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Teaching in the Nature Preserve
by Lindsey Krecko
The Practicality of Nature
RICHARD
ANDRUS
ENVI101, Man, Woman and the Environment
Enrollment is about 160. All discussion groups take guided hikes for
about five weeks to learn about habitat management, wetland ecology,
the soil profile, land use history, gardening, the species of plants
and animals found locally, and to learn to appreciate nature in
general. Students are also expected to complete several projects which
require them to spend time in the Nature Preserve individually.
Biol 374/Envi 361, Wetland Ecology
Enrollment is around 30 students. Many of the three hour lab sessions
are held in the nature preserve to study the wetland and learn plant
species. In addition, students spend many hours outside of class
mapping the wetland for a course project.
JEFF
BARKER
GEOL 453/553, Environmental Geophysics
This is a field intensive course. Each week we spend one afternoon in
one portion of the Nature Preserve making geophysical measurements in
order to determine subsurface structure (depth to the water table,
depth to bedrock, any other structures of interest). We use seismic
reflection and refraction, gravity, electrical resistivity and
ground-penetrating radar methods. By early November we have enough data
and the weather is deteriorating, so class shifts indoors to
concentrate on data processing and analysis. This semester there are 9
students (2 undergrads, 7 grads) and we have been working near the
ravine trail. The course is offered only in Fall semesters, and that
number of students is fairly typical. By the way, our results are
accumulated from year to year and are compiled in a GIS database
(ArcView) which will be available for broader use from the GIS facility
in the Geography department.
GEOL 114, The Earth's Dynamic Interior
This holds118 students, and includes a seismic refraction lab (2 weeks)
and a water chemistry lab (2 weeks).
JOHN
BRIDGE
GEOL113, Dynamic Earth
Enrollment is 50-60 students. We go on a geological field trip that
starts on the campus, goes through the Nature Preserve, and ends up at
Stair Park. In the Nature Preserve, I discuss the nature and origin of
the surface topography and the underlying sediment deposits.
JOE
GRANEY
GEOL 465/565, Environmental Measurements
This is a field-intensive course. It is offered every Spring and has
about 9-10 students, mostly grads. Most of the time, his students are
concentrating on the built portion of campus north of the Nature
Preserve and Fuller Hollow Creek. They measure the chemistry of surface
and groundwater as well as the soil. They may make use of monitoring
wells along the Nature Preserve road.
PETER
KNUEPFER
ENVI201
Student field project involves a walk up the part of Fuller Hollow
Creek from the Rugby field to the bridge at Washington St. They observe
evidence of erosion and deposition in the channel and attempt to relate
the erosion to land-use changes that have occurred.
DONNA MENDELSON
Ecocriticism class, ESL classes
DICK
NASLUND
GEOL111
Enrollment is about 150-160. We take a field trip to the Nature
Preserve and look at water chemistry in the pond and streams in the
nature preserve and look at local glacial geology.
KAREN
SALVAGE
ENVI342, Environmental Hydrology
Enrollment varies year to year, but is between 10 and 25. We study the
hydrology of the ponds, stream, groundwater. This includes: How much
water is in each and how rapidly does it move? Does the chemical
composition of water in one vs. the other vary? What are the soil and
deeper subsurface material like (i.e. how readily can rainwater
infiltrate and then move to groundwater).
GEOL416 / GEOL516, Hydrogeology
Enrollment varies, but is approximately 10 and 15.
We study the groundwater levels, direction, and speed of movement (in
more detail than the ENVI342 course).
JULIAN
SHEPHERD
There are about 25 tours per year, including Parent's Weekend, Open
Houses and the like.
BIOL114, Introductory Biology
Enrollment is about 600 students
Upperlevel Biology Courses (eg Entomology)
Enrollment is about 100 students
GARY TRUCE
Running and Health Awareness
Enrollment is about 45 students. We use the nature trails for our
enjoyable runs through the nature.
LIBBY
TUCKER
ENG205, Folklore
I usually bring my students to the Nature Preserve, and I average 45
students per class.
ENG 112, Science and Literature
I brought that class of twelve up to the Nature Preserve twice: first
for an early fall nature hike, and then for a winter hike.
One of my students, Jennifer Ivan, wrote a beautiful book, LOVE NOTES,
about the Nature Preserve.
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