INTRODUCTION TO RANGER/ NATURALIST OUTDOOR EDUCATION
SYLLABUS
Team Contact: Robin Freeman M.A., 434-3840, robinf5713@aol.com, Office hrs (call first) @ SRH; Field cell 510-915-1452
Instructor and guests: Robin Freeman, Michael Charnofsky, Kevin Demstra, Bob Flasher, Kate Freeman, Megan Hess, Nancy Ceridwyn, Regie Archie, Janet Gomes, Tara Reinertson, Shirley Knight, Adrienne Peer
Tuesdays 6:30-9:20PM at the Environmental Center, Self Reliant House
Sundays 9:30 - 5:30 (hours may change)
FIELD TIMES AND LOCATIONS MAY CHANGE CHECK EMAIL NOTICES OR CHECK WITH ROBIN
COURSE: Overview of nature/culture interpretation and education: Planning for age-, theme- and place-appropriate presentations for diverse ages and settings; resources and employment opportunities in the environmental management field. Survey of park management, planning and community relations. This course is required for Environmental Management Fundamentals Certificate. As an introductory course, it also is useful for new students who are taking the general core and are exploring options in the Environmental Management program.
TEXT:
Beck, Larry, and Cable, Ted Interpretation for the 21st Century: Fifteen Guiding Principles for Interpreting Nature and Culture, 2nd edition Sagamore Books 2002
3/22 Tuesday. Introductions & Welcome
Brief introductions of class participants and professional interests; Descriptions of assignments and projects
Trail experience: Tour of Environmental Center and Hilton Trail
Robin Freeman
ASSIGNMENT: What stuck with you the most or you liked best about the tour? Do you have new questions? Text Reading: Handout; Read Introduction, Chapters 1, 3, 5, 6
3/29 Tuesday. Defining the Profession: History, Definitions, Audiences
Survey the development of the professions; define terms used in the ranger/naturalist, outdoor educator and recreation professions; discuss audiences.
Trail experience: Hilton Trail Interpretation and Signage
Robin Freeman, Nancy Ceridwyn, Naturalist Aide, Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center
ASSIGNMENT: Text Reading: Chapters 2, 4, 7, 8, 13
Written assignment: Write directions to a trail, park or event.
Due: Discuss Environmental Center (SRH)Tour
4/3 Sunday. Elements of Interpretation. Black Diamond Regional Preserve.
Meet at SRH to carpool. 10 AM-4 PM Bring lunch and hiking gear.
What is interpretation and why we interpret? Explore the difference between interpretation and information, techniques, styles, and methods. On a hike through the park, observe non-personal interpretive media and how the same techniques apply while leading a hike as when writing a panel. Critique an interpretive program. Discuss the role of professional organizations
Kevin Damstra, Naturalist, East Bay Regional Park District
Trail experience: Black Diamond
4/5 Tuesday. Universal Access and Other Audiences; Trail Design and Maintenance
Making programs and appropriate for all physical and mental abilities; addressing other special audience such as teens in the outdoors. What are the steps in designing a trail and maintaining it? Discuss park management, planning and community relations.
Freeman
Applying Experienceology: Follow-up to field trip
8 steps to a better visitor experience.
Nancy Ceridwyn
Trail experience: Interpretive SRH Trail and Train maintenance work
ASSIGNMENT: Text Reading: Chapters 9,10,12,14
Projects: 1st Draft description of projects that Interest you for a final project
Due: Directions
4/10 Sunday. Learning Styles and Engaging Participants through Questioning
10:00 - 12:30 SRH Interpretive planning. Finding your own learning style and understanding styles of your audience. Presenting age-, place-, and culturally-appropriate lessons and activities.
Robin Freeman
Sobrante Park and San Leandro Creek.
2:00 – 4:00. Observe interpretation and participate in hands-on volunteer trail work with the Green Works Development Project
Richie Archie
4/12 Tuesday. Life as a Ranger
Explore organizing outdoor activities, interactive indoor activities, interacting with the public and enjoy real stories of working in parks organizations.
Bob Flasher
ASSIGNMENT: Text Chapters 11, 15
Written Assignment: Write a critique of an interpretive program, graphic or written text. What interpretive principles were used? Were you engaged by the presentation? Was there a beginning, middle and end? What was the take home message?
Due: Ist Draft interests
4/17 Sunday. Sausal Creek Restoration Day
9:30 Meet at SRH (optional) or meet at site @ 10am; 10:00 - 1:00. Joaquin Miller Park Monterey Redwood site Bring lunch and outdoor clothing, gloves
Shirley Knight and Adrienne Peer, Friends of Sausal Creek Interns
ASSIGNMENT: Written Assignment: Develop a brief lousy first draft project proposal of interpretive text and activity for a walk/talk, volunteer coordination or campfire program. Include preliminary location and ideas/questions.
Eco Tourism TBD
4/19 No Class- Spring Break
4/26. Tuesday. Interpretive Writing for Brochures and Panels
Meet at Crab Cove Nature Center, Alameda Explore writing styles for brochures and panels. Also discuss job websites of different organizations that post them for a planning or interpretive career.
Michael Charnofsky, Naturalist, East Bay Regional Parks District
ASSIGNMENT: Written Assignment: Create an interpretive paragraph or graphic
Develop a brief lousy first draft proposal of interpretive text, an activity for a walk/talk, volunteer coordination or campfire program. Include preliminary location and ideas/questions.
DUE: Critique
Lousy first draft project proposal
4/30 & 5/1 Saturday and/or Sunday Optional Field Trip to Redwood Forest Institute
5/3 Tuesday. Organizing Volunteer Programs, Trail First Aid
Friends of Sausal Creek, a case study in volunteer organizing and management.
Megan Hess, Restoration and Nursery Manager, Friends of Sausal Creek
Kate Freeman, Emergency Room R.N.
ASSIGNMENT: Continue work on proposal
DUE: Interpretive Paragraph or Graphic
5/10 Park Program Management
What are the major issues in parks operation? What careers are available in these areas?
Janet Gomes, Supervisor East Bay Regional Parks District
Present walk/talk/brochure and comment
ASSIGNMENT: Research resources for planning an interpretive career
5/15 Sunday. Volunteer Event Organized by Students & Class Presentations
5/17 Tuesday. Class Presentations
Present walk/talk/brochure and comment
ASSIGNMENT: Plan and prepare as a group for final night cookout and campfire program
Due: Interpretive text/sign/brochure
5/24 Tuesday. Cookout, Campfire Presentations and Evaluations
Present walk/talk/brochure and comment
ASSIGNMENTS:
Final Project: Conduct an interpretive walk, activity, volunteer event or campfire (i.e.a single location). Choose a location from the Merritt Environmental Center, Hilton Nature Trail, Lion Creek/York Trail, EB Parks Leona Open Space Arroyo Viejo or a site of your choice. Identify principles from the text or class that you used. One (1) interpretive text/sign/brochure station will be due May 17 from the same choice as above. This can be one sign, one description of a station, or a map of a path with multiple stations identifies OR a brochure. These can include graphic illustrations, photos, or suggestions for illustrations. The single station should be accompanied by a map or detailed location description. Again, include principles you used. Research the costs of preparing and printing or installing the interpretive element you choose. Include goals and /or learning outcomes for your interpretive project.
GRADES: For a letter grade (required for Certificate/Degree), reasonable attendance (70%), class participation, and completion of assignments will be used by students to suggest your own grade and evaluate the course. The course may be taken for Credit only - participation is required for this option. No Credit - same as auditing, you choose your level of participation.
Students will be able to:
Distinguish between environmental education, outdoor/adventure education, ecotourism and interpretation.
Set appropriate learning goals for a particular time and place.
Research resources for preparing an interpretive activity.
Prepare and present an appropriate walk/talk.
Prepare interpretive text for signs and brochures.
