Catalog
Environmental Studies
Professors Auer (Environmental Studies), Costlow (Environmental Studies), Lewis (Economics), Smedley (Physics), and Wenzel (Chemistry); Associate Professor Ewing (Environmental Studies, chair); Visiting Associate Professor Plastas (African American Studies, Environmental Studies, and Women and Gender Studies; Lecturers Beck (Environmental Studies), Miller (Environmental Studies), and Parrish (Environmental Studies
Environmental studies encompasses a broad range of issues that arise from the interaction of humans with the natural world. To understand these issues, students must think across and beyond existing disciplinary boundaries. The environmental studies major provides a framework for students to examine how humans experience, investigate, and interact with their environment. The curriculum includes interdisciplinary course work that encourages students to explore the social, aesthetic, ethical, scientific, and technical aspects of environmental questions and to approach these questions with more focused knowledge and methodological tools through a major concentration.. More information on the environmental studies program including the course requirements for each major concentration is available on the website (bates.edu/environment/).
Major Requirements for the Class of 2019 and beyond
All students must complete the core courses, a major concentration, a 200-hour internship, and a thesis (ENVR 457, 458) or capstone seminar (ENVR 450).Core Courses
All of the following:ENVR 204. Environment and Society.
ENVR 205. Lives in Place.
ENVR 417. Community-Engaged Research in Environmental Studies.
Major Concentration
Students complete one of the following four concentrationsConcentration 1: Environment and Human Culture
1. One of the following introductory science courses:
BI/GE 112. Oceanography/Lab.
BIO 124. Plants and Human Affairs/Lab.
BIO 190. Organismal Biology/Lab.
ENVR 203. Scientific Approaches to Environmental Issues/Lab.
GEO 103. Earth Surface Environments and Environmental Change/Lab.
GEO 104. Plate Tectonics and Tectonic Hazards/Lab.
GEO 107. Katahdin to Acadia: Field Geology in Maine/Lab.
GEO 109. Global Change/Lab.
PHYS 106. Energy and Environment.
2. One of the following intermediate science courses (some courses have prerequisites):
BI/ES 232. Global Change in Terrestrial Systems.
BI/ES 246. Conservation Biology.
BIO 265. Invasive Plant Ecology/Lab.
BIO 270. Ecology and Evolution/Lab.
BI/ES 271. Dendrology and the Natural History of Trees/Lab.
BIO s31. Avian Biology/Lab.
BIO s32. The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology of the Galapagos Archipelago.
BIO s37. The North Woods.
ES/GE 226. Hydrogeology.
ENVR 229. The Electric Grid.
ENVR 240. Water and Watersheds/Lab.
ES/GE s21. Field Studies in Geology.
GEO 210. Sedimentary Processes and Environments/Lab.
GEO 240. Environmental Geochemistry/Lab.
GEO s31. Limnology and Paleolimnology of Lakes in Northern New England/Lab.
GEO s36. Coastal Hazards/Lab.
GEO s39. Geology of the Maine Coast by Sea Kayak.
3. One of the following social science courses:
AN/ES 242. Environment, Human Rights, and Indigenous Peoples.
AN/ES 337. Social Movements, NGOs, and the Environment.
ECON 222. Environmental Economics.
ENVR 272. Oikos: Rethinking Economy and Ecology.
ENVR 301. Politics of Nature.
ENVR 350. Environmental Justice in the Americas.
4. One of the following methods courses:
ES/RU 216. Nature in Russian Culture.
ENVR 227. Catastrophes and Hope.
5. One of the following environmental history courses:
INDS 211. Environmental Perspectives on U.S. History.
ES/HI 390M. Maine: Environment and History.
ES/HI 390R. Nature and Empire.
HI/WS 210. Technology in U.S. History.
6. One of the following courses in literature, visual studies, and cultural studies:
AVC 285. Renaissance and Post-Renaissance Gardens and Landscape Architecture.
AVC 377A. Picturesque Suburbia.
ENG 395K. The Arctic Sublime.
ENG 395O. Poetry and Place.
ENVR 334. The Question of the Animal.
ENVR 340. Literatures of Agriculture.
ENVR 348. Nature and the Novel.
7. One of the following courses in environmental ethics:
ES/PL 214. Environmental Ethics.
INDS 228. Caring for Creation: Physics, Religion, and the Environment.
8. Three additional courses from lists 4-7 above, two of which must be at the 300 level, or one of the following:
EN/ES 121B. The New Nature Writing.
ES/RU s20. Environmental and Culture in Russia.
ES/RE s25. Food and the Sacred.
ENVR s29. Walking: The Practice, Politics, and Pleasures of One's Own Two Feet.
INDS 208. Introduction to Medieval Archaeology.
INDS 291. Environmental Archaeology.
INDS 321. Afroambiente: Writing a Black Environment.
Concentration 2: Global Environmental Politics
1. One of the following introductory science courses:
BI/GE 112. Oceanography/Lab.
BIO 124. Plants and Human Affairs/Lab.
BIO 190. Organismal Biology/Lab.
ENVR 203. Scientific Approaches to Environmental Issues/Lab.
GEO 103. Earth Surface Environments and Environmental Change/Lab.
GEO 104. Plate Tectonics and Tectonic Hazards/Lab.
GEO 107. Katahdin to Acadia: Field Geology in Maine/Lab.
GEO 109. Global Change/Lab.
PHYS 106/ Energy and Environment.
2. One from the following intermediate science courses (some courses have prerequisites):
BI/ES 232. Global Change in Terrestrial Systems.
BI/ES 246. Conservation Biology.
BIO 265. Invasive Plant Ecology/Lab.
BIO 270. Ecology and Evolution/Lab.
BI/ES 271. Dendrology and the Natural History of Trees/Lab.
BIO s31. Avian Biology/Lab.
BIO s32. The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology of the Galapagos Archipelago.
BIO s37. The North Woods.
ES/GE 226. Hydrogeology.
ENVR 229. The Electric Grid.
ENVR 240. Water and Watersheds/Lab.
ES/GE s21. Field Studies in Geology.
GEO 210. Sedimentary Processes and Environments/Lab.
GEO 240. Environmental Geochemistry/Lab.
