ESA offers a host of resources for undergraduate faculty teaching ecology in multiple settings. Currently, grant funds are available to support development of teaching resources that align with the Four Dimensional Ecology Education (4DEE) framework and travel to conferences to disseminate resources. We also invite college educators to share their teaching ideas in the EcoEd Digital Library.

Transforming Ecology Education to 4D (TEE)

Transforming Ecology Education to 4D (TEE) is a Research Coordination Network (RCN) for undergraduate biology education funded by the National Science Foundation which seeks to create a new network of faculty and academic program administrators with leadership by the Ecological Society of America (ESA).

For a current list of TEE project activities including how to participate in an upcoming Faculty Mentoring Network (Stipend included), 4DEE Showcases, and more, visit here.

Funding support comes from the National Science Foundation.

Learn More

Resources for Ecology Education – Fair and Share (REEFS)

Join us for the REEFS workshop held at the ESA Annual Meeting

Resources for Ecology Education – Fair and Share (REEFS) is an annual workshop held during ESA’s Annual Meeting. Since 2008, it has been organized jointly by ESA’s Office of Education and Diversity and the ESA Education Section.

Life Discovery – Doing Science Biology Education Conference

Learn more about the conference organized collaboratively by the Ecological Society of America, the Botanical Society of America, and the Society for the Study of Evolution.

Four-Dimensional Ecology Education Framework (4DEE)

On November 14, 2018, the Governing Board of the Ecological Society of America voted unanimously to endorse the 4DEE framework. The 4DEE subcommittee of the Committee on Education is busy working on developing teaching activities, hosting sessions at ESA AM, Water Cooler Chats, and beyond. Learn more.

ESA Water Cooler Chats

During the COVID-19 pandemic, with so many ecologists, students, and supporters working remotely, ESA will provide a virtual meeting space for members to connect with each other and talk about the science, their work, and items on their minds during this disruptive time. Bring your thoughts, your ideas, and your questions!

Click here to see past and upcoming topics.

Online Teaching

Resources for online teaching

In response to the mounting pressure for faculty to switch to online teaching within a very short time to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 virus, we have compiled a list of teaching resources to provide assistance during this transitional period. This page includes links about switching to online teaching, addressing accessibility, and connecting with different online teaching communities to share ideas and resources.

Click here to find out more.

ESA-QUBES Faculty Mentoring Network

Meet our ESA Education Scholars who have participated in the previous Faculty Mentoring Networks.

And find out more about how they work.

Undergraduate Teaching Resources

EcoEd Digital Library

Search, browse, and contribute ecology education resources. Includes photographs, activities, figures, TIEE materials, and Issues in Ecology. In Spring-summer 2025, we are migrating EcoEdDL to QUBEShub. Resources are currently not accessible as bot harvesting issues have compelled us to disable the current platform. Please stand by for more information.

Teaching Issues and Experiments in Ecology (TIEE)
ESA’s journal for innovative lecture and lab activities to improve teaching and student learning. Submissions to TIEE are welcome.

Ecology Curricular Frameworks

Other existing frameworks:

Ecology Learning Framework for CourseSource articles

CourseSource is an open-access journal of peer-reviewed teaching resources for college biological science courses. A key feature of CourseSource is the alignment of our articles with learning goals and objectives that were developed by the associated professional societies.

Basic Ecological Literacy

Faculty Development Opportunities

Resources for Ecology Education – Fair & Share (REEFS) at ESA Annual Meetings, co-organized with the ESA Education Section

Life Discovery – Doing Science Education Conference (LDC)

Future of Environmental Decisions/Scaling Up

4DEE / Transforming Ecology Education to 4D Faculty Mentoring Networks

K-12 Resources and Opportunities

PlantingScience is a learning and research resource, bringing together students from grades 6-12, plant scientists, and teachers from across the nation. Students engage in hands-on plant investigations, working with peers and scientist mentors to build collaborations and to improve their understanding of science. Student groups are mentored by scientists online as they complete an inquiry-based curriculum in their classroom. Managed by the Botanical Society of America. ESA is a Scientific Society partner.

Each year, ESA’s Education Section sponsors the Master Plant Science Team of graduate students. Applications open around June each year.

ESA Education Community

Committee on Education

formerly Education and Human Resources Committee (EHRC)

ESA Education Listserv

A venue for subscribers to discuss emerging issues in ecology, environmental science, and science education. Members can also share announcements and updates on ecology education programs.

ESA Education Section
The Education Section currently has a membership of around 400 ecologists, educators, managers, and administrators actively engaged in undergraduate, graduate, K-12, and teacher education, as well as community and public outreach programs and scholarly research in ecology education.

Other Initiatives

Ecology in the Pre-Medical Curriculum

Where is ecology in the proposed core competencies in pre-medical education and assessment? ESA’s Education and Human Resources Committee (now Committee on Education and Diversity) organized a response to the changes.

Ecology Education