Research resources for planning an interpretive career.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Field Notations Template
Field Notations
Location:
Altitude:
Temperature, ambient (shade thermometer):
Water (depth):
Wind strength and direction:
Weather conditions:
Vegetation Types and amounts:
Wildlife (noises, sat, prints, insects, fish, land animals):
Moisture level:
Water Amount, flow, quality (turbidity), smell:
Slope (how steep):
Exposure (i.e. direction slope faces):
Geomorphology (land, shape, features):
Land use (past, present):
View/ Scene:
Noise type and level:
Condition (ecosystem health, cleanliness, other):
Are people around- who, how many? (thriving, active isolated, suspicious, other)
Building Types, age, conditions:
Your impressions: what you like or don’t like, do you want to linger or leave?
How does it seem to fit together as a whole? How does it “read”? What meanings does it suggest? Is any ecosystem visible?
Location:
Altitude:
Temperature, ambient (shade thermometer):
Water (depth):
Wind strength and direction:
Weather conditions:
Vegetation Types and amounts:
Wildlife (noises, sat, prints, insects, fish, land animals):
Moisture level:
Water Amount, flow, quality (turbidity), smell:
Slope (how steep):
Exposure (i.e. direction slope faces):
Geomorphology (land, shape, features):
Land use (past, present):
View/ Scene:
Noise type and level:
Condition (ecosystem health, cleanliness, other):
Are people around- who, how many? (thriving, active isolated, suspicious, other)
Building Types, age, conditions:
Your impressions: what you like or don’t like, do you want to linger or leave?
How does it seem to fit together as a whole? How does it “read”? What meanings does it suggest? Is any ecosystem visible?
ENVMT 50 Tree to Sea/Urban Regional Planning Sylabus
Spring 2011 Version 1.0
Feb. 7 Monday SRH
Introductions, Course Overview, Lab Praxis-Community Meeting LINCS Project at the Brower Dellums Institute for Sustainable Policy Studies and Green Works Development ; Responsible Eco-Tourism-Connecting the Dots in the San Leandro Creek Watershed
Assignment: Urban Planning – Read Connect the Dots article and this syllabus.
Course Project: Urban Planning lab practicum – The class will plan and host the community meetings. We will choose tasks, times, and who will execute them.
Tree to Sea: Field observations and/or photo documentation
Review of syllabus, required and suggested readings, grading, and course requirements. Hand out Connect the Dots other
• Sustainable Urban and Regional Planning
• Tree to Sea, A Bay Area Cross Section
• Choose one for substitution/grade as needed or both for your learning pleasure
Student Survey for those who haven’t filled one out.
Connect Dots and GWD powerpoint
Responsible Ecotourism and Field Trip
Student introductions Inventory of where students are from and interests in class and subject and experience hope and worry - Interview each
Discussion
Where do Cities Come From? Overview of the city, creation of problem and exploring solutions:
-Environmentalism and reactions to industrial urbanization
-Why sustainability and why corridors (corridors and sheds as orienting features) and links and connecting the dots
-Setting Sustainable Planning Goals- Vision for your neighborhood
Review of theory: psycho-social aspects of hierarchies vs. caretaking patterns. What interventions are appropriate and how theory informs institutions that have human potentials (health, education, justice) Linking civil society organizations and agencies at the neighborhood level at which they are accountable.
Community Meeting Planning; your ideas – immersion learning, no time to waste
Where cities are headed. Planning in the Public Domain: From Theory to Implementation. Preview of some key efforts – the context for connecting dots
Feb 13 Sunday San Leandro Creek Watershed Meet SRH on campus. BRING LUNCH, WATER, CAMERA (optional) DRESS FOR HIKING/ Rain or Shine, . – Headwaters to the Bay. Ridge Trail, Lake Chabot., Sobrante Park, Arrowhead Marsh. Site Scoping.
Assignment For Tree to Sea: Write a draft list of items you want to observe on future field trips. Due Feb. 21
Introduction to field methods: participant/observation, collecting narratives; field mapping; understanding features of site landscape, marking with GPS, assessing sustainable structures, observation of uses and residents)
Feb 14 Monday Urban Planning, Zoning, SB 375 review field trip Powerpoint whole creek and reference sites
• Planning through Oakland’s History - Ralston
(highlight in this story: pictures, local maps, texts, plans, role of planners)
-Industrializing Oakland, implementation of planning/zoning; Public health and the City Beautiful; the Hegmann Plan; WPA projects;
-Advent of the General Plan, land-use and policies; development of case law regarding covenant restrictions; takings and the extent of “Police powers”
-Federal freeways and “model city” planning initiatives
-Regulatory environmentalism enters planning: NEPA and CEQA.
-Planning for the “community”: issues of equity/equality, gentrification
-The greening of planning and urban design and new density
-Re-emergence of health in planning, environmental justice
• Structure of the Planning Office and division of labor, interaction with other local and regional agencies
• The Cumulative Planned City: Review map of Oakland in the multi-jurisdictional region with different layers of infrastructure, land-use and tentacle connections to water, energy, and waste streams.
• Introduction of Connecting the Dots and small scale interventions in the Oakland Region – Freeman
-(referencing above map and others) Highlight sustainable planning initiatives around specific corridors and sheds (e.g. San Pablo/green corridor jobsheds, BRT transit, watersheds, greenways/ridge and bay trails; wildlife; foodsheds, industrial-port corridor seaport to airport goods movement corridor; cultural arts corridor, utility ROW corridors) How do these relate to community stories and narratives and the basic assumption of taking care of everybody and everything?
Discussion: How do we want to plan our class sponsored community events for strategy, learning, and practicality? identify corridor assets from your own neighborhood; draw these out and discuss in a group; try to remember certain features and connections, what is sustainable about it in your mind, what is not?
Feb 21 Mon. President’s Day Holiday
No Class
Feb. 28 Plan meeting/ asset map-opportunities-obstacles vision
Background on Planning Practice and Tools - Ralston
Regulatory Tools for Planners: Tools: Mapping and planning, GIS exercises
-CEQA and the EIR process, zoning, design review
-Finish review presentation of their local situations
• Regulatory Tools for Planners:
-CEQA and the EIR process; easements, exactations, zoning, design review and standards
-Current issues in planning (density, parking reductions vs. neighborhood groups)
-Examples of General Plans and their structure
• Tools: Mapping and planning:
-Understanding spatial structures and local topography (urban geography)
-GIS exercises
-Review their maps and data assessments
Discussions
– story what is it like living there, what is good, what needs fixing
– resources – what can everyone pitch in?
- Describe the successes, gaps and failures from our experience, and our proposed solutions in praxis as Connecting the Dots;
-Re-villaging the City; Locally based caretaking as a solution set based on Institute research.
• Overview of Development process and sustainable systems and case studies
-Sustainable developments, mixed-use or single use?
-Green building
-Housing, TODs, eco-villages and new urbanism (Calthorpe examples)
March 7 Urban Planning lecture
Charrette of goals/vision
March 13 Sunday Optional trip to Village Homes
March 14
March 20 Sunday Meeting
Community Meeting Green Workforce Development
March 21 Last evening class – review meeting
April 3 Optional Ranger Naturalist Black Diamond
April 30 Saturday 9-5 Redwood Forest Institute Field trip to Willits/Skunk train area Redwood Forest Institute
May 15 Sunday Tree to sea hike
May 22 Sunday Tree to sea hike
Suggested Readings:
Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities
Anything by Louis Mumford – e.g., The City in History
Illich, Ivan. H20 and the waters of Forgetfulness
Hawkins, Paul. The Ecology of Commerce, and other works
Brechin, Gray. Imperial San Francisco
Taylor, Shelley. The Tending Instinct
Urban Habitat publications including Race, Poverty, and the Environment, Pacific Institute Project Reports (both of these organizations are in Oakland)
McHarg, Ian. Design with Nature
Garreau, Joel. Edge City: Life on the New Frontier
Mugerauer. Dwelling, Place and Environment;
Alexander, Pattern language
Buttimer, A. Dynamics of the Lifeworld
Hough, Nature in the City?
