This course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) focuses on developing hypotheses about how traits influence the range sizes of species. Topics with substantive content include symbioses, the Appalachian Mountains, lichen morphology, and natural history collections. Scientific skills development modules focus on hypothesis development and testing, geographic information systems, statistics, and preparing presentations and manuscripts. The CURE leverages a large-scale digitized set of freely available images of lichen herbarium specimens. It can be implemented in in-person, online, or hybrid classrooms and only requires students have access to a computer and the internet.