Mission Trails Regional Park, San Diego, CA. / Thompson
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Biodiversity Conservation in Urban Regions
Biodiversity Conservation in Urban Regions
Planning Spring 2025 - San Diego, CA
Planning Spring 2025 - San Diego, CA
George Hess (NC State) & Jan Thompson (Iowa State)
George Hess (NC State) & Jan Thompson (Iowa State)
Conserving open spaces - areas left in their natural state, or at least not built upon - in urban regions has become desirable and difficult. Desirable because open spaces in urban areas provide habitat for native plants and animals, space for recreational activities, areas for farming and forestry, and a sense of place. Difficult because agencies and organizations working to conserve open spaces face competition with economic and political forces favoring development. The key question we attempt to address in this course is ... How can open space be conserved in urban regions?
Conserving open spaces - areas left in their natural state, or at least not built upon - in urban regions has become desirable and difficult. Desirable because open spaces in urban areas provide habitat for native plants and animals, space for recreational activities, areas for farming and forestry, and a sense of place. Difficult because agencies and organizations working to conserve open spaces face competition with economic and political forces favoring development. The key question we attempt to address in this course is ... How can open space be conserved in urban regions?
During this Spring 2025 collaborative graduate course (also open to undergraduate seniors), we will explore concepts and practices from conservation biology, landscape architecture, landscape ecology, recreation resource management, and urban planning that frame open space conservation in urban regions.
During this Spring 2025 collaborative graduate course (also open to undergraduate seniors), we will explore concepts and practices from conservation biology, landscape architecture, landscape ecology, recreation resource management, and urban planning that frame open space conservation in urban regions.
In 2025, we will do this in the context of San Diego, CA. The course includes a field trip to San Diego around Spring Break (details below) to study their nature preserves and natural areas. We will meet with key players in the conception, creation, and ongoing management of the County's nature preserves. We'll get to visit conserved habitat and learn how managers meet the challenges of conservation in the region.
In 2025, we will do this in the context of San Diego, CA. The course includes a field trip to San Diego around Spring Break (details below) to study their nature preserves and natural areas. We will meet with key players in the conception, creation, and ongoing management of the County's nature preserves. We'll get to visit conserved habitat and learn how managers meet the challenges of conservation in the region.
You will work with faculty & students from two universities (NC State, Iowa State) to collaboratively develop course projects, such as conference presentations, web-based materials, StoryMaps, and working papers. We are seeking an interdisciplinary team of students to join us — conservation biologists, ecologists, economists, planners, landscape architects, recreation specialists, & sociologists, to name a few. We'd like to have 6 students at NC State and 6 at Iowa State. Instructor permission is required to register.
You will work with faculty & students from two universities (NC State, Iowa State) to collaboratively develop course projects, such as conference presentations, web-based materials, StoryMaps, and working papers. We are seeking an interdisciplinary team of students to join us — conservation biologists, ecologists, economists, planners, landscape architects, recreation specialists, & sociologists, to name a few. We'd like to have 6 students at NC State and 6 at Iowa State. Instructor permission is required to register.
Downtown San Diego, CA, from Coronado Island. / Hess
Course Basics
Course Basics
Weekly video conference meetings throughout the semester
Weekly video conference meetings throughout the semester
Required course travel to San Diego, CA, scheduled for W 03.12 (starting at 18:00) - Tu 03.18 (ending at 13:00).
Required course travel to San Diego, CA, scheduled for W 03.12 (starting at 18:00) - Tu 03.18 (ending at 13:00).
To secure lodging, minimize costs, and proceed with planning, we need your commitment by Fri 12.06.
To secure lodging, minimize costs, and proceed with planning, we need your commitment by Fri 12.06.
- At NCState this commitment is by registration and a $175 deposit. No refunds after 12.06, if we have enough students to conduct the course. If we don't have enough people by 12.06, we will return your funds and cancel the course.
- At NCState this commitment is by registration and a $175 deposit. No refunds after 12.06, if we have enough students to conduct the course. If we don't have enough people by 12.06, we will return your funds and cancel the course.
- At Iowa State this commitment is by registration and payment of course fees.
- At Iowa State this commitment is by registration and payment of course fees.
We've not established specific prerequisites for the course, because there are so many ways in which people might contribute. If you're interested, please contact the instructor at your University and we'll talk through your interests, learning desires, and potential contributions. Instructor consent is required to register for this course — please contact George (NC State) or Jan (Iowa State) to discuss your participation.
We've not established specific prerequisites for the course, because there are so many ways in which people might contribute. If you're interested, please contact the instructor at your University and we'll talk through your interests, learning desires, and potential contributions. Instructor consent is required to register for this course — please contact George (NC State) or Jan (Iowa State) to discuss your participation.
Before traveling, we'll do extensive reading of primary material and examination of conservation in San Diego City & County and develop a plan of inquiry. On our return, we will reflect on and synthesize what we've learned. Our objective is to develop one part of a compilation of urban conservation stories.
Before traveling, we'll do extensive reading of primary material and examination of conservation in San Diego City & County and develop a plan of inquiry. On our return, we will reflect on and synthesize what we've learned. Our objective is to develop one part of a compilation of urban conservation stories.
For a more complete idea of how the course flows, including past syllabi, please have a look at the course in Jacksonville, FL, from Spring 2019 (the last time we traveled) or the Spring 2023 offering (local travel).
For a more complete idea of how the course flows, including past syllabi, please have a look at the course in Jacksonville, FL, from Spring 2019 (the last time we traveled) or the Spring 2023 offering (local travel).
