Monica Przyperhart

Monica is an amazing person, I would definitely recommend taking this class with her, and she co-teaches it with Mark Spritzer, who is also fantastic! Monica's lectures are interesting and engaging, and she is super excited to teach about birds. The labs in this class are also super fun, going out into the field almost every week to bird watch or collect data, although it can be cold! Outside of class one of the tasks is to monitor a transect each week where you are responsible for counting birds in your designated zone. Only one lab report is written throughout the semester. Additionally the exams are easy, and if you go back through all the slides, you will know the content that will be on the exam!

Monica is an amazing person, I would definitely recommend taking this class with her, and she co-teaches it with Mark Spritzer, who is also fantastic! Monica's lectures are interesting and engaging, and she is super excited to teach about birds. The labs in this class are also super fun, going out into the field almost every week to …Read more

This is the most valuable course I have taken at Middlebury (coming from an upperclassman). Since this course, a day hasn't gone by where I am not identifying the birds around me. Monica and Mark teach this class side by side, which is quite interesting to watch unfold. There are bird identification quizzes in lab and multiple exams in lecture. I didn't mind this because it really forced me to become a birder. Lecture is very structured, and labs are almost always just walks outside. If you have the chance, you should 100% take this class.

This is the most valuable course I have taken at Middlebury (coming from an upperclassman). Since this course, a day hasn't gone by where I am not identifying the birds around me. Monica and Mark teach this class side by side, which is quite interesting to watch unfold. There are bird identification quizzes in lab and multiple exams …Read more

my favorite class ever. Mark and Monica are so knowledgeable in different ways and compliment each other so well. I came into this course not caring about birds whatsoever. I don't think I could have identified a chickadee. Now I feel so excited to hear a song and identify it. I've definitely discovered a new hobby for life. I loved both lectures and labs. This course was EXTREMELY memorization-heavy but I didn't mind since it all felt relevant and applicable. Like at a certain point yeah, you do have to memorize these birds. If you put in the work you'll do well for sure.

my favorite class ever. Mark and Monica are so knowledgeable in different ways and compliment each other so well. I came into this course not caring about birds whatsoever. I don't think I could have identified a chickadee. Now I feel so excited to hear a song and identify it. I've definitely discovered a new hobby for life. I loved …Read more