Fwd: Eagle Hill Field Seminar - August 9–15 - Spider Ecology, Biology, and Identification

[Ellen Hostert]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Eagle Hill Institute <off...@eaglehill.us>
Date: Tue, Jul 7, 2026 at 4:41 PM
Subject: Eagle Hill Field Seminar - August 9–15 - Spider Ecology, Biology, and Identification
To: <ehos...@maine.edu>

Instructor: Matthias Foellmer

Upcoming Eagle Hill Seminar!  Spider Ecology, Biology, and Identification August 9–15, 2026 Seminar Calendar Register Here General Info Title: Spider Ecology, Biology, and Identification Scheduling Details: August 9–15, 2026  Description: This seminar will provide a comprehensive introduction to spider evolution, systematic classification, morphology, behavior, physiology, and ecology. Seminar participants will study spiders from a wide array of local habitats, including woodlands, old fields, marshlands, and the seashore. A significant component of the seminar will involve the collection and identification of spiders through use of a variety of collection and observation methods, including night collection. Lectures and discussions will not only cover the fundamental topics but will also highlight current frontiers of research and where research on spiders has been contributing to conceptual advances in biology. In the lab, we will identify specimens to fully appreciate spider diversity in relation to environmental conditions and habitat. We will also watch videos and have informal discussion sessions on all aspects of spider biology. If you have something interesting to share, please bring it. Matthias Foellmer (foel...@adelphi.edu) is a professor of biology at Adelphi University on Long Island, NY. His education and professional career include a B.Sc. (Biology) from Free University Berlin, Germany, a Ph.D. (Biology) from Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, a stay as Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Riverside, and faculty positions at Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia and Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario. He is broadly interested in evolutionary ecology, biodiversity, and applied ecology. His research focuses on the evolution of extreme sexual dimorphisms in orb-web spiders, including studies on the evolutionary significance of sexual cannibalism and male self-sacrificial behaviors. Recent work includes salt marsh ecology and investigating the impact of pesticide application, pollution and habitat degradation on salt marsh communities, especially with respect to spider and insect diversity on Long Island, NY. Each summer since 1987, regional and national authorities in the field of natural history have come to the Eagle Hill Institute on the Eastern Maine Coast to lead intensive seminars on their specialties. Seminars involve field trips that are focused on learning about the ecology of species in their natural outdoor environment. The indoor classroom part of these seminars includes lectures, discussions, and lab identifications and studies of specimens that have been collected in the field. They begin with a Sunday late afternoon arrival and dinner at 7 PM, followed by an introductory program. Mondays through Fridays are full teaching days, with meal times as relaxed settings for informal discussions. Evenings are set aside for discussions by the fireplace in the dining hall's comfortable lounge or for follow-up classroom activities. They conclude after breakfast on Saturday. For more information on seminar registration and costs, click here. Early Registration Discounts. Save on tuition costs by registering for seminars early—6% if you register at least 8 weeks before the start-date of a seminar, or 3% if at least 4 weeks before. To qualify, your registration must be accompanied by a deposit or purchase order. Early registration discounts apply only to tuition, but are calculated before, and cumulate with, other general discounts you qualify for. Student Discounts. Both undergraduate and graduate students receive an automatic 15% discount off tuition and accommodations—upped to 30% with a faculty letter of recommendation. Contact Us! off...@eaglehill.us 207-546-2821 Ext.4 Eagle Hill Institute PO Box 9, 59 Eagle Hill Road Steuben, ME, 04680-0009

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Ellen E. Hostert, Ph.D. (she/her)
Professor of Biology
University of Maine at Machias
116 O'Brien Avenue
Machias, ME 04654
(207) 255-1301
ehos...@maine.edu