GEO s31 Limnology and Paleolimnology of Lakes in Northern New England/Lab.
GEO s36. Coastal Hazards/Lab.
GEO s39. Geology of the Main Coast by Sea Kayak.
3. One of the following humanistic environmental studies courses:
INDS 211. Environmental Perspectives on U.S. History.
ES/PL 214. Environmental Ethics.
ES/RU 216. Nature in Russian Culture.
ENVR 227. Catastrophes and Hope.
ENVR 334. The Question of the Animal.
ENVR 340. Literatures of Agriculture.
ENVR 348. Nature and the Novel.
4. Both of the following economics courses:
ECON 101. Principles of Microeconomics: Prices and Markets.
ECON 222. Environmental Economics.
5. One of the following politics courses:
PLTC 171. International Politics.
PLTC 222. International Political Economy.
6. One of the following methods courses:
ANTH s10. Encountering Community: Ethnographic Fieldwork and Service-Learning.
BIO 244. Biostatistics.
ECON 250. Statistics.
EDUC s26. Qualitative Methods of Educational Research.
HIST 199. Introduction to Historical Methods.
HIST s40. Introduction to Historical Methods.
INDS 250. Interdisciplinary Studies: Methods and Modes of Inquiry.
PLTC s49. Political Inquiry.
PSYCH 218. Statistics.
RHET 252. Rhetorical Theory.
SOC 205. Research Methods for Sociology.
7. Two additional social science courses from among the following:
AN/SO 232. Ethnicity, Nation, and World Community.
AN/ES 242. Environment, Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples.
INDS 211. Environmental Perspectives on U.S. History.
INDS 215 Environmental History of Japan: Pollution, Protection, and the Public Good.
ENVR 272. Oikos: Rethinking Economy and Ecology.
PLTC 202. Garbage and the Politics of Disposition.
PLTC 236. The Global Politics of Climate Change.
PLTC 248. The Arctic: Politics, Economics, Peoples.
PLTC 249. Politics of Latin America.
PLTC 258. Environmental Diplomacy.
PLTC 290. Politics in Sub-Saharan Africa.
PLTC 312 Ocean Governance: Local, National, and International Challenges.
PLTC 315. International Cooperation.
PLTC 346. Power and Protest.
SOC 235. Global Health: Sociological Perspectives.
SOC 250. Privilege, Power, and Inequality.
8. One of the following 300-level courses (some have prerequisites):
ENVR 337. Social Movements, NGOs, and the Environment.
ENVR 301. Politics of Nature.
ENVR 350. Environmental Justice in the Americas.
ES/HI 390R. Nature and Empire.
ECON 309. Economics of Less-Developed Countries.
ECON 325. Prices, Property, and the Problem of the Commons.
Concentration 3: Ecology and Economics of the Environment
1. One of the following humanistic environmental studies courses:
INDS 211. Environmental Perspectives on U.S. History.
ES/PL 214. Environmental Ethics.
ES/RU 216. Nature in Russian Culture.
ENVR 227. Catastrophes and Hope.
ENVR 334. The Question of the Animal.
ENVR 340. Literatures of Agriculture.
ENVR 348. Nature and the Novel.
2. A second course from the list above or one of the following social science courses:
AN/ES 242. Environment, Human Rights, and Indigenous Peoples.
AN/ES 337. Social Movements, NGOs, and the Environment.
ENVR 272. Oikos: Rethinking Economy and Ecology.
ENVR 301. Politics of Nature.
ENVR 350. Environmental Justice in the Americas.
3. Both of the following biology courses:
BIO 190. Organismal Biology/Lab.
BIO 270. Ecology and Evolution/Lab.
4. One of the following intermediate ecology courses:
BI/ES 232. Global Change in Terrestrial Systems.
BI/ES 246. Conservation Biology.
BIO 265. Invasive Plant Ecology/Lab.
BI/ES 271. Dendrology and the Natural History of Trees/Lab.
ENVR 240. Water and Watersheds/Lab.
5. Both of the following economics courses:
ECON 101. Principles of Microeconomics: Prices and Markets.
ECON 222. Environmental Economics.
6. One of the following statistics courses:
BIO 244. Biostatistics.
ECON 250. Statistics.
7. One of the following intermediate economics courses (some courses have prerequisites):
ECON 223. Law and Economics.
ECON 237. Introduction to Behavioral Economics.
ECON 255. Econometrics.
ECON 260. Intermediate Microeconomic Theory.
8. One of the following 300-level courses (some courses have prerequisites):
BIO 313. Marine Ecology/Lab.
BI/ES 333. Genetics of Conservation Biology/Lab.
ECON 309. Economics of Less-Developed Countries.
ECON 325. Prices Property, and the Problem of the Commons.
ENVR 310. Soils/Lab.
Concentration 4: Ecology and Earth Systems
1. One of the following humanistic environmental studies courses:
INDS 211. Environmental Perspectives on U.S. History.
ES/PL 214. Environmental Ethics.
ES/RU 216. Nature in Russian Culture.
ENVR 227. Catastrophes and Hopes
ENVR 334. The Question of the Animal.
ENVR 340. Literatures of Agriculture.
ENVR 348 Nature and the Novel.
2. One of the following social science courses:
AN/ES 242. Environment, Human Rights, and Indigenous Peoples.
ECON 222. Environmental Economics.
ENVR 272. Oikos: Rethinking Economy and Ecology.
ENVR 301. Politics of Nature.
ENVR 337. Social Movements, NGOs, and the Environment.
ENVR 350. Environmental Justice in the Americas.
3. Four of the following introductory science courses:
BIO 190. Organismal Biology/Lab.
BIO 270. Ecology and Evolution/Lab.
CHEM 107A. Atomic and Molecular Structure/Lab.
CH/ES 107B. Chemical Structure and Its Importance in the Environment/Lab.
CHEM 108A. Chemical Reactivity/Lab.
CH/ES 108B. Chemical Reactivity in Environmental Systems/Lab.
FYS 274. Physics in the Twentieth Century/Lab.
PHYS 107. Classical Physics/Lab.
PHYS 108. Modern Physics/Lab.
3. One of the following introductory geology courses:
GEO 103. Earth Surface Environments and Environmental Change/Lab.
