The Evergreen State College Olympia, WA 98505
Spring Quarter Syllabus
8 credits per academic quarter
Tuesdays and Thursdays 6-10 p.m. CAB 110
First Class Mandatory: Tuesday,
3/30/99
Environmental
Studies Faculty:
Nancy Parkes Turner L-3227
866-6000 ext. 6737
turnernp@elwha.evergreen.edu
Chris May L-3228
(360) 866-6000 ext. 6710
mayc@elwha.evergreen.edu
may@apl.washington.edu
Book List for Winter
Quarter
Science References (used all 3 quarters):
Upstream: Salmon & Society. 1995. National
Research Council. ISBN 0309053250 (Required)
Pacific Salmon and Their Ecosystems: Status and Future Options. 1997. Stouder, Bisson, and Naiman, Editors. Chapman and Hall. ISBN 0412986914 (Optional)
Required reading for all new
students:
State of the Northwest. 1994. Ryan. NW Environment
Watch. ISBN 1886093008
Mountain in the Clouds:
A Search for the Wild Salmon. 1982.Brown.
ISBN 0295974753
Spring Quarter Books:
What the River Reveals.
1997. Rapp. ISBN 0898865271 (Mountaineers Press)
Eco-Pioneers: Practical
Visionaries Solving Today’s Environmental Problems. 1997. Lerner.
ISBN 0262122073 (MIT Press)
The Ecology of Hope: Communities Collaborate for Sustainability. 1997. Bernard and Jora. ISBN 0865713553 (Island Press)
Entering the Watershed: A New Approach to Save American River Ecosystems. 1993. Doppelt, Scurlock, Frissell, and Karr. ISBN 1559632755 (Island Press)
A Sand County Almanac. 1949. Leopold. ISBN 0345345053 (Oxford Press)
Internet Sites:
Washington State Salmon Recovery
Strategy (WSSRS)
http:// www.wa.gov/esa/strategy.htm
Washington State Wild Salmonid
Policy (WSP)
http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/fish/wsp/wsp.htm
Program Goals
This environmental studies program will engage students in study and activities surrounding the federal listing of salmon as a threatened and likely endangered species. Students will study salmonid ecology and the history of salmon in the Pacific Northwest in scientific, cultural, political, economic and legal contexts. While salmon are the focus of the program, students will learn the many steps involved in developing any complex environmental policy. We will also study general and specific ways to create effective public awareness campaigns; environmental and salmon awareness curriculum for primary schools students; and building effective community-based projects to enhance salmon.
General skill-building will include clear communication; mediation; addressing stakeholder interests; building community; understanding scientific and policy documents; and actively engaging the public in policy debate and decisions
During Fall Quarter, we focused on ways to strengthen links among salmon science, policy and culture. Students collaborated in small groups to propose strategies for current policy questions surrounding survival of the salmon and its relationship to Northwest ecology and culture. Specifically, students will address issues raised by the Washington State Salmon Recovery Strategy. A field trip to visit local streams and learn hands-on stream/salmonid ecology techniques was conducted.
During Winter Quarter we focused on issues involving public education and outreach. Student projects included classroom education, citizen watershed education and outreach, a public attitude survey, a video production, web-page development, and a town-hall/public meeting. The class field trip included a visit to a local tribal fisheries center, salmon and trout hatcheries, the dam on the Skokomish River, and a local creek.
During Spring Quarter we will emphasize salmon habitat restoration and rehabilitation. The class will take a "theory-to-practice" approach in applying the principles of stream ecology and public involvement to actual watershed restoration and stream rehabilitation projects in the Olympia area. Teams of students will work collaboratively with local citizens, tribal members, landowners, and watershed groups in planning, designing, and implementing a variety of salmon enhancement projects. The project work will take place on several weekends during the spring quarter. A field trip to visit local restoration sites is also planned.