Beatley, T. Sustainable Planning
Feb. 7 Monday SRH
Introductions, Course Overview, Lab Praxis-Community Meeting LINCS Project at the Brower Dellums Institute for Sustainable Policy Studies and Green Works Development ; Responsible Eco-Tourism-Connecting the Dots in the San Leandro Creek Watershed
Assignment: Urban Planning – Read Connect the Dots article and this syllabus.
Course Project: Urban Planning lab practicum – The class will plan and host the community meetings. We will choose tasks, times, and who will execute them.
Tree to Sea: Field observations and/or photo documentation
Review of syllabus, required and suggested readings, grading, and course requirements. Hand out Connect the Dots other
• Sustainable Urban and Regional Planning
• Tree to Sea, A Bay Area Cross Section
• Choose one for substitution/grade as needed or both for your learning pleasure
Student Survey for those who haven’t filled one out.
Connect Dots and GWD powerpoint
Responsible Ecotourism and Field Trip
Student introductions Inventory of where students are from and interests in class and subject and experience hope and worry - Interview each
Discussion
Where do Cities Come From? Overview of the city, creation of problem and exploring solutions:
-Environmentalism and reactions to industrial urbanization
-Why sustainability and why corridors (corridors and sheds as orienting features) and links and connecting the dots
-Setting Sustainable Planning Goals- Vision for your neighborhood
Review of theory: psycho-social aspects of hierarchies vs. caretaking patterns. What interventions are appropriate and how theory informs institutions that have human potentials (health, education, justice) Linking civil society organizations and agencies at the neighborhood level at which they are accountable.
Community Meeting Planning; your ideas – immersion learning, no time to waste
Where cities are headed. Planning in the Public Domain: From Theory to Implementation. Preview of some key efforts – the context for connecting dots
Feb 13 Sunday San Leandro Creek Watershed Meet SRH on campus. BRING LUNCH, WATER, CAMERA (optional) DRESS FOR HIKING/ Rain or Shine, . – Headwaters to the Bay. Ridge Trail, Lake Chabot., Sobrante Park, Arrowhead Marsh. Site Scoping.
Assignment For Tree to Sea: Write a draft list of items you want to observe on future field trips. Due Feb. 21
Introduction to field methods: participant/observation, collecting narratives; field mapping; understanding features of site landscape, marking with GPS, assessing sustainable structures, observation of uses and residents)
Feb 14 Monday Urban Planning, Zoning, SB 375 review field trip Powerpoint whole creek and reference sites
• Planning through Oakland’s History - Ralston
(highlight in this story: pictures, local maps, texts, plans, role of planners)
-Industrializing Oakland, implementation of planning/zoning; Public health and the City Beautiful; the Hegmann Plan; WPA projects;
-Advent of the General Plan, land-use and policies; development of case law regarding covenant restrictions; takings and the extent of “Police powers”
-Federal freeways and “model city” planning initiatives
-Regulatory environmentalism enters planning: NEPA and CEQA.
-Planning for the “community”: issues of equity/equality, gentrification
-The greening of planning and urban design and new density
-Re-emergence of health in planning, environmental justice
• Structure of the Planning Office and division of labor, interaction with other local and regional agencies
• The Cumulative Planned City: Review map of Oakland in the multi-jurisdictional region with different layers of infrastructure, land-use and tentacle connections to water, energy, and waste streams.
• Introduction of Connecting the Dots and small scale interventions in the Oakland Region – Freeman
-(referencing above map and others) Highlight sustainable planning initiatives around specific corridors and sheds (e.g. San Pablo/green corridor jobsheds, BRT transit, watersheds, greenways/ridge and bay trails; wildlife; foodsheds, industrial-port corridor seaport to airport goods movement corridor; cultural arts corridor, utility ROW corridors) How do these relate to community stories and narratives and the basic assumption of taking care of everybody and everything?
Discussion: How do we want to plan our class sponsored community events for strategy, learning, and practicality? identify corridor assets from your own neighborhood; draw these out and discuss in a group; try to remember certain features and connections, what is sustainable about it in your mind, what is not?
Feb 21 Mon. President’s Day Holiday
No Class
Feb. 28 Plan meeting/ asset map-opportunities-obstacles vision
Background on Planning Practice and Tools - Ralston
Regulatory Tools for Planners: Tools: Mapping and planning, GIS exercises
-CEQA and the EIR process, zoning, design review
-Finish review presentation of their local situations
• Regulatory Tools for Planners:
-CEQA and the EIR process; easements, exactations, zoning, design review and standards
-Current issues in planning (density, parking reductions vs. neighborhood groups)
-Examples of General Plans and their structure
• Tools: Mapping and planning:
-Understanding spatial structures and local topography (urban geography)
-GIS exercises
-Review their maps and data assessments
Discussions
– story what is it like living there, what is good, what needs fixing
– resources – what can everyone pitch in?
- Describe the successes, gaps and failures from our experience, and our proposed solutions in praxis as Connecting the Dots;
-Re-villaging the City; Locally based caretaking as a solution set based on Institute research.
• Overview of Development process and sustainable systems and case studies
-Sustainable developments, mixed-use or single use?
-Green building
-Housing, TODs, eco-villages and new urbanism (Calthorpe examples)
March 7 Urban Planning lecture
Charrette of goals/vision
March 13 Sunday Optional trip to Village Homes
March 14
March 20 Sunday Meeting
Community Meeting Green Workforce Development
March 21 Last evening class – review meeting
April 3 Optional Ranger Naturalist Black Diamond
April 30 Saturday 9-5 Redwood Forest Institute Field trip to Willits/Skunk train area Redwood Forest Institute
May 15 Sunday Tree to sea hike
May 22 Sunday Tree to sea hike
Suggested Readings:
Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities
Anything by Louis Mumford – e.g., The City in History
Illich, Ivan. H20 and the waters of Forgetfulness
Hawkins, Paul. The Ecology of Commerce, and other works
Brechin, Gray. Imperial San Francisco
Taylor, Shelley. The Tending Instinct
Urban Habitat publications including Race, Poverty, and the Environment, Pacific Institute Project Reports (both of these organizations are in Oakland)
McHarg, Ian. Design with Nature
Garreau, Joel. Edge City: Life on the New Frontier
Mugerauer. Dwelling, Place and Environment;
Alexander, Pattern language
Buttimer, A. Dynamics of the Lifeworld
Hough, Nature in the City?
Beatley, T. Sustainable Planning
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Spring 2011 INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS
ENVMT 2, Code 24164 3 units
Team Contact: Robin Freeman M.A., 434-3840, robinf5713@aol.com, Office hrs (call first) @ SRH; Check field day locations and time updates.
Wednesday 6:30-9:30PM at the Environmental Center, Self Reliant House
Text: Miller, G. Tyler. Living in the Environment, 14th Edition
Note: You are welcome to use other editions if you can find them used. The chapter numbers here are for Edition14; read the chapters with similar titles in other editions. See the correlations for editions 11-14; most recent is Ed, 17.
1/26 Introductions; about the course and the ENNVMT program Definitions sustainability, system, ecology
2/2 Environmental Problems, Their Causes and Solutions, Sustainability and History Reading due: Edition 14:Chapters 1, 2
2/6 Sunday, 9:15 Meet at SRH Ecosystem and Biomimicry tour; drive or carpool to hands-on work at East Oakland Boxing Association on 98th Ave Sustainability and then Sobrante Park and San Leandro Creek Green Works Development, and finally Berkeley’s Strawberry Creek Park
2/9 Urban Land Use, Economics; Chapters 25, 26; Politics, Sustainability – discussion; Chapters 27, 28;:
2/16 Science, Matter and Energy, Climate, Water, and Carbon and Geologic Cycles Chapters 3, 4, 6 Sections-1, 2, Chapters 15, 16;.
Minerals, Soil, Water Pollution; Chapters 14-3&4;
2/23 Ecosystems, Populations, Communities, Chaps 8, 9, 10;
3/2 Risk, Toxicology, Air, H2O Pollution; Chapters 19,20, 22; 24-7
3/9 Energy: Chapters 17,18; guest Bruce Douglas P.E.
