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 [1]
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 [2] 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
|
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 [3])
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.