Over the course of the year, we will ask and seek to answer questions in the areas of science/ecology; public policy; and culture/public environmental education. These will include:
Science/ecology questions: How does the natural history of salmonids relate to the current salmon crisis and shaping of public policy? What ecological niches do each species of Pacific salmon occupy and how does this influence their current plight, as well as how we manage the resource? What are the habitat requirements of each species of salmonid and how do these needs affect management plans, recovery efforts, and public policy?
Cultural and public education questions: What is the story of the salmon among Native Americans and what is the current cultural significance to the Northwest ? Does the public understand the overall significance of salmon to the future of the PNW complex ecology and way of life? How is cultural mythology connected to environmental ethics? What price is the public willing to pay to protect the salmon?
Public policy questions: How can individuals make a difference the outcome of environmental policy decisions? Who are the major players and institutions determining environmental policies in general, and salmon-related policies in particular? How do legislative bodies, state governments, tribal governments, the federal government, and courts arrive at environmental policy decisions? What role do stakeholders/advocacy groups play? What are the social and economic implications associated with progressive environmental policies? How does public awareness affect environmental policy?
Credit throughout the year will be awarded in salmonid ecology; environmental studies, environmental policy; environmental education; history; multicultural literature; and public policy.
This program is recommended for students seeking careers in natural sciences, law, public policy, environmental advocacy, and teaching.
Spring Syllabus
Week 1: Review - The Many
Faces of Salmon
Tuesday (3/30)
Program Objectives
Orientation
Class Covenants
Field Trip: Attendance & Drivers
Program Journals
Introductions – new and returning students
Student mentors
Questionnaire
Movie: "A Place to Come Home to"
Seminar: Brain-storming session on ideas for quarter projects
Reading Assignments: New students must read The State of the NW and Mountain in the Clouds by the end of the second week of classes. All students read Upstream, Executive Summary and Chapters 1-5 by the end of the second week of class.
All students read the revised Washington State
Salmon Recovery Strategy.
Quarter Project Proposals due at the start of class on Thursday 4/1
Thursday (4/1)
Potluck get-together
Lecture (May): Salmonid Life-Cycle Overview
Lecture (Turner): Salmon Recovery Policy Overview
Seminar: Seminar group assignments and project groups - Project formulation
Reading Assignments: Upstream, Chapter 6 and Sand County Almanac
Week 2:
Tuesday (4/6)
Lecture (May): Salmonid Stocks and Biodiversity
Lecture (Turner): Stewardship and Community Involvement
Seminar: A Sand County Almanac
Project Work
Reading Assignments: Upstream, Chapters 7 & 8
Project overview due in seminar
Thursday (4/8)
Lecture (May): Salmonid Habitat Requirements (Instream &Riparian)
Seminar: The State of the NW and Mountain in the Clouds
Project Work
Reading Assignments: The Ecology of Hope
Project overview due in seminar
Week 3:
Tuesday (4/13)
Guest Speaker: Jeff Cederholm – Salmonid Carcasses and
Restoration
Seminar: The Ecology of Hope
Reading Assignments: What the River Reveals
Project overview due in seminar
Thursday (4/15)
Project Outlines/Overview due
Lecture (May): Salmonid Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Design
Seminar: What the River Reveals
Reading Assignments: Entering the Watershed
Week 4:
Tuesday (4/20)
No class – Field-Trip Comp-Time
Thursday (4/22)
Earth Day 1999!!!