3/13 Sunday Village Homes, Davis 1.5 hrs drive and/or Community Meeting planning
3/16 Forest Resources, Restoration, Global Warming: Chapters 11-3 through
11-10, 21
3/23 Population, Biodiversity, Restoration: Chapters 5, 6, 3-7, 11-1, 2, 7-10;
Pesticides, IPM, Extinctions, Conservation Biology,Chapters 11
(remaining sections) 12,13, 23;
3/30 Solid Waste, Food Resources Economics; Chapter 24-1 24-6, 24-10;
4/6 Sustainable Planning Discussion
4/13 PROJECT REPORTS DUE: Class presentations, evaluations, grades;
Spring Break
5/1 Sunday (Fri and Sat option) Redwood Forest Institute, Willits 4.5 hrs drive
Course Requirements:
• Field Days: If you schedule does not permit you to attend a field day, you may substitute a field day from another course in the Integrated Curriculum this semester.
• Weekly Assignment: Each week turn in one brief paragraph for the text reading about how the subjects affect your life in some way or, if you do not think it does, why not. How does it relate to class discussion and lecture?
• Semester Project: Choose one of the subjects from anywhere in the text or lectures and volunteer a minimum of 8 hours on a project related to how to implement it locally. It can be in the community or research or work on your own that is useful to the group or sector you choose. We hope to work with other classes this semester on the integrated curriculum in the San Leandro Creek corridor. You may also choose a project with the Environmental Program or the Brower, Dellums Institute for Sustainable Policy Studies. Write briefly where you volunteered, what you did, and what was most and least useful to you about the experience and how, or if that particular area of effort affects, or could affect the human (or other species) health and the quality of life both locally and globally. You will present your work in class. You can work in groups.
• Grade You will grade yourself based on attendance, completion of weekly reading and writing assignments, and completion of your final project. This course is required for all of the Environmental majors. Environmental Studies 2 satisfies certain UC, CSU Social Sciences requirements. You must choose a grade or CR/NC by the beginning of class.
Team Contact: Robin Freeman M.A., 434-3840, robinf5713@aol.com, Office hrs (call first) @ SRH; Check field day locations and time updates.
Wednesday 6:30-9:30PM at the Environmental Center, Self Reliant House
Text: Miller, G. Tyler. Living in the Environment, 14th Edition
Note: You are welcome to use other editions if you can find them used. The chapter numbers here are for Edition14; read the chapters with similar titles in other editions. See the correlations for editions 11-14; most recent is Ed, 17.
1/26 Introductions; about the course and the ENNVMT program Definitions sustainability, system, ecology
2/2 Environmental Problems, Their Causes and Solutions, Sustainability and History Reading due: Edition 14:Chapters 1, 2
2/6 Sunday, 9:15 Meet at SRH Ecosystem and Biomimicry tour; drive or carpool to hands-on work at East Oakland Boxing Association on 98th Ave Sustainability and then Sobrante Park and San Leandro Creek Green Works Development, and finally Berkeley’s Strawberry Creek Park
2/9 Urban Land Use, Economics; Chapters 25, 26; Politics, Sustainability – discussion; Chapters 27, 28;:
2/16 Science, Matter and Energy, Climate, Water, and Carbon and Geologic Cycles Chapters 3, 4, 6 Sections-1, 2, Chapters 15, 16;.
Minerals, Soil, Water Pollution; Chapters 14-3&4;
2/23 Ecosystems, Populations, Communities, Chaps 8, 9, 10;
3/2 Risk, Toxicology, Air, H2O Pollution; Chapters 19,20, 22; 24-7
3/9 Energy: Chapters 17,18; guest Bruce Douglas P.E.
3/13 Sunday Village Homes, Davis 1.5 hrs drive and/or Community Meeting planning
3/16 Forest Resources, Restoration, Global Warming: Chapters 11-3 through
11-10, 21
3/23 Population, Biodiversity, Restoration: Chapters 5, 6, 3-7, 11-1, 2, 7-10;
Pesticides, IPM, Extinctions, Conservation Biology,Chapters 11
(remaining sections) 12,13, 23;
3/30 Solid Waste, Food Resources Economics; Chapter 24-1 24-6, 24-10;
4/6 Sustainable Planning Discussion
4/13 PROJECT REPORTS DUE: Class presentations, evaluations, grades;
Spring Break
5/1 Sunday (Fri and Sat option) Redwood Forest Institute, Willits 4.5 hrs drive
Course Requirements:
• Field Days: If you schedule does not permit you to attend a field day, you may substitute a field day from another course in the Integrated Curriculum this semester.
• Weekly Assignment: Each week turn in one brief paragraph for the text reading about how the subjects affect your life in some way or, if you do not think it does, why not. How does it relate to class discussion and lecture?
• Semester Project: Choose one of the subjects from anywhere in the text or lectures and volunteer a minimum of 8 hours on a project related to how to implement it locally. It can be in the community or research or work on your own that is useful to the group or sector you choose. We hope to work with other classes this semester on the integrated curriculum in the San Leandro Creek corridor. You may also choose a project with the Environmental Program or the Brower, Dellums Institute for Sustainable Policy Studies. Write briefly where you volunteered, what you did, and what was most and least useful to you about the experience and how, or if that particular area of effort affects, or could affect the human (or other species) health and the quality of life both locally and globally. You will present your work in class. You can work in groups.
• Grade You will grade yourself based on attendance, completion of weekly reading and writing assignments, and completion of your final project. This course is required for all of the Environmental majors. Environmental Studies 2 satisfies certain UC, CSU Social Sciences requirements. You must choose a grade or CR/NC by the beginning of class.
Monday, October 4, 2010
CIVILIZATION’S IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT
ENVMT 19/ENVMT 50 CODE: 43725
3 UNITS
FALL 2010 SYLLABUS
Robin Freeman, 510-434-3840 robinf5713@aol.com
Tuesdays 6:30-9:20pm beginning 10/5 at the Environmental Center, Self-Reliant House (SRH)
Course Requirements: The course may be taken for credit/non-credit (audit) or for a letter grade. For credit or a letter grade, reasonable attendance, participation, and completion of reading assignments are required. For a letter grade, written papers and the data annotation project are also required. To use the course towards a certificate or degree you must take it for a letter grade. At the end of the semester, you will evaluate the course and suggest your own grade.
Text: Freeman & Rauh; Hope, Stress and Authority, Reader Version 3.1,The Conservation Press, 2010
Recommended Reading: (Available at bookstores and on line.)
Diamond, Jared, Guns, Germs, and Steel, Norton 1999
Taylor, Shelley, The Tending Instinct, Times Books Henry Holt, 2002
Learning Outcomes should assist in being able to:
1. Describe the basic psychological, cultural, and economic systems of humans.
2. Analyze and describe ecosystem concepts as they relate to human behavior.
3. Explain and discuss examples of sustainability problems, solutions, and scales from both a human psychosocial and an ecological perspective.
4. Analyze and discuss methods of measuring obstacles and opportunities for action.
5. Propose or identify potential psychological and sustainable ecological interventions and plans.
Oct 5– Introductions, Hunches, Evidence and Research and What is Human Nature?
– Ecosystems Where And How We Live In Them
a. Ecosystem and system definitions
b. Homeostasis and feedback loops
c. Niches
d. Exponential growth
e. Stress and carrying capacity
f. Adaptive/maladaptive behavior
About course, Introductions
Assignment: list what you think are basic human nature characteristics. Read pages 5-13
Oct 12 Tuesday 6:30-9:20pm – Psychological Development and the Natural History of Humans
Key Background concepts and definitions- , Human development, learning, and psychology, Sustainability, Infrastructure, and Ecosystem
Assignment Due: Human nature list due
Assignment: Write about a childhood experience of friendship, good will, and/or bullying, and fear. Read, Glossary p14-22
Oct 19 Tuesday 6:30-9:20pm – Civilization, Authority, Stress and Collapse; Characterizing the Problem
Despair vs. Hope; what is our sense of the future? Naming the problem.
Do human development and ecology interact?
Assignment: - Write about an expansive, inspiring, pivotal, important or epiphinal experience, or the closest thing to it you have had.
