Syllabus

Submitted by admin on Tue, 01/02/2007 - 2:29pm.

Restoring Landscapes

Spring 2007 - Syllabus

 

As a learning community we will explore the following questions: How can we understand landscapes as the products of human's engagement with the natural world? How can we move beyond the polarized romantic concepts of humans and nature and beyond the economic category of nature as resource? What philosophical, conceptual, and practical concepts can help us create sustainable landscapes that allow us to live well with each other and the natural world?

We will explore these questions through readings in the following disciplines: landscape architecture, ecology, geography, and environmental history. We will link theory and practice by studying contemporary efforts to restore local prairies in the Puget lowlands. We will assist The Nature Conservancy in current restoration efforts. We will also visit remnant prairies at Fort Lewis and in the Columbia Gorge. Students will conduct research on ecological restoration case studies. Students are required to attend all field trips including an overnight trip to the Columbia Gorge April 30-May 4

 

Faculty:

Frederica Bowcutt, Lab II rm 3272, X 6744, bowcuttf@evergreen.edu

Matt Smith, Lab II rm 3251, X6459, smithm@evergreen.edu

Office hours: by appt.

 

Homeroom: Lab I rm 3040

Book List:

Field Texts
Seminar Texts

Leslie & Roth, Keeping a Nature Journal

Hitchcock & Cronquist, Flora of the Pacific Northwest

Hickey, The Cambridge Illustrated Glossary of Botanical Terms (optional)

Whitson, Weeds of the West (optional)

Jolley, Wildflowers of the Gorge (optional)

SER Primer available at : http://www.ser.org/content/ecological_restoration_primer.asp

Langston, Forest Dreams, Forest Nightmares

Higgs, Nature by Design: People, Natural Process, and Ecological Restoration

Apostol and Sinclair, Restoring the Pacific Northwest

Throop (ed), Environmental Restoration

Readings from: Falk et al. (eds.), Foundations of Restoration Ecology

 

Weekly Schedule:

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

INDEPENDENT WORK IN HERBARIUM

Lab I rm 3040

12:30-2:30 pm

Lecture

Sem II D 1105

10 am - 12:30 pm

Plant

Identification

Lab (Frederica)

Lab I 3046 &

3041

INDEPENDENT WORK IN HERBARIUM

Lab I rm 3040

10 am - 12:30 pm

Writing & Research Workshops

(Matt)

Sem II Cll07

INDEPENDENT WORK IN HERBARIUM

3-5 pm Seminar

Sem II C1107

 

INDEPENDENT WORK IN HERBARIUM

1:30-3:30 pm

Lecture or Film

Sem II D 1105

 

Required Materials for Field Work

  • Journal (Grinell style with lined and unlined pages or Cachet spiral bound sketch book) Watercolor pencils (e.g. Aquarell) and a small paintbrush
  • 2 black permanent ink pens (e.g. Micron pens): very fine tip + one a bit bigger
  • 10X hand lens
  • dissection kit with Xacto knife, 2 dissecting needles, 10 cm rule, and sharp tweezers
  • Mechanical pencil with 5 mm HB lead
  • Pink Pearl eraser

 

Week 1 April 2-6 INTRODUCTION

Seminar Readings: SER Primer, Apostol and Sinclair, pp3-25

Workshop: Leslie and Roth, Keeping a Nature Journal pp. vii-185

 

Tues, April 3

12:30-2:30 pm Orientation

3-5 pm Introduction to Case Study

Weds, April 4

10 am-12:30 pm Plant Identification Lab, Plant Collection Project

Fri, April 6

10 am-12:30 pm Seminar on SER Primer , Apostol and Sinclair

1:30-3:30 pm Workshop: Keeping a Field Journal

(Bring drawing supplies)

 

Week 2 April 9-13 FORESTS

Seminar Reading: Langston, Forest Dreams, Forest Nightmares

Tues, April 10

12:30-2:30 pm Film: The Greatest Good

3-5 pm Seminar on Langston, Forest Dreams, Forest Nightmares

Weds, April 11

10 am-12:30 pm Plant Identification Lab

Fri, April 13

10 am-12:30 pm Library Research Workshop & Choose Research Groups

1:30-3 Guest Lecture: Earl Ford, Forester from Gifford Pinchot N.F.

3-3:30 pm Prepare for Field Trips

 

Week 3 April 16-20 WETLANDS

Seminar Readings: Higgs, Nature by Design

Guest Lecture Reading: Chapter 7, Fresh Water Wet Lands and Chapter 8 Salt Water Apostle and Sinclair Restoring the PNW

Tues, April 17

12:30-2:30 pm Guest Lecture: Paul Cereghino on Salt Marsh Restoration

3-5 pm Seminar on Higgs, Nature by Design

Weds, April 18

10 am-12:30 pm Plant Identification Lab

Fri, April 20

10 am-12:30 pm Writing Workshop on Student Essays

1:30-3:30 pm Nature by Design? (Matt)

 

Week 4 April 23-27 PRAIRIES

Seminar Readings: Chapter 3, Bunch Grass Prairies and Chapter 4 Oak Woodlands and Savannas from Apostol and Sinclair, Restoring the Pacific Northwest