GEO 104. Plate Tectonics and Tectonic Hazards/Lab.
GEO 107. Katahdin to Acadia: Field Geology in Maine/Lab.
GEO 108. Global Environmental Change.
GEO 109. Global Change/Lab.
4. Two of the following intermediate science courses, only one of which may be a Short Term course (some courses have prerequisites):
BI/ES 232. Global Change in Terrestrial Systems.
BI/ES 246. Conservation Biology.
BIO 265. Invasive Plant Ecology/Lab.
BI/ES 271. Dendrology and the Natural History of Trees/Lab.
BIO s31. Avian Biology/Lab.
BIO s32. The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology of the Galapagos Archipelago.
BIO s37. The North Woods.
ES/GE 226. Hydrogeology.
ENVR 240. Water and Watersheds/Lab.
ES/GE s21. Field Studies in Geology.
GEO 210. Sedimentary Processes and Environments/Lab.
GEO 240. Environmental Geochemistry.
GEO s31 Limnology and Paleolimnology of Lakes in Northern New England/Lab.
GEO s36. Coastal Hazards/Lab.
GEO s39. Geology of the Main Coast by Sea Kayak.
5. One of the following methods courses (some have prerequisites):
BIO 244. Biostatistics.
CHEM 212. Separation Science/Lab.
DCS s20. Introduction to Computer Programming.
ES/GE 217. Mapping and GIS/Lab.
ENVR 220. GIS across the Curriculum.
DCS s20. Introduction to Computer Programming.
MATH 255A. Mathematical Models in Biology.
MATH 255B. Mathematical Modeling.
6. One of the following 300-level courses (courses have prerequisites):
BIO 313. Marine Ecology/Lab.
BI/ES 333. Genetics of Conservation Biology/Lab.
ENVR 310 Soils/Lab.
GEO 310. Quaternary Geology/Lab.
GEO 315. Glacial Geology/Lab.
GEO 320. Coastal and Estuarine Processes.
GEO 340. Stable Isotope Geochemistry/Lab.
The Thesis
All students must complete a one- or two-semester thesis. Theses must build in some significant way upon the courses that students take as part of their major concentration. Students write proposals for thesis in the winter semester of the junior year. In some years, ENVR 450, Environmental Writing in the Public Sphere, may be available as an alternative to thesis.The Internship
Every student must complete a 200-hour internship in an environmentally oriented organization by the end of the fall semester of their senior year. Internships at academic research organizations, those requiring only physical labor, and those at summer camps are generally unacceptable.Major Requirements for Classes of 2016, 2017, and 2018
Students majoring in environmental studies must fulfill core requirements of four courses, a major concentration, a one- or two-semester thesis or a W3 course, and a 200-hour internship. Students may apply designated Short Term courses toward their major requirements. It is recommended that students complete ENVR 204 and 205 and introductory science as early as possible, preferably within their first two years. These courses are not open to seniors. In addition to ENVR 204 and 205, the environmental studies committee recommends that all students interested in environmental studies take a related course in biology, chemistry, physics, geology or environmental science during their first year.Students are advised that there may be limits on second majors or minors and on double-dipping certain courses, but these differ by major concentration. For example, the geology minor is not available in combination with the Ecology and Earth Systems concentration; no more than two courses from a Politics major may also count in the Global Environment and Social Change concentration. Students should examine the concentration requirements for details and consult with the advisor for the environmental studies major concentration in question.
Students should note that there may be flexibility in requirements due to changes in the curriculum.
Students interested in environmental education are advised to take a minor or general education concentration in education in addition to their major in environmental studies. Students are encouraged to consider study abroad, although the program reserves the right to restrict study abroad to one semester. No more than one course from abroad can count toward the major, regardless of the number of semesters abroad.
Core Requirements
1) Required courses:
ENVR 204. Environment and Society.
ENVR 205. Lives in Place.
ENVR 417. Community-Engaged Research in Environmental Studies.
ENVR 457, 458. Senior Thesis, or ENVR 450. Environmental Writing in the Public Sphere.
In addition, each student completes natural science and courses for breadth as described within a chosen major concentration.
2) Courses in the Major Concentration. Major concentrations focus on a particular aspect of environmental studies. The program website provides information regarding the courses required of each major concentration. The major concentrations are:
Ecology and Earth Systems.
Ecology and Economics of the Environment.
Environment and Human Culture.
Global Environmental Politics
The Thesis
Majors must complete a one- or two-semester thesis or an alternative W3 course. In some years, ENVR 450, Environmental Writing in the Public Sphere, may be available as an alternative to thesis. Theses and W3 portfolios in ENVR 450 must build in some significant way upon the courses that students take as part of their major concentration. Students write proposals for W3 placement in the winter semester of the junior year.The Internship
Every student must complete a 200-hour internship in an environmentally oriented organization by the end of the fall semester of their senior year. Internships at academic research organizations, those requiring only physical labor, and those at summer camps are generally unacceptable.Pass/Fail Grading Option
Pass/fail grading may not be elected for courses applied toward the major. CoursesCH/ES 107B. Chemical Structure and Its Importance in the Environment/Lab.
Fundamentals of atomic and molecular structure are developed with particular attention to how they relate to substances of interest in the environment. Periodicity, bonding, states of matter, and intermolecular forces are covered. The laboratory (three hours per week) involves a semester-long group investigation of a topic of environmental significance. Not open to students who have received credit for CHEM 107A or FYS 398. Enrollment limited to 60. [L] [Q] [S] T. Wenzel.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
CH/ES 108B. Chemical Reactivity in Environmental Systems/Lab.
A continuation of CH/ES 107B. Major topics include thermodynamics, kinetics, equilibrium, acid/base chemistry, and electrochemistry. Examples for course topics are drawn from aquatic chemistry and the chemistry of environmental health. The laboratory (three hours per week) analyzes the chemistry of marine environments. Prerequisite(s): CHEM 107A, CH/ES 107B, or FYS 398. Not open to students who have received credit for CHEM 108A. Enrollment limited to 60. [L] [Q] [S] Staff.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
EN/ES 121B. The New Nature Writing.