Read pages 21-43 Which terms from the glossary apply to each case study?
Oct 26 Tuesday 6:30-9:20pm
- Authoritarian Stress Syndrome Caretaking, Tending and the Infrastructure of solutions.
Chaos theory, scale and interventions. How does it all fit together?
The nature of hope. Connect the Dots
Assignment: Analyzing systems and research methods: Choose a data set to read and annotate.
Read 44-78 and pages 97-98 Which terms from the glossary apply to each case study?
Nov 2 Tuesday 6:30-9:20pm – The Shared Narrative and Sequellae;
Characterizing the Solutions Maintaining the Problems
- Empire, Social Class, Power, Money Decision Making And Democracy
– The Invention Of Economics And Corporations
- Symbols of Authority
- Creating Violence; Infrastructures Of Addiction
- Creating Peace Environments Integrated Against Alienation
Building a village by hand, Building a city by fiat. The Artisan and the Empire
Nov 9 Tuesday 6:30-9:20pm – Infrastructure and Interconnections
– Give Hope a Plan– Institutional capacity
– Characterizing the Solutions/ Building a Research Agenda and an Action Plan
Choosing the future: Creating visions, plans, next steps, strategies:
a. Planning methods
b. Developing a vision: Where ideas come from, uses of the imagination
c. Social-based marketing
d. Designing interventions
Assignment: Read: pages 79-93
Nov 16 Tuesday 6:30-9:20pm –Case Studies and Developing a Plan Research Data Case Histories
Nov 23 Tuesday 6:30-9:20pm – Case Studies/Data sets
Nov 30 Tuesday 6:30-9:20pm – Case Studies/Data setsFinal
Assignment Due: Final Project
Dec 7 Tuesday 6:30-9:20pm – Next steps/Roundtable
Course evaluations.
Final Project: Review and write an annotation about 2 of the case studies listed on page 97/98. We will discuss how to find the data to review from the Institute archives or by interview. We will also choose an application of the concepts during the class to work on together.
3 UNITS
FALL 2010 SYLLABUS
Robin Freeman, 510-434-3840 robinf5713@aol.com
Tuesdays 6:30-9:20pm beginning 10/5 at the Environmental Center, Self-Reliant House (SRH)
Course Requirements: The course may be taken for credit/non-credit (audit) or for a letter grade. For credit or a letter grade, reasonable attendance, participation, and completion of reading assignments are required. For a letter grade, written papers and the data annotation project are also required. To use the course towards a certificate or degree you must take it for a letter grade. At the end of the semester, you will evaluate the course and suggest your own grade.
Text: Freeman & Rauh; Hope, Stress and Authority, Reader Version 3.1,The Conservation Press, 2010
Recommended Reading: (Available at bookstores and on line.)
Diamond, Jared, Guns, Germs, and Steel, Norton 1999
Taylor, Shelley, The Tending Instinct, Times Books Henry Holt, 2002
Learning Outcomes should assist in being able to:
1. Describe the basic psychological, cultural, and economic systems of humans.
2. Analyze and describe ecosystem concepts as they relate to human behavior.
3. Explain and discuss examples of sustainability problems, solutions, and scales from both a human psychosocial and an ecological perspective.
4. Analyze and discuss methods of measuring obstacles and opportunities for action.
5. Propose or identify potential psychological and sustainable ecological interventions and plans.
Oct 5– Introductions, Hunches, Evidence and Research and What is Human Nature?
– Ecosystems Where And How We Live In Them
a. Ecosystem and system definitions
b. Homeostasis and feedback loops
c. Niches
d. Exponential growth
e. Stress and carrying capacity
f. Adaptive/maladaptive behavior
About course, Introductions
Assignment: list what you think are basic human nature characteristics. Read pages 5-13
Oct 12 Tuesday 6:30-9:20pm – Psychological Development and the Natural History of Humans
Key Background concepts and definitions- , Human development, learning, and psychology, Sustainability, Infrastructure, and Ecosystem
Assignment Due: Human nature list due
Assignment: Write about a childhood experience of friendship, good will, and/or bullying, and fear. Read, Glossary p14-22
Oct 19 Tuesday 6:30-9:20pm – Civilization, Authority, Stress and Collapse; Characterizing the Problem
Despair vs. Hope; what is our sense of the future? Naming the problem.
Do human development and ecology interact?
Assignment: - Write about an expansive, inspiring, pivotal, important or epiphinal experience, or the closest thing to it you have had.
Read pages 21-43 Which terms from the glossary apply to each case study?
Oct 26 Tuesday 6:30-9:20pm
- Authoritarian Stress Syndrome Caretaking, Tending and the Infrastructure of solutions.
Chaos theory, scale and interventions. How does it all fit together?
The nature of hope. Connect the Dots
Assignment: Analyzing systems and research methods: Choose a data set to read and annotate.
Read 44-78 and pages 97-98 Which terms from the glossary apply to each case study?
Nov 2 Tuesday 6:30-9:20pm – The Shared Narrative and Sequellae;
Characterizing the Solutions Maintaining the Problems
- Empire, Social Class, Power, Money Decision Making And Democracy
– The Invention Of Economics And Corporations
- Symbols of Authority
- Creating Violence; Infrastructures Of Addiction
- Creating Peace Environments Integrated Against Alienation
Building a village by hand, Building a city by fiat. The Artisan and the Empire
Nov 9 Tuesday 6:30-9:20pm – Infrastructure and Interconnections
– Give Hope a Plan– Institutional capacity
– Characterizing the Solutions/ Building a Research Agenda and an Action Plan
Choosing the future: Creating visions, plans, next steps, strategies:
a. Planning methods
b. Developing a vision: Where ideas come from, uses of the imagination
c. Social-based marketing
d. Designing interventions
Assignment: Read: pages 79-93
Nov 16 Tuesday 6:30-9:20pm –Case Studies and Developing a Plan Research Data Case Histories
Nov 23 Tuesday 6:30-9:20pm – Case Studies/Data sets
Nov 30 Tuesday 6:30-9:20pm – Case Studies/Data setsFinal
Assignment Due: Final Project
Dec 7 Tuesday 6:30-9:20pm – Next steps/Roundtable
Course evaluations.
Final Project: Review and write an annotation about 2 of the case studies listed on page 97/98. We will discuss how to find the data to review from the Institute archives or by interview. We will also choose an application of the concepts during the class to work on together.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Sylibi for Fall 2010
ENVIRONMENTAL CAREERS (ENVMT 1)
CODE 44694 1.O UNIT.
INSTRUCTOR:
ROBIN FREEMAN 510-434-3840, robinf5713@aol.com
Recommended texts (not required): The Complete Guide to Environmental Careers. Island Press; and What Color is Your Parachute?, 10 Speed Press
Course Requirements:
Environmental Careers is a required core course for Environmental Studies majors. It may be taken for 1) a letter grade (required of majors or for transfer grade point average), 2) for Credit (no grade, gives transfer elective units), or
3) No Credit (does not affect transcript). For those taking a letter grade, the course is self-grading.
1) Course attendance, 2) a minimum of 4 hours volunteer work for any environment related organization or firm, 3) an Informational Interview or Research Report on an environmental career are required for a letter grade. There will be brief evaluations of the interview and volunteer/intern projects (see due dates). An Environmental Career Portfolio will be developed during the course.
Your volunteer work can be for the Environmental Program at Merritt or at a location of your choosing which willing to have you for a short period of time.
Some organizations would rather have you for at least a full day. Of course, you are welcome to put in more than four hours. You should choose work that is interesting to you and fits into your career development. There will be listings available in class on line, at the Ecology Center on San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley and numerous government agencies.
SCHEDULE:
Sep 13, 10:00am to 12:50pm - Introduction to the course, Class Introduction Interviews
Sep 20, 10:00am to 12:50pm - Preference Profiles, Environ. Careers Slide presentation
Sep 26, Sunday 10-4pm Bring bag lunch, 5 Year Plan, Strategy A and B, Resume, History of Work, guest. To accommodate religious services, you may attend the afternoon only.