DUE: Friday April 27th, Annotated Bibliography and Case Study Resources

Tues, April 24

12:30-2:30 pm Guest Lecture: South Sound Prairie Restoration by Eric Delvin

3-5 pm Final Field Trip Preparation Introduction to Drupal and wikis with Amy Greene

Weds, April 25

9 am-1:30 pm Glacial Heritage Prairie Work Day

(Bring raingear, work gloves, water & sack lunch)

Fri, April 27

9 am-3:30 pm FIELD TRIP: Fort Lewis and other South Sound Prairies

 

Week 5 April 30-May 4 REQUIRED FIELD TRIP TO COLUMBIA GORGE

Arrive at B Lot at 8:15 am. Departing at 9:00 am BRING LUNCH

Apostol and Sinclair, Chapter 5, Old Growth Conifer Forests, Chapter 10 Shrub Steppe

Monday: Drive to Catherine Creek Botanize and then on to Brooks Memorial State Park

Tuesday:Botanize and Weed at Brooks Memorial and Mary Hill Park

Wednesday: Botanize aned appreciate wildflowers Umtanum Ridge

Thursday: Oaks Restoration Kiliktat River and Columbia Hills

Friday: Hike Ponytail Falls in Gorage, more Botanizing Home 6ish.

Sat, May 5 Prairie Appreciation Day (For more information see

http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/washington/contact/art14707.html)

 

Week 6 May 7-11 THEORY

Seminar Readings: Throop, Environmental Restoration

Tues, May 8

12:30-2:30 pm Guest Lecturer on Weeds

3-5 pm Ecology Seminar on Throop, Environmental Restoration

Weds, May 9

10 am-12:30 pm Plant Identification Lab

Fri, May 11

10 am-12:30 pm Workshop: Outline and Introduction

1:30-3:30 pm Arboretum Workday: Weeding the Prairie Roof Garden

 

Week 7 May 14-18 PRACTICE

Seminar Readings: essays from Falk (ed.), Foundations of Restoration Ecology TBA

Tues, May 15

12:30-2:30 pm Restoration (Matt)

3-5 pm Seminar on Falk (ed.), Foundations of Restoration

Weds, May 16

10 am-12:30 pm Plant Identification Lab

Fri, May 18

9 am -12 noon Workshop on Falk

1:30-3:30 pm Guest Lecture: Alison Styring on Ecological Restoration @ Disney

World????????

 

Week 8 May 21-25 CASE STUDIES

Mon, May 21

10 am-5 pm Meetings with Case Study Research Groups

Tues, May 22

10 am-5 pm Meetings with Case Study Research Groups

Weds, May 23 Independent Case Study Research Group Work

Fri, May 25 Independent Case Study Research Group Work

 

 

Week 9 May 28-June 1 CASE STUDIES

Seminar Reading: Apostle and Sinclair Chapter 17, Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Conclusion

Optional Lecture Reading: essay by Bowcutt

DUE: Draft of Plant Collection Labels due on Weds, May 30

 

Tues, May 29

12:30-2:30 pm Tanoak Malpractice

3-5 pm Seminar on Apostle and Sinclair

Weds, May 30

10 am-12:30 pm Plant Identification Lab

Fri, June 1

10 am-12:30 pm Workshop: Oral Presentations

1:30-3:30 pm Wrap-up /Year End Preparation

 

Week 10 June 4 - 8 WRAP UP

No Seminar Readings

DUE: Portfolios including research paper and final self evaluation due on Tuesday, June 5

 

Tues, June 5

12:30-2:30 pm Self-Evaluation Workshop (Bring 5 copies of eval)

3-5 pm Student Presentations

Fri, June 8

10 am-12:30 pm Student Presentations

12 noon -1 pm Potluck celebration

1:30-3:30 pm Student Presentations

 

 

 

Portfolio Checklist

  • field journal (including extensive entries for every field day; minimum of 20 pages of detailed, illustrated field entries)
  • illustrated laboratory notebook with plant id sheets
  • 50 herbarium specimens with typed labels on rag paper
  • typed seminar papers with faculty comments (one page per seminar)
  • take home exam
  • first and second drafts of research paper (include copies with faculty and peer comments)
  • final research paper (15-20 pages plus bibliography including three peer-reviewed scientific journal articles)
  • final self evaluation (required for credit in program)

 

EVALUATIONS WEEK: June 11-15 Individual Conferences with Faculty

Please bring your faculty evaluation to your evaluation meeting or give it to the program secretaries in Lab II rm 2250.

 

Credit Breakdown

4 Floristic Research

4 Restoration Ecology

4 Restoration Ecology Case Studies

4 Introduction to Political Ecology

NOTE: Expected workload for this program is a minimum of 40 hours per week.

 

NOTE REGARDING FIELD TRIPS: Field trips are working trips. They are a privilege not a right. Students missing more than 15% of the field journal assignments or with poor quality entries may be barred from field trips. More than five absences may be grounds for not being allowed to go. Use of drugs or alcohol, on any of the field trips are grounds for expulsion from the program. You may be sent home early on Greyhound at your expense if you choose to use alcohol or illegal drugs on a field trip. Attendance will be taken for all class meetings including on the field trip. Any unexcused absences on a field trip may result in being barred from future field trips. Quiet time on field trips is from 9 pm to 8 am.