What is the impact of climate change on contemporary literature? Why is America, in particular, situated at the center of recent shifts in the genre of environmental creative nonfiction? This course explores the ways in which climate change has destabilized and redefined our literary interaction with nature. Students build a foundational understanding of environmental literature and investigate the intersection of conservation, environmental science, social justice, and critiques of late capitalist industrialization in the age of climatic change. Students consider such authors as Abbey, Bullard, Childs, D'Agata, Duncan, Gay, Klien, Kolbert, McKibben, Momaday, Muir, Silko, Snyder, Solnit, and Reisner, and write an environmental essay of their own. Enrollment limited to 25. One-time offering. E. Mueller.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
EN/ES 121O. The Creative Spirit: Self and Nature.
What is the relationship between nature, the spirit, and the self? How have nineteenth- and twentieth-century poets described their connection with the natural world? How does communion with nature help the creation and evolution of one's sense of "self" and the soul's journey? In this course students write original poetry and poetic prose, within the context of inward reflection, contemplation, mindfulness, and meditation. Students learn to embrace their own "inner artist" and to speak and write authentically from a space of stillness and self-awareness. Authors studied include Frost, Keats, Audre Lorde, Mary Oliver, Shelley, Gary Snyder, Cathy Song, Tagore, Thoreau, Whitman, David Whyte, Woolf, Wordsworth, and Yeats. New course beginning Fall 2016. Enrollment limited to 25. Normally offered every other year. L. Dhingra.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
ENVR 203. Scientific Approaches to Environmental Issues/Lab.
An introduction to central concepts in environmental science—the function and interrelationship of physical, chemical, and biological systems—through the study of specific environmental issues. The laboratory links field studies of environmental systems to the scientific concepts and tools environmental scientists use. This course serves as a foundation for further study of environmental science at Bates. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 40. [L] [Q] [S] H. Ewing.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
ENVR 204. Environment and Society.
Environmental issues rarely have only physical dimensions. They most often also have social and political aspects. This course familiarizes students with some of the major social scientific contributions to understanding how and why environmental problems arise, how they are defined, and how different groups are affected by and respond to them. The course first outlines the contemporary world system in which environmental debates take place and then identifies drivers of environmental change. Students then apply these ideas to a variety of ongoing environmental controversies, including climate change, agriculture, urbanization, biodiversity conservation, pollution, and environmental justice. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 40. Normally offered every year. E. Miller.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
ENVR 205. Lives in Place.
What does it mean to live sustainably in place? This course investigates possible answers to that question by considering lives in place: particular stories, particular places, and multiple forms of storytelling about human relationship to the more than human world. From nature writing and calendars of nature to poetry, memoir, documentary, and the novel, humans (the "storytelling animal") demonstrate ways of living that enable us to reflect on the virtues, values, vices, and trade-offs of those lives. Keystones in this consideration include modernity and tradition, technologies of change, voices and points of view, animal agency, eating as agricultural act, consumption, and creativity. Students consider both classic and emerging texts and artists from a variety of periods and cultures, examples of humans' ongoing experiment in living on Earth. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 40. Normally offered every year. J. Costlow.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
INDS 208. Introduction to Medieval Archaeology.
The Middle Ages were a time of major cultural changes that laid the groundwork for Northwest Europe's emergence as a global center of political and economic power in subsequent centuries. However, many aspects of life in the period from 1000 to 1500 C.E. were unrecorded in contemporary documents and art, and archaeology has become an important tool for recovering that information. This course introduces the interdisciplinary methods and the findings of archaeological studies of topics including medieval urban and rural lifeways, health, commerce, religion, social hierarchy, warfare, and the effects of global climate change. Cross-listed in anthropology, classical and medieval studies, environmental studies, and history. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 40. G. Bigelow.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
INDS 211. Environmental Perspectives on U.S. History.
This course explores the relationship between the North American environment and the development and expansion of the United States. Because Americans' efforts (both intentional and not) to define and shape the environment were rooted in their own struggles for power, environmental history offers an important perspective on the nation's social history. Specific topics include Europeans', Africans', and Indians' competing efforts to shape the colonial environment; the impact and changing understanding of disease; the relationship between industrial environments and political power; and the development of environmental movements. Cross-listed in American cultural studies, environmental studies, and history. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 40. J. Hall.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
ES/PL 214. Environmental Ethics.
A study of selected issues in environmental ethics, including questions about population growth, resource consumption, pollution, the responsibilities of corporations, environmental justice, animal rights, biodiversity, and moral concern for the natural world. The course explores debates currently taking place among environmental thinkers regarding our moral obligations to other persons, to future generations, to other animals, and to ecosystems and the Earth itself. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. T. Tracy, P. Schofield.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
INDS 215. The Environmental History of Japan: Pollution, Protection, and the Public Good.
This course looks at a range of environmental issues in Japan from the late seventeenth century to the present. Topics include managing scarce resources, the legacy of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, heavy industrial pollution tied to breakneck industrial and economic growth, the rise of the environmental movement, and the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster and its implications. Students discuss conflicts between conservation and consumption, defining progress and growth, the individual costs behind larger societal and economic decisions, and balancing the material needs of human society with environmental preservation and ecological management. Cross-listed in Asian studies, environmental studies, and history. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 40. P. Eason.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
ES/RU 216. Nature in Russian Culture.
How does a given culture understand and represent its relationship to the specific geography of its place in the world? This course explores the cultural landscape of Russia through a broad range of literary works, visual images, and ethnographic studies. Students examine some of the following issues: the relationship between geography and national identity; the political uses of cultural landscape; the interaction of agriculture, official religion, and traditional belief in peasant culture; and the role of class and revolutionary reimaginings of nature in the Soviet era. Conducted in English. Open to first-year students. [W2] J. Costlow.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
ES/GE 217. Mapping and GIS/Lab.
Geographical information systems (GIS) are computer-based systems for geographical data presentation and analysis. They allow rapid development of high-quality maps, and enable sophisticated examination of spatial patterns and interrelationships. In this course students learn the principles of GIS through extensive computer use of ArcGIS (ESRI). Geological and environmental projects introduce students to cartography, common sources of geographic data, methods for collecting novel spatial data, and data quality. Finally, students learn to extend the capabilities of GIS software to tackle more advanced spatial analysis tasks by completing an independent project. Lectures supplement the laboratory component of the course. Prerequisite: one 200-level course in environmental studies or one 100-level course in geology. Not open to students who have received credit for ENVR 220. Enrollment limited to 20. [L] [Q] [S] J. Eusden.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
INDS 219. Environmental Archaeology.