Break time for Interviews and Mini-internship
Oct 18 10:00 am to 12:50pm Reports on interviews/internships due, discussion/task,
Oct 25 10:00 am to 12:50pm Reports continued, discussion, evaluation.
ENVIRONMENTAL WRITING (ENVMT 18)
Codes: 43728, 43729 2.5 units
Instructor: Robin Freeman, Contact: robinf5713@aol.com 510 434 3840 for office hours at SRH
SRH Environmental Center or field. Mondays 6:30-9:20 pm (9/13-12/6). Sat 10-4pm (9/25, 10/16, 10/30, 12/4).
SYLLABUS
Student Learning Outcomes: You will be able to initiate writing projects in your own voice. This is an introduction to technical, experiential or narrative, descriptive, grant, report and publicity environmental writing. You will be able to identify, write rough drafts for, and edit several types of writing commonly used in the environmental field. You will be able to prepare a document to submit for publication.
Monday 9/13 Introductions, About Program, About Course,
Writing Experience discussion. Tidbits from writers on writing
Every class: Journal Exercises, Readings from other writers, read-around
Writing Assignment: Write about your best and worst writing experiences in the past. Due 9/20
MON 9/20,. Shitty first draft. and finding your own voice. Categories of Environmental Writing
Read Best and Worst Experiences
Assignment: Childhood experience in the environment due 9/25
Due: best and worst writing experiences
SAT 9/25 Bring Lunch. Read from Childhood experience.
Interpretive trail walk and writing.
First experiences in this course. Review writing types you would like to suggest and your preferred order. Lecture/Sample/Exercise choice
Review library and select reading
Assignment: . Writing a clear description, directions or instructions for a general audience; Due: Childhood experience in the environment
MON 9/27 What are you going to use writing for? Tailoring the exercises to the class. Discuss final project possibilities.
Assignment List final project unedited draft ideas/annotate the subject categories at least 2 of your ideas
Due: Brief descriptive paragraphs Description of your first experience in this course. Selected readings
Assignments: as determined by class from here on.
MON 10/4
Due: Draft interpretive sign or brochure element for Nature Trail
MON 10/11 Brainstorming and begin writing final project.
Assignment: Write unedited lousy first draft
SAT 10/16 Field trip: Pt. Pinole Richmond Shoreline Festival
Assignment: Event description, interviews, interpretive
Due: Project first draft
MON 10/18 Review final project
Assignments: as determined by class goals
MON 10/25
SAT 10/30
MON 11/1
MON 11/8
MON 11/15
MON 11/22 Final project due – submit for publication
MON 11/29
Sat 12/4
Mon 12/6 Read-around, pot luck
Course Requirements: If you want to take the course for credit/non-credit you must do that on the user unfriendly PROMT/Passport system right away, if you haven’t already.
This course satisfies requirements for several ENVMT majors. If you are taking the course for a letter grade, there are ongoing writing and research assignments and a final project. The final project is to prepare one piece of writing for publication. It can be of any length. You will research and identify at least one venue where you can submit it. For a longer piece, you may prepare a proposal and query letter without having completed the work itself. You will evaluate the course and suggest a grade for yourself based on the value you have or might receive from participating in the course.
Examples of Environmental Writing Types from which to choose:
Narrative telling the story; - autobiographical/place/descriptive/regional
Technical report writing – Environmental Impact Reports, Legal, Scope of Work, etc.
Science/Health
Natural History and Nature Writing
Persuasion; essay, letter to editor, press point of view or promotional Press Release
Social and Environmental Justice
Grant writing
Interpretive writing, Educational
Instruction writing
Power point writing / film/photo essay
Creative writing and Environmental Poetry
Historical
Children’s
Ethics
Spiritual and/or Religious
Green Business
Your idea here…..
Introduction to Green Building and Ecological Design (ENVMT 20) Code: 44399
Instructor Team Contacts:
Leslie Geathers: nativearch@sbcglobal.net c. 510-292-7266
Bruce Douglas: lbdpe@sbcglobal.net 510-759-5280
Thursdays 6:30-9:30pm (9/9-12/2), and 3 Saturdays 10-4pm (9/11, 9/18, 10/2)
Environmental Center, Self Reliant House
Text: Introduction to Green Building, Freeman, Geathers, Douglas et al. text: $15 CD: $2
Sustainable Architecture White Papers, Brown et al. approx. $17 Builder’s Booksource
****************************************************
Please subscribe to the course email list: GreenBuildingDesign-subscribe@yahoogroups.com to receive announcements, and see related materials. Also, some information will be posted on Robin Freeman’s Classes at www.ecomerritt.org under “links”. See Environmental Jobs at the same site.
****************************************************
Th 9/ 9: Introductions, “What Is Green Building?”
Course Project introduction. Explanation of on-going projects, Merritt Environmental Center tour.
Sat 9/11: Introduction to Concepts of Sustainable Design & Systems, Body Solar & Sun mapping exercise, (*Note: Please bring lunch)
Assignment 1: Home analysis
Read: Introduction to Green Building (IGB): Chapter 1,2,3.
Th 9/16: Passive Solar Design: Principles and building/testing model passive house
Sat 9/18: Menu of green materials: Green materials trailer tour, Building systems review, Assignment 1 review.
Assignment 2: Home materials/ systems analysis
Read: IGB: Chapter 8,9.
Th 9/23: Water management details installation, door sealing/preserving on green materials trailer. Intro to energy auditing. Residential energy career paths and professional certifications. Green building rating systems.
Th 9/30: Water Resource Management: Grey Water Action: Guest Lecture.
West Coast Green Begins.
Sat 10/2: Final Project review; client presentation, Review Assignment 2.
Afternoon: Tour local Eco Complex & salvage yards. West Coast Green Alternate activity.
Assignment 3: Materials cradle-to-cradle use/impact list.
Th 10/7: Solar power systems + Redwood bench back construction
Read: IGB: Chapter 4,5,6,7.
Th 10/14: Green wall systems: Greenhouse bench - west wall construction.
Th 10/23: Thermal & moisture protection:
Th 10/28: Project check-in day
Th 11/4: Sustainable Planning &Transportation:
Th 11/11: “Living Architecture” urban food systems: Living Wall. Guest Lecture
Th 11/18: Project check-in day Environmental Center green building projects hands on work.
Th 11/25: THANKSGIVING DAY
Th 12/2: Final project presentations Pot Luck meal/desserts.
You may take the class Credit/Non-Credit or for a letter grade based on:
55% Attendance/participation
45% Projects
ENVMT 50 SPECIAL PROJECTS
IN ECOLOGICAL DESIGN, INSTALLATION AND MAINTANENCE
Code # 43724, 43725 3.0 Units
Instructor: Robin Freeman; robinf5713@aol.com; 510-434-3840
9/13 Monday 1-3:50pm First general class meeting. Students select projects; tour the Environ. Center if new to program. Special project schedules to be arranged. (18 hours per unit – ie 0.5 unit = 9 hrs). Discuss relationship to ENVMT 501, or contact the instructor
Civilization's Impact: The Psychology of Trashing the Earth. Envmt 19 Lab Version. Sign up for Envmt 50 (Special Projects) with code 43725 for 3 units
This lab course will meet Tuesdays 6:30-9:20pm beginning 10/5 at SRH and can be substituted for Envmt 19 for those who need it for credit. We will cover the theory first and then apply it locally through the Merritt College Environmental Management and Technology and to our Brower, Dellums Institute for Sustainable Policy Studies goals as we brainstorm how to integrate partners and resources in the East Bay Green Corridor. We will review and organize the Institute data and written material to help make this possible.
Civilization's Impact Course Description: Intro to civilization's impact on the environment: Connections between human psychological development and the creation of both environmental problems and their solutions, human communities and their niche within the relative balance with the environment in past millennia; the human psyche, its origins in nature, and its influence and obstacles to planning a sustainable future.
Restoration of Watercourses: ENVMT 50 can be used for a field lab hours to substitute for the required units which are not being offered this semester.
