Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are used to introduce students to genuine research, which is a crucial part of their training as scientists. CUREs also allow more students to participate in research, and such experiences, especially early in a student’s career, can increase the likelihood that they will persist in STEM degrees. Freshwater ecosystems provide excellent settings for introducing students to research and ecological science. Over the past five years, first-year students in our Introduction to Ecological Research course have designed their own studies centered on beaver ponds in the Rocky Mountains, prepared research proposals, collected and analyzed data, and presented their findings. We will describe our CURE course and some of the studies that students have conducted, which have addressed topics such as odonate beta diversity, coliform bacteria in water, mycorrhizal fungi, and wildlife associations with mink latrines. We will discuss challenges and successes, examine pre- and post- survey data, describe take-home points from follow-up interviews with past students, and discuss plans for further course development. Our aim is to provide a model for the development of similar CURE courses at other institutions and foster collaborations among SFS colleagues.