Balboa Park, San Diego - home of the San Diego Zoo and many other museums and cultural attractions. / Hess
Preliminary Travel Outline
Preliminary Travel Outline
W 03.12 - Meet at lodging by 18:00 local time. Conversation and dinner.
W 03.12 - Meet at lodging by 18:00 local time. Conversation and dinner.
Th 03.13 - Sa 03.15 - Conservation site visits including discussions with key players from partner organizations.
Th 03.13 - Sa 03.15 - Conservation site visits including discussions with key players from partner organizations.
Su 03.16 - Free time.
Su 03.16 - Free time.
M 03.17 - Conservation site visits. Class dinner.
M 03.17 - Conservation site visits. Class dinner.
Tu 03.18 - Discussion, synthesis.
Tu 03.18 - Discussion, synthesis.
Tu 03.18 13:00 - Class ends.
Tu 03.18 13:00 - Class ends.
Travel Notes
Travel Notes
Students are responsible for arranging and paying for travel to and from San Diego, arriving and departing at appropriate times. Students are responsible for the cost of some meals; we're looking for a hotel that includes some kind of breakfast.
Students are responsible for arranging and paying for travel to and from San Diego, arriving and departing at appropriate times. Students are responsible for the cost of some meals; we're looking for a hotel that includes some kind of breakfast.
Our intent is to cover lodging during the course using course fees (Iowa), deposits (NC State), and funds from varied sources we're still working to obtain. We will arrange and pay for lodging for the nights of 03.13-03.17, sharing hotel rooms. If you want to stay any additional nights before or after the course meetings, you must arrange and pay for that yourself. Please expect course activities to end by 13:00 on Tu 03.18 as you make plans; our vans will travel to the airport shorly after that - expect an hour travel to the airport.
Our intent is to cover lodging during the course using course fees (Iowa), deposits (NC State), and funds from varied sources we're still working to obtain. We will arrange and pay for lodging for the nights of 03.13-03.17, sharing hotel rooms. If you want to stay any additional nights before or after the course meetings, you must arrange and pay for that yourself. Please expect course activities to end by 13:00 on Tu 03.18 as you make plans; our vans will travel to the airport shorly after that - expect an hour travel to the airport.
We will have vans for transport during the course activities.
We will have vans for transport during the course activities.
We're still working to reduce costs as much as possible. After awards and subsidies from the Universities, our goal is to keep your total course-related travel costs, including deposit (NCSU), airfare, and course fees (ISU), and any meals, to no more than $700. It could be a bit higher, which we will know by late November. We also suggest you apply for any funds available to individual students through your department, college, or university to cover your airfare.
We're still working to reduce costs as much as possible. After awards and subsidies from the Universities, our goal is to keep your total course-related travel costs, including deposit (NCSU), airfare, and course fees (ISU), and any meals, to no more than $700. It could be a bit higher, which we will know by late November. We also suggest you apply for any funds available to individual students through your department, college, or university to cover your airfare.
Funding Provided By (as of 10.15)
Funding Provided By (as of 10.15)
Impactful Educational Experiences for Students Award, to Hess from the College of Natural Resources
Impactful Educational Experiences for Students Award, to Hess from the College of Natural Resources
NC State Educational Technology Funds, from the Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources and the College of Natural Resources
NC State Educational Technology Funds, from the Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources and the College of Natural Resources
Want to Join the Team?
Want to Join the Team?
Please contact the instructor at your University to talk about your involvement and get signed up!
Please contact the instructor at your University to talk about your involvement and get signed up!
Alleyway mural (3120 University Avenue) by Jason Acton, North Park, San Diego, CA (2019 - since replaced). / Hess
About Your Course Leaders
About Your Course Leaders
Jan Thompson @ Iowa State University's Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management has collaborated with peer faculty members, graduate and undergraduate students, and community participants to enhance and inform management of natural resources. She is interested in understanding relationships among peoples' perspectives, decision-making, and actions as they influence land use, conservation, and functional ecology in urban and urbanizing areas.
Jan Thompson @ Iowa State University's Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management has collaborated with peer faculty members, graduate and undergraduate students, and community participants to enhance and inform management of natural resources. She is interested in understanding relationships among peoples' perspectives, decision-making, and actions as they influence land use, conservation, and functional ecology in urban and urbanizing areas.
George Hess @ NC State University's Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources has devoted his academic career to conserving open spaces in urbanizing areas. He is a founding member of the WakeNature Preserves Partnership, which is devoted to supporting stewardship of high quality natural areas in Wake County, NC. Although most of his work is in Wake County, George has studied and written about the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan in Pima County, AZ, which students in this course studied in 2015. Most recently, he worked with graduate student Sydney Case to create a State of Open Space report for the Triangle Region of North Carolina.
George Hess @ NC State University's Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources has devoted his academic career to conserving open spaces in urbanizing areas. He is a founding member of the WakeNature Preserves Partnership, which is devoted to supporting stewardship of high quality natural areas in Wake County, NC. Although most of his work is in Wake County, George has studied and written about the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan in Pima County, AZ, which students in this course studied in 2015. Most recently, he worked with graduate student Sydney Case to create a State of Open Space report for the Triangle Region of North Carolina.
Oh ... we do snacks sometimes ...
Oh ... we do snacks sometimes ...
Donuts and ice cream, oh my! Krispy Kreme donuts (Raleigh) and MayDay Ice Cream (Jax). We do healthy snacks, too :-)) / Hess
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