Student Designed Projects - This is always an important part of this course. Use our faculty and resources to support your selection and design of a project of your choice.
Requirements: Written Agreement describing your project and either written evaluation report or oral presentation for those completing special projects.
Learning Outcome: You will be able to select, plan, and execute green related projects utilizing available resources.
CODE 44694 1.O UNIT.
INSTRUCTOR:
ROBIN FREEMAN 510-434-3840, robinf5713@aol.com
Recommended texts (not required): The Complete Guide to Environmental Careers. Island Press; and What Color is Your Parachute?, 10 Speed Press
Course Requirements:
Environmental Careers is a required core course for Environmental Studies majors. It may be taken for 1) a letter grade (required of majors or for transfer grade point average), 2) for Credit (no grade, gives transfer elective units), or
3) No Credit (does not affect transcript). For those taking a letter grade, the course is self-grading.
1) Course attendance, 2) a minimum of 4 hours volunteer work for any environment related organization or firm, 3) an Informational Interview or Research Report on an environmental career are required for a letter grade. There will be brief evaluations of the interview and volunteer/intern projects (see due dates). An Environmental Career Portfolio will be developed during the course.
Your volunteer work can be for the Environmental Program at Merritt or at a location of your choosing which willing to have you for a short period of time.
Some organizations would rather have you for at least a full day. Of course, you are welcome to put in more than four hours. You should choose work that is interesting to you and fits into your career development. There will be listings available in class on line, at the Ecology Center on San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley and numerous government agencies.
SCHEDULE:
Sep 13, 10:00am to 12:50pm - Introduction to the course, Class Introduction Interviews
Sep 20, 10:00am to 12:50pm - Preference Profiles, Environ. Careers Slide presentation
Sep 26, Sunday 10-4pm Bring bag lunch, 5 Year Plan, Strategy A and B, Resume, History of Work, guest. To accommodate religious services, you may attend the afternoon only.
Break time for Interviews and Mini-internship
Oct 18 10:00 am to 12:50pm Reports on interviews/internships due, discussion/task,
Oct 25 10:00 am to 12:50pm Reports continued, discussion, evaluation.
ENVIRONMENTAL WRITING (ENVMT 18)
Codes: 43728, 43729 2.5 units
Instructor: Robin Freeman, Contact: robinf5713@aol.com 510 434 3840 for office hours at SRH
SRH Environmental Center or field. Mondays 6:30-9:20 pm (9/13-12/6). Sat 10-4pm (9/25, 10/16, 10/30, 12/4).
SYLLABUS
Student Learning Outcomes: You will be able to initiate writing projects in your own voice. This is an introduction to technical, experiential or narrative, descriptive, grant, report and publicity environmental writing. You will be able to identify, write rough drafts for, and edit several types of writing commonly used in the environmental field. You will be able to prepare a document to submit for publication.
Monday 9/13 Introductions, About Program, About Course,
Writing Experience discussion. Tidbits from writers on writing
Every class: Journal Exercises, Readings from other writers, read-around
Writing Assignment: Write about your best and worst writing experiences in the past. Due 9/20
MON 9/20,. Shitty first draft. and finding your own voice. Categories of Environmental Writing
Read Best and Worst Experiences
Assignment: Childhood experience in the environment due 9/25
Due: best and worst writing experiences
SAT 9/25 Bring Lunch. Read from Childhood experience.
Interpretive trail walk and writing.
First experiences in this course. Review writing types you would like to suggest and your preferred order. Lecture/Sample/Exercise choice
Review library and select reading
Assignment: . Writing a clear description, directions or instructions for a general audience; Due: Childhood experience in the environment
MON 9/27 What are you going to use writing for? Tailoring the exercises to the class. Discuss final project possibilities.
Assignment List final project unedited draft ideas/annotate the subject categories at least 2 of your ideas
Due: Brief descriptive paragraphs Description of your first experience in this course. Selected readings
Assignments: as determined by class from here on.
MON 10/4
Due: Draft interpretive sign or brochure element for Nature Trail
MON 10/11 Brainstorming and begin writing final project.
Assignment: Write unedited lousy first draft
SAT 10/16 Field trip: Pt. Pinole Richmond Shoreline Festival
Assignment: Event description, interviews, interpretive
Due: Project first draft
MON 10/18 Review final project
Assignments: as determined by class goals
MON 10/25
SAT 10/30
MON 11/1
MON 11/8
MON 11/15
MON 11/22 Final project due – submit for publication
MON 11/29
Sat 12/4
Mon 12/6 Read-around, pot luck
Course Requirements: If you want to take the course for credit/non-credit you must do that on the user unfriendly PROMT/Passport system right away, if you haven’t already.
This course satisfies requirements for several ENVMT majors. If you are taking the course for a letter grade, there are ongoing writing and research assignments and a final project. The final project is to prepare one piece of writing for publication. It can be of any length. You will research and identify at least one venue where you can submit it. For a longer piece, you may prepare a proposal and query letter without having completed the work itself. You will evaluate the course and suggest a grade for yourself based on the value you have or might receive from participating in the course.
Examples of Environmental Writing Types from which to choose:
Narrative telling the story; - autobiographical/place/descriptive/regional
Technical report writing – Environmental Impact Reports, Legal, Scope of Work, etc.
Science/Health
Natural History and Nature Writing
Persuasion; essay, letter to editor, press point of view or promotional Press Release
Social and Environmental Justice
Grant writing
Interpretive writing, Educational
Instruction writing
Power point writing / film/photo essay
Creative writing and Environmental Poetry
Historical
Children’s
Ethics
Spiritual and/or Religious
Green Business
Your idea here…..
Introduction to Green Building and Ecological Design (ENVMT 20) Code: 44399
Instructor Team Contacts:
Leslie Geathers: nativearch@sbcglobal.net c. 510-292-7266
Bruce Douglas: lbdpe@sbcglobal.net 510-759-5280
Thursdays 6:30-9:30pm (9/9-12/2), and 3 Saturdays 10-4pm (9/11, 9/18, 10/2)
Environmental Center, Self Reliant House
Text: Introduction to Green Building, Freeman, Geathers, Douglas et al. text: $15 CD: $2
Sustainable Architecture White Papers, Brown et al. approx. $17 Builder’s Booksource
****************************************************
Please subscribe to the course email list: GreenBuildingDesign-subscribe@yahoogroups.com to receive announcements, and see related materials. Also, some information will be posted on Robin Freeman’s Classes at www.ecomerritt.org under “links”. See Environmental Jobs at the same site.
****************************************************
Th 9/ 9: Introductions, “What Is Green Building?”
Course Project introduction. Explanation of on-going projects, Merritt Environmental Center tour.
Sat 9/11: Introduction to Concepts of Sustainable Design & Systems, Body Solar & Sun mapping exercise, (*Note: Please bring lunch)
Assignment 1: Home analysis
Read: Introduction to Green Building (IGB): Chapter 1,2,3.
Th 9/16: Passive Solar Design: Principles and building/testing model passive house
Sat 9/18: Menu of green materials: Green materials trailer tour, Building systems review, Assignment 1 review.
Assignment 2: Home materials/ systems analysis
Read: IGB: Chapter 8,9.
Th 9/23: Water management details installation, door sealing/preserving on green materials trailer. Intro to energy auditing. Residential energy career paths and professional certifications. Green building rating systems.
Th 9/30: Water Resource Management: Grey Water Action: Guest Lecture.
West Coast Green Begins.
Sat 10/2: Final Project review; client presentation, Review Assignment 2.
Afternoon: Tour local Eco Complex & salvage yards. West Coast Green Alternate activity.
Assignment 3: Materials cradle-to-cradle use/impact list.
Th 10/7: Solar power systems + Redwood bench back construction
Read: IGB: Chapter 4,5,6,7.
Th 10/14: Green wall systems: Greenhouse bench - west wall construction.
Th 10/23: Thermal & moisture protection:
Th 10/28: Project check-in day
Th 11/4: Sustainable Planning &Transportation:
Th 11/11: “Living Architecture” urban food systems: Living Wall. Guest Lecture
Th 11/18: Project check-in day Environmental Center green building projects hands on work.