Over the past two hundred years archaeologists, scientists, and humanists in many disciplines have worked together to understand the interactions of past human populations with the physical world, including plants, animals, landscapes, and climates. This course outlines the methods and theories used by archaeologists, geologists, biologists, physicists, chemists, and historians in reconstructing past economies and ecologies in diverse areas of the globe. The course also discusses how archaeology contributes to our understanding of contemporary environmental issues such as rapid climate change, shrinking biodiversity, and sustainable use of resources. Cross-listed in anthropology, environmental studies, and history. Recommended background: ANTH 103. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 40. Normally offered every year. G. Bigelow.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
ENVR 220. GIS across the Curriculum.
Geographical information systems (GIS) are computer-based systems for analyzing spatially located data. They allow rapid development of high-quality maps and enable sophisticated examination of spatial patterns and interrelationships. In this course students learn the principles of GIS through extensive use of the software ArcGIS (ESRI). Modules from across the curriculum introduce students to spatial data by exploring common data sources, data collection methods, data quality, and data presentation methods. Finally, students extend their capabilities in advanced spatial analysis tasks by undertaking an independent project. Not open to students who have received credit for ENVR 217 or ES/GE 217. Enrollment limited to 20. [Q] [S] C. Parrish, H. Ewing.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
ES/GE 226. Hydrogeology.
Hydrogeology is the study of the movement and interaction of underground fluids within rocks and sediments. This course uses hydrogeology as a disciplinary framework for learning about groundwater processes, contamination, supply, use, and management. Students engage in practical applications of hydrogeology via discussions, guest lectures, research projects, problem sets, and hands-on experience. Students learn field and laboratory methods for determining and analyzing groundwater flow, contamination, and aquifer properties by working at local sites of interest in central Maine. Prerequisite(s): ENVR 203 or one 100-level geology course. Enrollment limited to 22. [S] B. Johnson.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
ENVR 227. Catastrophes and Hope.
Disaster narratives can be both documentary and cautionary, attempting to describe what seems beyond human imagination. Such narratives may serve as dire warnings, offer glimpses of hope, spur us to change our lives, or scare us into denial. This course explores examples of disaster narratives from various cultures and time periods, considering the emotional, aesthetic, and civic function of discourses of disaster. In addition, students consider imaginations of disaster at the end of the cold war and in contemporary discussions of climate change. Prerequisite(s): ENVR 205. Enrollment limited to 30. J. Costlow.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
INDS 228. Caring for Creation: Physics, Religion, and the Environment.
This course considers scientific and religious accounts of the origin of the universe, examines the relations between these accounts, and explores the way they shape our deepest attitudes toward the natural world. Topics of discussion include the biblical Creation stories, contemporary scientific cosmology, the interplay between these scientific and religious ideas, and the roles they both can play in forming a response to environmental problems. Cross-listed in environmental studies, physics, and religious studies. Enrollment limited to 40. [S] J. Smedley, T. Tracy.Interdisciplinary Programs
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
ENVR 229. The Electric Grid.
An exploration of electricity production, distribution, and consumption. Principles of electromagnetism are developed to provide an understanding of the design and function of the electric grid. Topics include the history of grid evolution, reliability and disruptions, organizational design, regulations, environmental impacts, energy storage, incorporation of renewable energy sources, and the smart grid. Prerequisite(s): CHEM 107A, CH/ES 107B, ENVR 203, or any course in physics. Enrollment limited to 40. [Q] [S] J. Smedley.BI/ES 232. Global Change in Terrestrial Systems.
In this course students investigate how global change is affecting terrestrial ecosystems. Plants are the dominant organisms in these systems. Students discuss how adaptations to particular environments may favor or hinder individual species in the future, and how ecology and physiology interact when it comes to species responses to global change. They consider processes from the leaf to ecosystem levels and discuss how natural and agricultural systems are likely to be affected by changes in temperature and water availability, rising carbon dioxide and gaseous pollutants, and alterations in soil chemistry and nutrient availability. Prerequisite(s): BIO 117, 124, 190, or ENVR 203. Open to first-year students. [S] Staff.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
ENVR 240. Water and Watersheds/Lab.
Where does water go and what does it do? In this course students follow water from atmosphere to land to aquatic systems, emphasizing the controls on the movement and chemistry of water in freshwater ecosystems. They investigate not only the need of organisms for water but also the ways in which organisms, including humans, influence the distribution and chemistry of water. Field and laboratory studies combine ecological, geological, and chemical approaches as well as an introduction to working with large data sets. Students are expected to be proficent in the use of spreadsheets. Prerequisite(s): on of the following: ENVR 203; BIO 190, BI/GE 112, GEO 103, GEO 107. Recommended background: CHEM 107A, CH/ES 107B, or FYS 398 and CHEM 108A or CH/ES 108B. Enrollment limited to 18. [L] [S] H. Ewing.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
AN/ES 242. Environment, Human Rights, and Indigenous Peoples.
For decades environmentalists have used the image of the "ecological native" in their critique of industrialization while indigenous activists have framed their struggles for land rights and self-determination in environmental terms. Why and how have environmental and indigenous concerns merged? How are these connections used strategically? This course examines the struggles of the world's indigenous peoples in the context of an accelerating ecological crisis. Topics include Western ideas of indigenous people, indigenous self-representation, indigenous relations to modern nation-states and the United Nations, and the impacts of oil and mining, bio-prospecting, biodiversity conservation and climate change. Prerequisite(s): one of the following: ANTH 101, ENVR 337, ENVR 204, ENVR 350, or PLTC 250. Enrollment limited to 30. S. Pieck.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
BI/ES 246. Conservation Biology.
