Using protected lands in the Delaware Valley, this field-based course will explore various strategies for open-space conservation and protection. In addition, students will be introduced to land management techniques used on such sites to restore or preserve land trust proerties in accordace with goals set for their use or protection.Sustainable land uses such as community supported agriculture, ecovillages, and permaculture design will be covered. Emphasis will be placed on developing skills in "Reading the Landscape" to determine conservation and restoration priorities. Students will produce a site assessment report on sites that they visit.

This course combines field observation, lecture and literature review to achieve an understanding of the ecological problems related to invasive species in natural areas throughout the region. Additionally, this course addresses various techniques being employed to combat the spread of invasive species and restore native habitat in degraded landscapes. The course is also designed to allow students to interact with professionals and learn firsthand about the challenges faced by restoration ecologists.


Students will develop a familiarity with the most common and problematic invasive species currently plaguing the Mid-Atlantic region of North America. Students will also learn a variety of invasive management strategies; both to combat specific species and considerations when restoring specific ecosystem types (i.e. meadows, woodlands, wetlands). By the end of the course, students will be required to demonstrate their ability to identify problematic species and create an appropriate management plan to control them and improve native biodiversity.

Sustainability is more than science, engineering, policy, and design. Surveyingthe world, we see that the politics and practice of sustainability play out in different ways depending on cultural factors. Some cultures are more prone to pursue ecological goals than others. Why? Do the environmental history and experience of a nation affect policy? Do nature and the environmentplay a crucial role in the cultural memory of a nation? Can cultural componentsbe effectively leveraged in order to win approval for a politics of sustainability? And what can we, as residents of a country where climate changeand global warming are flashpoints in an enduring culture war, learn from other cultures? This course is designed to equip undergraduate students with the historical and cultural tools necessary to understand the cultural aspects of sustainability in two countries noted for their ecological leadership and cultural innovation, Germany and the Netherlands.