Our summer college courses are taught in an immersive format over two weeks and are highly acclaimed by students. Courses provide hands-on experience and emphasize learning-by-doing in disciplines like ecology, herpetology, ornithology, ichthyology, conservation, entomology, and more. Courses include extensive fieldwork in nearby natural areas and occasional field trips to sites across Oklahoma and Texas. All courses are upper division with labs and are 3 credit hours. If you are interested in learning more, click for more details.

If you are interested in offering classes, workshops, weekend field trips, conferences, tournaments, or other events at the biological station please contact me, Dr. Heather Ketchum, heather.r.ketchum-1@ou.edu and/or 979-571-2865 or come on by for a visit!  We would love to hear from you. 

HISTORY

The University of Oklahoma Biological Station was established in 1949 following donation of the property by Norman and Mildred Brillhart. Carl D. Riggs, a faculty member in the Department of Zoology, was the station’s first Director, and was instrumental in its early success and significant expansion from one building to the campus of today. Over its nearly seventy year history, the University of Oklahoma Biological Station has taught biology to thousands of college students; its researchers have published hundreds of scientific papers; and research leading to two hundred PhD and Master’s degrees have provided a new understanding of nature. 


SUMMER 2025 COURSE INFORMATION 

Session 1: May 12 - May 23, 2025

Please note, May 12 arrival time is 1 - 3pm with orientation at 4pm. The first full day of classes begins Tuesday (May 13) through Saturday (May 17) and reconvenes on Monday (May 19) through Friday (May 23).  There is no official class scheduled on Sunday (May 18), but classrooms are available to students. The last day of class is a half day. 


Birds occur at nearly every point on the globe. Across these varied environments they occupy a diversity of ecological niches as a result of their evolutionary adaptability, behavioral and physiological flexibility, and their various abilities to traverse land, water, and air biomes. Yet, they also generally face trade-offs that present stark challenges, such as balancing the demands of flight against the constraints of reproduction. Students will learn why such characteristics often make birds the subject of study for understanding ecological and evolutionary processes, as well as targets or indicators for conservation efforts. Regular field trips to various habitats across southern Oklahoma and northern Texas will provide students with the opportunity to encounter by eye and ear the diversity of bird species that migrate through or breed in the region. Students will be taught standardized survey techniques to understand how detectability can be estimated and used to inform population assessments. Each student will be expected to devise their own observation-based study to assess a relevant ecological and/or behavioral question using a species, feeding guild, or ecological community of birds as their focus.


There are around 91,000 different kinds of insects in the United States. Of those 91,000 species, around one-fifth are considered aquatic insect species. Aquatic entomology is the study of the assemblage of insects that inhabit or live near freshwater ecosystems including streams, wetlands, lakes. This course will introduce the taxonomy, ecology, and physiology of aquatic insects with emphasis on identification. This course will spend a considerable amount of time in the field visiting and collecting from various aquatic environments. The rest of the time will be devoted to the topics covered in the course mainly through lecture and discussion and the identification of collected insects.   


In this class, we will learn about herbaria, which are scientific collections of pressed, dried plants.  Herbaria give us a glimpse of all of the plants that are growing at a specific place, like the Biological Station.  We can also use herbaria to see how plants change from place to place and through time.  In this class, we will cover all aspects of herbarium specimens from making herbarium specimens to record the plants growing around the Biological Station to using herbarium specimens in research projects.  We will read papers that are based on data from herbarium specimens, learn how to analyze data from herbarium specimens from online databases using R, and design independent research projects using herbarium data.  We will also work on photographing and creating a searchable database of the herbarium at the Biological Station so that its specimens can be used not only by future classes, but by researchers all over the world. 


This Field Studies class will tackle the topic of biological conservation by focusing on pollinator and native plant habitat restoration.  Through readings, research, and outdoor activities students will learn about the common pollinators in the region, the relationships they have with native plants, and the conservation problems facing this system.  Students will collect data in the field on insects and plants, learn to identify pollinator groups, and help to create more pollinator habitat at the OU Biological Station.  Much of our time will be spent outdoors learning to make observations of the natural world, both formally through data collection on long-term projects and informally through field notebooks and citizen science projects.  Indoor time will be devoted to independent research and classroom discussions of the assigned readings.  Students will be expected to actively participate in all aspects of the course.   


Session 2: May 27 – June 6, 2025

Please note, May 27 arrival time is 1 - 3pm with orientation at 4pm. The first full day of classes begins Wednesday (May 28) and classes continue straight through to Friday (June 6). The last day of class is a half day. 


Mammals play critical roles in our ecosystems. From primary consumers to apex predators, mammals help maintain ecosystem equilibrium through direct and indirect interactions. Field Mammalogy is the study of mammals with emphasis on principles of mammalian evolution, ecology, behavior, conservation, biodiversity, and field techniques. Fieldwork and laboratory activities will include observation and identification of the mammalian fauna of the region (using skulls, tracks, sign), food habits, foraging strategies, and other community dynamics. Special attention will be given to understanding the natural history of mammals occurring in the region.