Conservation biology incorporates biology, policy, and ethics, among other disciplines. This course introduces and analyzes conservation theory with emphasis on the biological aspects of conservation biology, but also exploring its interdisciplinary nature. Students examine conservation at many scales, including the conservation of populations, their genetic diversity, and the biodiversity of habitats. Applied aspects of conservation and sustainable development are illustrated through case studies and simulations. This course is a combination of discussion and applied methods. Some Saturday field trips are required. Prerequisite(s): BIO 190 or ENVR 203. Enrollment limited to 40. (Community-Engaged Learning.) [Q] [S] Staff.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
ES/HI 269. The Secret History of French Peasants.
What sets rural France apart from the urban world? What drives village politics, economics, and morality? How do rural cultures interact with the natural world? Ever since people began packing their bags for the big city, peasants, their culture, and their engagement with the environment has been scrutinized. Historians, anthropologists, tourists, novelists, painters, and photographers studied rural life, and peasants themselves wrote memoirs. This course explores interpretations of rural people and landscapes in France during four major turning points: religious turmoil of the 14th c., social upheaval of the 18th c., industrialization and nationalization in the 19th c., and re-ruralification in the 20th c. New course beginning Winter 2016. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 40. One-time offering. K. McDonough.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
BI/ES 271. Dendrology and the Natural History of Trees/Lab.
In this field-based course, students engage in the scientific study of the natural history and identification of trees and important shrubs native to New England, and some commonly planted non-native trees. Topics include the anatomy, function, taxonomy, biology, and uses of trees. Lecture topics support weekly outdoor laboratories, which include trips to such field sites as the Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area, Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary, and Wolfe's Neck State Park. Study of the woody flora of New England serves as a foundation for further work in biology, environmental studies, conservation, or related fields. Prerequisite(s): BIO 117, 124, 190, or ENVR 203. Enrollment limited to 18. B. Huggett.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
ENVR 272. Oikos: Rethinking Economy and Ecology.
Economy and ecology share the same Greek root: oikos, or "home." Both name relationships that are crucial to the sustenance of life, yet these two domains often appear to be locked in mortal combat. Why is the oikos of modern life torn asunder? What is this split and how did it arise? Is reconciliation possible? If so, what might it entail? This course brings critical tools from political theory and science studies to bear on these questions, exploring a variety of attempts to rethink the relation between economy and ecology and to reconfigure the very nature of the categories themselves. Recommended background: one course in anthropology, economics, environmental studies, politics, or sociology. Enrollment limited to 30. One-time offering. E. Miller.ENVR 301. Politics of Nature.
What is nature and what does it mean to say that it has a politics? In one common understanding, nature is precisely that which stands apart from political dynamics, indicating a world of objective "facts" beyond human influence. Yet the concept of nature has long been implicated in relations of power, whether by making certain social relationships such as race, gender, and class seem inevitable or by lending strength to movements for liberation. This course examines the politics of nature through various lenses of poststructuralist, postcolonial, feminist, and Marxist political theory, ultimately seeking to imagine how nature itself might become a site for transformative democratic practice. Prerequisite(s): Any two of the following: AN/ES 242; ENVR 203, 204, 205, or 272; ES/PL 214; PHIL 150, 211, or 262; PLTC 191 or 202; SOC 204; or WGST 100. Enrollment limited to 15. [W2] One-time offering. E. Miller.ENVR 310. Soils/Lab.
Depending on one's point of view, soils are geological units, ecosystems, the foundation of plant life, a place for microbes to live, building material, or just dirt. This course takes a scientific perspective and explores the genesis of soils, their distribution and characteristics, and their interaction with plants. Field studies emphasize description of soils, inferences about soil formation, and placement within a landscape context. Labs investigate the chemistry of soils and their role in forestry and agriculture. Prerequisite(s): one of the following: BIO 270; BI/ES 271; CHEM 212 or 215; ENVR 203 or 240; GEO 210, 223, or 240. Recommended background: one 200-level geology course and CHEM 108A or CH/ES 108B. Enrollment limited to 16. [L] [S] H. Ewing.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
INDS 321. Afroambiente: Writing a Black Environment.
This course studies the response of black writers and intellectuals of the Spanish-speaking world to issues related to the natural environment. In three countries, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, and Equatorial Guinea, modernity has brought serious challenges to notions of economic progress, human rights, and national sovereignty, as well as individual and communal identity. Course materials include written texts from local newspapers and magazines, as well as other sources of information such as Internet sites that discuss issues related to the environment and the arts. All readings are in English. Cross-listed in African American studies, environmental studies, Latin American Studies, and Spanish. Prerequisite(s): one 200-level Spanish literature course. B. Fra-Molinero.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
BI/ES 333. The Genetics of Conservation Biology/Lab.
Conserving biodiversity is important at multiple scales, including genetic variation within species. Does a species have enough variation to evolve in a changing world? Are individuals differentially adapted to local environmental variation? In a captive population of a rare animal, which individuals should be bred to minimize the erosion of genetic variation? Lectures and labs cover the fundamentals of classical, molecular, and population genetics, applying them to current issues in biological conservation. Prerequisite(s): BIO 242 or 270. Not open to students who have received credit for BIO 330. Enrollment limited to 15. [L] [S] D. Dearborn.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
ENVR 334. The Question of the Animal.
Who are the animals to us? Beasts of burden, holy asses, laboratory surrogates, Aesopian figures for our political disputes, Pavlovian responders and creatures who in their suffering are moral beings, too, animals' place within the history of human thought and culture has been central, deeply contradictory, and perennially implicated in our understandings of what it means to be human. This course explores the role of animals in human life and thought, drawing on readings from literature, cultural history, ethology, and ethics. Readings and class discussions consider the roles of animals in highly diverse cultures and historical eras. Enrollment limited to 18. [W2] J. Costlow.Interdisciplinary Programs
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
ENVR 337. Social Movements, NGOs, and the Environment.
As emerging transnational actors, social movements and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) challenge state-centered paradigms with regard to environmental and other issues. But why do environmental movements arise in the first place? Do NGOs necessarily "do environmental good"? What solutions to the environment/development quandary do these forms of activism offer? The course first locates the context for NGOs and social movements within neoliberal globalization and the resource conflicts that emerge from its processes. Students consider topics and case studies in developed and developing countries, using them as a lens through which to understand the complexities of social and environmental change. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 101 or ENVR 204 and two additional courses in environmental studies. Not open to students who have received credit for AN/ES 337. Enrollment limited to 20. [W2] Normally offered every year. S. Pieck.Interdisciplinary Programs
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
ENVR 340. Literatures of Agriculture.