No class – Field-Trip Comp-Time
Week 5:
Tuesday (4/27)
Guest Speaker/Panel: Restoration Specialist Group #1
Seminar: Entering the Watershed
Reading Assignments: Upstream, Chapters 9-15
Thursday (4/29)
Guest Speaker/Panel: Restoration Specialist Group #2
Seminar: Planning Restoration Projects
Reading Assignments: Eco-Pioneers
Week 6:
Tuesday (5/4)
Guest Speaker: Stream Team Volunteer Panel
Seminar: Eco-Pioneers
Reading Assignments: Handouts
Thursday (5/6)
Guest Speaker: Community Activist Group Panel
Seminar: Getting the Community involved with Restoration Projects
Reading Assignments: Watershed Restoration Case Study
Week 7:
Tuesday (5/11)
Lecture (May): The Relationship between Beaver and Salmon
Seminar: Watershed Restoration Case Study
Reading Assignments: Community Organizing/Activism Case Study
Project Status Reviews
Thursday (5/13)
Lecture (Turner): Community Organizing
Seminar: Restoration Project Implementation
Reading Assignments: Community Organizing/Activism Case Study
Project Status Reviews
Week 8:
Tuesday (5/18)
No Class – Project Comp-Time
Thursday (5/20)
No Class – Project Comp-Time
Week 9:
Tuesday (5/25)
No Class – Project Comp-Time
Thursday (5/27)
No Class – Project Comp-Time
Week 10:
Tuesday (6/1)
DUE: Program notebooks / Self-Evaluations / Group Evaluations
Sign-up for evaluation conferences
Project Presentations
Thursday (6/3)
Celebration Potluck
Sign-up for evaluation conferences
Project Presentations
Week 11: Evaluations
Tuesday (6/8)
Evaluations
Thursday (6/10)
Evaluations
Program Covenants: Duties, Responsibilities and Rights of Students
1. Attend all class meetings on time and thoroughly prepared to participate. Do all the assigned readings prior to seminar (except those designated to be read in class). If I must miss class because of illness or emergency, I will notify my seminar leader in advance by phone, via his or her voice mail. Missing more than one class may result in loss of credit. I understand that that I am expected to spend approximately 40 hours a week in and out of the classroom with attention focused on my academic work in order to be awarded 16 credit hours..
2. Complete and submit all written work and assignments on time. All work is to be typed, double-spaced, and proofread before submission. No late work will be accepted (unless necessitated by illness or emergency, and prior arrangements have been made with faculty). No "incomplete" evaluations are possible for this program. Drafts count the same as any other assignment. An incomplete draft or failure to do a draft will count as a missing assignment. Any change or customizing of assignments must be arranged with faculty ahead of time.
3. Every student must write his or her own work. Please consult TESC policy on plagiarism for elaboration. Students working on collaborative projects are expected to contribute an equal share of the work. If there are problems on collaborative teams, students will first try to work out the problems within their group directly. If this is not possible, students will promptly let faculty know that mediation of problems would be helpful. Students will evaluate each others work in project groups at the end of the quarter.
4. Attend and participate in all study group activities and will evaluate participation by other students in my study group at the end of the quarter.
5. Abide by the principles of the Social Contract and the Sexual Harassment Policy. We will do everything we can to foster a learning environment free from sexual harassment and free from racist interaction. Neither of these behaviors should be tolerated by any member of the program; and anyone persisting in them will be asked to leave. Anyone in the program who feels put out or seriously offended by someone else, faculty or student, is urged to raise the issue with that person first. The faculty may provide advice, support and even mediation of disputes, but will always encourage discussion of complaints with the people complained about as a first step.
6. Take responsibility for your own work, interactions, and responses. Take the initiative in seeking guidance from faculty whenever significant difficult exists with the pace or content of the program. Promptly raise problems concerning the program with faculty.
7. Meet with their seminar as often as needed to discuss individual needs. The student is in charge of his/her own learning, and will inform the faculty promptly when meetings are desired. The student will also make good use of posted faculty hours for contact meetings.
8. Write a self-evaluation and faculty evaluation at the end of the fall quarter. In order to receive credit for the program, signed, proofread copies of each are to be submitted typed on the required forms, complete and on time. Students are required to meet with faculty for an evaluation conference at a time designated by the faculty.
9. Credit is not the same as positive evaluation. Students receive credit for fulfilling minimum requirements and standards. The evaluation is a statement describing the quality of a student’s work. It is possible for a student to receive credit but to receive an evaluation that describes poor quality work. It is also possible for a student to attend regularly yet receive no credit because of unsatisfactory performance or missing work.
10. The following understandings are agreed upon by all participants of the program: