 World Forest History HIS/FOR/ENV 452 Spring semesters, 17 students, Wednesday afternoons, 2 to 5 pm. This seminar will explore the shared history of people and forests around the world, paying special attention to the ways historical approaches can help us understand current environmental conflicts. We will examine how and why forests have changed over time, how different peoples have used or abused the forest, how societies have struggled to establish policies governing forests, and how perceptions of forests have changed. Topics for discussion will include:
For a discussion of themes and approaches in this class, please read the reflections essay I wrote about an earlier version of the course in Environmental History. IES 113: Environmental Studies: The Humanistic Perspective Fall semesters, 250 students 9:55 to 10:45. MW, plus one discussion section. The goal of this class is to explore changing ideas about nature, in order to understand the roots of current environmental dilemmas. We will focus on four case studies that analyze the historic roots of current environmental issues. Central themes will include changing perceptions of the relationship between nature and culture; cultural conflicts between Native Americans and Euro-Americans over land; the ways economic and political institutions affect ideas about the land; and the ecological effects of changing scientific paradigms. Complicated relationships develop between ecosystems and human cultures. Stories are central to these relationships; cultures construct nature by telling stories about what nature is and what nature means to them. Relationships between stories and land go two ways: the land itself shapes the stories people tell about their relationships to that land. And in turn, stories affect the ways people change the land. Trees get cut, grasslands get plowed, wilderness areas get established, and predators get eradicated, depending on the web of myths, stories, and perceptions people bring with them. Forestry 875 Great Lakes Forest Change Fall 2008, 1 credit, Wednesdays 3:30 to 5 pm
In this one credit seminar, we will explore the historical and ecological processes shaping forest change in the Great Lakes region. Our overall goal will be to ask: what can environmental historians and historical ecologists add to each other's work? Are there certain kinds of questions about Great Lakes forests that we couldn't answer from within a single discipline? No writing will be required; students will be expected to participate in discussions, complete readings, and lead a discussion. We will have one field trip to Sylvania Wilderness October 17-19.
|
Teaching |