This course explores the ways in which agrarian life has been imagined, written about, and lived in a wide array of cultural and historical settings. Classic pastoral suggests that the life of the countryside is a life of virtue and freedom from the entanglements of politics and the city. The actual experience of farm labor is often embedded in difficult political, economic, and environmental realities, even as farmers profess deep affection for their labor and the land. Students explore a broad range of genres, from agrarian essay to historical studies, memoirs, and novels, considering how different forms of writing articulate ideals, aspirations, and realities. Students visit local farms and interview local farmers. Prerequisite(s): ENVR 205. Enrollment limited to 15. J. Costlow.ENVR 348. Nature and the Novel.
The novel is the social genre par excellence, filled with details of human lives and commentary on politics, philosophy, and morals. But novels are also ideal vehicles for thinking about nature, evocative of particular places, complex communities, legacies of injustice and possibility. Readings for this course, drawn primarily from twentieth-century authors, may include political/philosophical epic (Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago); the dystopian work of Zamiatin and McCarthy (We, The Road); feminist science fiction and agrarian visions of the good life (Atwood and Berry). Close readings of the novels are accompanied by essays in contemporary ecocriticism that help students think about what it means to read novels with environmental questions in mind. Prerequisite(s): ENVR 205. Enrollment limited to 15. J. Costlow.ENVR 350. Environmental Justice in the Americas.
This course explores issues of environmental justice in the western hemisphere by focusing on how lines of difference—especially race, class, and gender—mediate people's relationships to each other and to the natural world. How do power relations shape differential access to and control over resources? What makes people more or less vulnerable to environmental changes? The course applies critical social theory to case studies from across the Americas to explore how political, economic, and cultural forces shape environmental inequalities and how, in trying to address those inequalities, various groups challenge and broaden the assumptions and practices of modern environmentalism. Prerequisite(s): ENVR 204 and two additional courses in environmental studies or three courses in Latin American studies. Enrollment limited to 15. M. Plastas.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
ENVR 360. Independent Study.
Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study per semester. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every semester. Staff.Interdisciplinary Programs
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
ES/HI 390M. Maine: Environment and History.
This course introduces students to Maine history from its beginnings to the twentieth century, emphasizing the state's most pervasive theme, the environment. From aboriginal people to European colonists, different people have relied on the state's natural resources. Indeed, the environment shaped Maine's most prevalent industries. By the twentieth century, Maine emerged as a popular vacation destination, causing many to reflect on conservation efforts. This seminar explores the significance of locality in understanding the interaction between the environment and different people through time. Students develop a deeper sense of place in our community. Enrollment limited to 15. J. Hall.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
ES/HI 390R. Nature and Empire.
This seminar course explores the dynamic relationship between science, environment, and empire from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries. During this period, European colonies in Africa, India, and the Americas became laboratories for scientific and environmental experimentation, provoking confrontations between diverse cultures over patterns of land use and ideas about the natural world. Students read widely in recent historical scholarship in order to understand how the environment shaped colonial settlement and expansion; how imperial expansion then changed natural environments; and how the natural and human sciences bolstered and profited from imperial expansion. Enrollment limited to 15. [W2] K. McDonough.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
ENVR 417. Community-Engaged Research in Environmental Studies.
Students work collaboratively to complete interdisciplinary semester-long project. Projects include work with previously identified community partners and may vary from year to year. Students evaluate literature, participate in discussions, complete written reports, and give oral presentations. Aesthetic and cultural perspectives on the environment, ethics and social justice, and scientific and quantitative approaches to environmental issues are incorporated into the project. The course deals explicitly with ethnicity, race, gender, and/or class within the context of the selected theme. Prerequisite(s): ENVR 203, 240, or 310; and 204 and 205, and one of the following: AC/EN 395C; ANTH s10; AVC 283; AV/WS 287; BIO 242, 244, 270; CHEM 212; ECON 250; EDUC s26; ENG 243, 295; EN/WS 395L; ENVR 220, 229, 240, 310; ES/GE 217; ES/PL 214; HIST 199, s40; INDS 250; PLTC s49; PSYC 218; RHET 257; or SOC 205. (Community-Engaged Learning.) Normally offered every year. Staff.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
ENVR 450. Environmental Writing in the Public Sphere.
Building on research from previous environmental studies courses, students produce new writing for public audiences. They consider environmentally themed pieces as models for writing (e.g., advocacy scholarship, scientific writing, personal and lyrical essays, natural history); explore new media forms (radio and video essays); and examine theory on writing and web portfolios. Students' environmental writing develops through peer and professional review and culminates in a substantial piece of writing for a public audience. Web portfolios present the new scholarship and reflect on its creation, showing the process of learning, connections to environmental studies course work, and thematic links beyond Bates. Prerequisite(s): ENVR 203, 204, 205, and 417. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission is required. [W3] Normally offered every year. M. Beck.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
ENVR 457. Senior Thesis.
This course involves research for and writing of the senior thesis, under the direction of a faculty advisor. Guidelines for the thesis are published on the program website and are available from the program chair. Students register for ENVR 457 in the fall semester. [W3] Normally offered every year. Staff.Interdisciplinary Programs
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
ENVR 458. Senior Thesis.
This course involves research for and writing of the senior thesis, under the direction of a faculty advisor. Guidelines for the thesis are published on the program website and are available from the program chair. Students register for ES 458 in the winter semester. [W3] Normally offered every year. Staff.Interdisciplinary Programs
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
AV/ES s15. Photographing the Landscape.
The course provides a context for studying and analyzing images of the landscape by viewing and discussing historic and contemporary landscape photographs. Questions considered include the role of the sublime in current landscape photography, beauty as a strategy for persuasion, perceptions of "natural" versus "artificial," and contemporary approaches in trying to affect environmental change. Students explore the depiction of the landscape by producing their own work, using "pinhole," black-and-white film, or digital photography. Recommended background: AVC 218 or 219. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 12. E. Morris.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
ES/HI s17. Natural Disasters: History, Politics, Culture.