Field Herpetology provides an overview of methods, techniques and standards for the collection, management and analysis of herpetological field data for various applications. On local field trips we collect amphibians and reptiles while covering basic diagnostic (morphological, ecological, and behavioral) characteristics of observed species. Students design and complete individual projects that utilize field sampling techniques and address current issues in ecology and conservation of reptiles and amphibians.


This course provides a broad understanding of the diversity of fishes with an added focus on Oklahoma species. Topics will include fish systematics, ecology, evolution, anatomy/physiology, and behavior. A large component of the course is field-based and will include visits to local lake and stream sites. Students will learn fish identification and various field collection techniques throughout the course.  


Forensic Entomology is the application of entomological principles and collection of entomological data in such a manner that it can be used as evidence in courts of law to help resolve legal issues that are either criminal or civil in their nature. While there are many topics covered in this course, a major focus area is insect colonization and ecological succession of insects and other arthropods to decomposing remains and how various factors (e.g. coverings, chemicals) affect these processes and in return how those affects will alter the minimum postmortem interval (mPMI) determination. mPMI is defined as the time from insect colonization to discovery of a body and is used by forensic entomologist to assist in homicide, suicide, and cases of abuse and neglect. This course will require students to collect, properly preserve and identify arthropod evidence (data) from pig carcasses as well as collect and analyze weather data to determine insect colonization, insect succession, and mPMI.  


Session 3: July 7 – July 18, 2025

Please note, July 7 arrival time is 1 - 3pm with orientation at 4pm. The first full day of classes begins Tuesday (July 8) through Saturday (July 12) and reconvenes on Monday (July 14) through Friday (July 18).  There is no official class scheduled on Sunday (July 13), but classrooms are available to students. The last day of class is a half day.


Streams and rivers play a pivotal role in our lives. Streams and rivers provide water for drinking, irrigation, and hydroelectric power. Streams also provide critical habitat for fish, amphibians, waterfowl, micro- and macroinvertebrates, and aquatic plants. In this course, we will focus on the physical, chemical, and biological features of stream ecosystems. In the classroom, these topics will be covered with lectures and discussion of primary literature. Additionally, students are required to spend a significant amount of time in the field at streams. While in the field, students will be required to collect data from within and around the streams.  


. Ecology is a broad field encompassing the study of organisms and the interactions with their environment.  What are best practices for studying ecology and sharing our results? In this course, you will learn about how research is conducted and shared by leading your own research projects. We will observe our outdoor surroundings to form interesting ecological questions and then work in teams to design experiments, collect data, analyze data, and share our findings through a research article and presentation. In addition to plenty of time outdoors, you will have discussion-based classroom sessions to learn and practice the important skills related to ecological research such as how take effective field notes, read primary literature, write a research article, and how to give effective presentations. This course is largely student-led.


ENROLLMENT PROCESS

To take a course at the biological station, you will need to complete the application. All courses are limited to 20 students so the earlier you apply the more likely you are to get a spot. Don’t wait, apply today!  


Current University of Oklahoma Students 

To enroll in a Biological Station course, you must first submit an application (see link). When we receive and process your application, we will issue a permission to enroll.  Once the permission is entered you will receive an email indicating so at which time you will need to enroll online.  


Students NOT Currently Enrolled at University of Oklahoma

We encourage students attending other colleges and universities to take our courses. Visiting students should (1) apply for admission to the University of Oklahoma as an undergraduate or graduate visitor, and (2) submit the course application form. Before applying for admission to the university, which requires a non-refundable fee, we suggest you first inquire about course availability by contacting the Director, Dr. Heather Ketchum (Heather.R.Ketchum-1@ou.edu).

 


SCHOLARSHIPS

Biological station housing and food fees are $700.00 per course.

To help with these fees, you may apply for a scholarship. Please contact Dr. Heather Ketchum, heather.r.ketchum-1@ou.edu if you are interested in applying for a scholarship.


GUIDE TO LIVING AT THE STATION

Casual and comfortable 

Life is casual and comfortable at the biostation. T-shirts and shorts are best for around campus, and closed-toed shoes are strongly recommended. Indoor spaces are air-conditioned, and some people wear sweatshirts or light jackets indoors. Many courses require field work in natural areas which will require long pants, close-toed shoes, and a hat. Be sure to consult the course syllabus for specific dress requirements for your course. 


Housing and meals

The Biological Station offers dorm-style housing, and all suites have a refrigerator and bathroom. Typically 2 to 4 students room together. If you have a roommate preference, please be sure to indicate so on the application.  

Our cafeteria serves three hot meals a day, and includes a salad bar, coffee, and great food. Please be sure to indicate any food allergies and/or dietary restrictions on the application so we can accommodate your needs. 


Online Store

Help support and advertise the biological station by purchasing t-shirts, water bottles, mugs, books and more!  These make great gifts and souvenirs. 


Contact Us

If you have any questions or would like to know more about the biological station, please contact Dr. Heather R. Ketchum, heather.r.ketchum-1@ou.edu and/or 979-571-2865 or visit us on-site at 15389 Station Rd., Kingston, OK 73439. 


STAFF

Dylan Bolton

Building Operations Coordinator


Lanaya Webb

Staff