Are natural disasters ever really natural? From Vesuvius to climate change, social, cultural, and political realities have always shaped the way that "natural" disasters play out on the ground. These "unnatural" realities have also profoundly shaped the way that people imagine and prepare for future disasters. After considering the long history of cultural responses to disaster, students analyze contemporary representations of global climate change. The course culminates in clustered research projects on disasters in transnational and transhistorical contexts. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. Staff.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
ES/RU s20. Environment and Culture in Russia.
This course introduces a broad range of environmental issues in contemporary Russia and invites students to consider those issues in cultural and historical context. A period of intensive preparation at Bates is followed by visits and conversations in Russia that acquaint students with ecologists, activists, governmental officials, and ordinary Russian citizens. Students spend three and one-half weeks at different locations in European Russia and the Urals, visiting sites ranging from privatized farms and peasant markets to industrial centers and conservation areas. Recommended background: one course in Russian studies or environmental studies. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission is required. J. Costlow.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
ES/GE s21. Field Studies in Geology.
This course introduces students to field studies in geology. Three different geologic settings (bedrock geology, geomorphology, and hydrology) are the focus of three week-long field projects. Each project is followed by laboratory analysis and compilation of the field data in the form of maps, cross sections, and lab reports. Students learn how to map and analyze spatial datasets using mobile GIS field methods and ArcGIS techniques as well as methods in environmental sampling and modeling. Students examine exposures of bedrock on the Maine coast, glacial features in downeast Maine, and river systems in central Maine. This course provide students with a basic toolkit for fieldwork in geology and environmental studies. Prerequisite(s): one 100-level geology course. Enrollment limited to 30. B. Johnson, J. Eusden.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
BI/ES s22. Animals in the North Woods.
In this field course, students learn to find, identify, observe, study, and write about the animals in the north woods, including such diverse animals as birds, beetles, and tardigrades. Scientific approaches include ecology, natural history, conservation biology and behavioral ecology. The importance of writing well is stressed as well, and the class collaborates with students in an English course writing about the effects of climate change on animals. The course includes a required five-day field trip to the Bates College Coastal Center at Shortridge and Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area as well as other field excursions. As students handling animals in the course, they are required to complete provided animal care training. Prerequisite(s): ENVR 203 or BI/ES 246 or BIO 270. New course beginning Short Term 2016. Enrollment limited to 15. One-time offering. D. Levitis.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
ES/HI s24. Innovations in Mapping from Paper to Pixels.
This course explores how maps have been made, used, and theorized. Students step into the shoes of map makers, spatial theorists, and everyday users as they compare two dynamic periods in cartographic history. Geographers of the eighteenth century used scientific knowledge and technological improvements to create a prolific, public culture of visual mapmaking. In the late twentieth century, digital instruments transformed cartography. Students make their own manuscript and digital maps, visit Maine's collections of historic maps, and interact with local experts. Thursday meetings to include excursions beyond scheduled times. Recommended background: Experience in surveying and GIS a plus, but not required. New course beginning Short Term 2016 One-time offering. [L] K. McDonough.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
ES/RE s25. Food and the Sacred.
This course provides an opportunity to explore food through ideas and practices considered sacred by Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, indigenous peoples, and neo-pagans. Topics include feasting, fasting, farming, foraging, feeding the hungry, the five senses, and the fascinating fundamentals of dirt and water. There is a community-based learning component to this course undertaken outside class of time as well as hands-on individual and group projects. Prerequisite(s): one course in environmental studies or religious studies. Enrollment limited to 15. (Community-Engaged Learning.) C. Baker.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
ENVR s29. Walking: The Practice, Politics, and Pleasures of One's Own Two Feet.
Way of getting from point A to point B; mode of meditation and pilgrimage; radical environmental act; community builder; form of protest; almost impossible to do in many American suburbs. We do it every day, without thinking about it. This course gives students the chance to reflect on and practice this remarkable human mode of transportation. In addition to reading some classic walking texts and experimenting with how to write about walking, students talk with local people who plan sidewalks and trails, and who think about how to get more people moving. The core of the course is walking itself: urban strolls; woodland tracking; meditation; observation. The ability and willingness to walk in all weather is essential. Enrollment limited to 18. J. Costlow.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
EN/ES s31. Climate Change and the Stories We Tell.
Climate change is slow moving and intensely place-based. It is about the late arrival of frost, the decline of a particular fish, the unusually thin layer of ice on the lake; things on can notice on when they have been in place for a long period of time. In this course students interview longstanding residents both in the Lewiston/Auburn area and on the coast, turning those first-hand accounts of climate change into a suite of creative nonfiction pieces that illustrate resiliency and loss in Maine. During the second half of the course students stationed at the Bates Morse Mountain Conseration area have the opportunity to work with biology students in the field as they record scientific evidence of climate change. Together they design an immersive multimedia online archive to make this work accessible to the public. New course beginning Short Term 2016. Enrollment limited to 15. (Community-Engaged Learning.) One-time offering. E. Mueller.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
INDS s34. Place, Community, and Transformation: Kingston, Jamaica.
The course evaluates the feasibility of green space development in Kingston, Jamaica, a city marked by class disparities, political polarization, and the impoverishing impact of neoliberal economic policies. Through assigned texts students explore the city's physical and demographic development under colonial and postcolonial rule. They examine development initiatives, challenges, and failures through guest lectures and tours led by practicing architects, engineers, planners, environmentalists, and community workers. Students undertake ethnographic research in neighborhoods, parks, and public spaces on the use of outdoor recreational space, perceived needs, and food gardening practices to gather data that might guide future community-building green initiatives. Cross-listed in African American studies, anthropology, environmental studies, and Latin American studies. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission is required. (Community-Engaged Learning.) C. Carnegie.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
ENVR s46. Internship in Environmental Studies.
Projects may include hands-on conservation work, environmental education, environmental research, political advocacy, environmental law, or other areas related to environmental questions. Specific arrangement and prior approval of the Committee on Environmental Studies is required. Instructor permission is required. (Community-Engaged Learning.) Normally offered every year. C. Parrish.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)