Th 11/25: THANKSGIVING DAY
Th 12/2: Final project presentations Pot Luck meal/desserts.
You may take the class Credit/Non-Credit or for a letter grade based on:
55% Attendance/participation
45% Projects
ENVMT 50 SPECIAL PROJECTS
IN ECOLOGICAL DESIGN, INSTALLATION AND MAINTANENCE
Code # 43724, 43725 3.0 Units
Instructor: Robin Freeman; robinf5713@aol.com; 510-434-3840
9/13 Monday 1-3:50pm First general class meeting. Students select projects; tour the Environ. Center if new to program. Special project schedules to be arranged. (18 hours per unit – ie 0.5 unit = 9 hrs). Discuss relationship to ENVMT 501, or contact the instructor
Civilization's Impact: The Psychology of Trashing the Earth. Envmt 19 Lab Version. Sign up for Envmt 50 (Special Projects) with code 43725 for 3 units
This lab course will meet Tuesdays 6:30-9:20pm beginning 10/5 at SRH and can be substituted for Envmt 19 for those who need it for credit. We will cover the theory first and then apply it locally through the Merritt College Environmental Management and Technology and to our Brower, Dellums Institute for Sustainable Policy Studies goals as we brainstorm how to integrate partners and resources in the East Bay Green Corridor. We will review and organize the Institute data and written material to help make this possible.
Civilization's Impact Course Description: Intro to civilization's impact on the environment: Connections between human psychological development and the creation of both environmental problems and their solutions, human communities and their niche within the relative balance with the environment in past millennia; the human psyche, its origins in nature, and its influence and obstacles to planning a sustainable future.
Restoration of Watercourses: ENVMT 50 can be used for a field lab hours to substitute for the required units which are not being offered this semester.
Student Designed Projects - This is always an important part of this course. Use our faculty and resources to support your selection and design of a project of your choice.
Requirements: Written Agreement describing your project and either written evaluation report or oral presentation for those completing special projects.
Learning Outcome: You will be able to select, plan, and execute green related projects utilizing available resources.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
SYLLABUS Envmt 40 From Tree to Sea: A Bay Area Cross Section Spring 2010
SYLLABUS
From Tree to Sea: A Bay Area Cross Section
ENVMT 40 CODE 24508
Hike, bike and boat Field study of ecosystems of the bay, explorations of sustainable cultural, ecotourism, and economic uses of the Bay environment. Choose any or all field trips.
1.0-3.0 units Freeman SRH, Field
Wednesdays 6:30-9:20pm, 3 Saturdays 10am-4pm 3 Sundays 10am-4pm Contact robinf5713@aol.com (510) 434 3840 office (510) 915-1452 cell, Oakland Emergency OPD: (510) 777-3211, Alameda County Sheriff Emergency: (510) 351-2020
NOTE: The field locations may change. It is strongly recommended that you attend the previous Wednesday to your selected weekend(s). Instructions will be given the evening meeting before the field day otherwise contact the instructor several days in advance for details. All the meetings and field days together are a 3 unit course. 18 hrs = 1 unit.
Wednesday 3/24 Introductions, Responsible Ecotourism, Intro Watershed and Community – What it takes to know a place and each other, re – spaces between us
6:30 – 9:30 Environmental Center (SRH): Introductions, Field walk and field information, Recording field observations, Purpose and methods of the course.
HEADWATERS
Saturday 3/27
10am: Ridge Trail and Upper Sausal Creek Watershed
Downhill through the Redwoods, some fairly steep areas. Bring on all trips: lunch, water, snacks, sunblock and sun hat and wear walking shoes and layered clothes.
Sunday 4/11
San Lorenzo Creek Upper Watershed Dinosaur Ridge
Up and downhill, some steep areas
Wednesday 4/14 SRH Tour Sunset 7:43
PEDIMENT (FOOT OF HILLS)
Sunday 4/25 San Lorenzo Piedmont or San Lorenzo Ashland / Cherryland
Wednesday 4/28 SRH Sunset 7:56, Full Moon Assemble data and review
Wednesday 5/5 SRH Sunset 8:02, half moon Lion/Arroyo Viejo watershed hike
ALLUVIAL PLAIN - SHORELINE
Wednesday 5/12 Sunset 8:08 Bay Trail San Lorenzo creek, Hayward shoreline
TBA
Saturday 5/15 San Leandro Creek
Wednesday 5/19 SRH Sunset 8:14 Final Trip Prep, Assemble data
Saturday 5/22 Raft or Angel Island
Sunday 5/23 Raft, Angel Island or Bay Trail
GRADING: This course may be taken for a letter grade or credit/non-credit. It may be taken for 1.0 to 3.0 units (18 class hours= 1 unit; If taken for a letter grade, this course satisfies the 2 unit field course requirement for the EMART majors. For Credit only; 80% class attendance is required. For a letter grade attendance, participation, and assignments are required.
ASSIGNMENTS: Most of the work is done in the field where we will record data. The text is the East Bay Watershed Center CD which contains the Intertidal Directory and the Feasibility Guide. Review these, especially the “Sample Flowchart” in the beginning of the Intertidal Directory and the “Summary”, “Study Uses” and “Goals (focusing on Stakeholders)” in the Feasibility Guide. Our responsible ecotourism assignment will be to 1) research and coordinate with local stakeholders towards supporting their goals where possible, and 2) enter the data we gather, including photos, in the East Bay Watershed Directory format. Since this may be time consuming, additional credit and hours are available through ENVMT 10, Special Projects.
FIELD DAY INFORMATION: Each trip will have its own information sheets which will be handed out either the Wednesday before or the morning of the trip or by email. NOT ALL FIELD DAYS MEET AT THE SAME PLACE. Make sure you contact the instructor beforehand if you do not have the meeting information. In all cases bring a day pack with your lunch, water, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, hiking shoes or boots with lugs (ie not smooth soles except for on board the boats) camera (optional), any medication you may need, snacks, long pants and sleeves as needed and appropriate clothing for the weather conditions. The hikes are moderate to light and usually not more than 4 miles. For bicycle trips, bring a helmet, windbreaker (and wind pants, if you like) and gloves are recommended; the pace will be slow to moderate. We will carpool between the start and ending sites. Some days we will be driving between several sites. R. Freeman’s emergency cell phone (510)915-1452.
Tree to Sea Directions
Upper Sausal Creek
From Park Boulevard, just below Highway 13, turn southeastward onto Monterey (it's a frontage road, here.) Stay to the right. After 1500', just past the Montclair Golf Course, look for a trash can and trailhead sign. The trail here leads down into the redwoods -- the small stone bridge may not be passable immediately after big rain. Our Redwood Understory restoration site is a narrow band along the switchbacks that lead up to the Bridgeview Trail (1,000 feet beyond this trailhead is a pedestrian tunnel that leads under Highway 13, and into Joaquin Miller Park.)
Shuttle from Monterey Trailhead on Sausal Creek to Moon Gate:
Take Monterey ~3/4back to Joaquin Miller Rd., turn left uphill across the freeway and follow Joaquin Miller Road 1+mile up to Skyline Blvd. Turn left 2+ miles to Moon Gate dirt parking area hidden sign on right near 9383 Skyline Blvd mailboxes. Ridge trail starting point.
Upper San Lorenzo Creek
Meet at Merritt campus, parking lot E at 10am. From Merritt, turn right onto Campus Drive back to Redwood Rd. Turn right onto Redwood Rd, up the hill. You will cross Skyline Blvd, dropping into the Upper San Leandro Reservoir watershed passing the reservoir. Proceed on Redwood Rd for 10.1 miles, where the road makes a hairpin right turn and you will make a left into the Chabot Staging Area parking lot.
From Chabot Staging Area to stopping point
Make a left onto Redwood Road. After roughly 2.5 miles, you will come to Heyer Ave – make a Left onto Heyer. Take Heyer over the Cull Canyon Lagoon to Cull Canyon Rd and kake a Left onto Cull Canyon Rd. Make a Left just after the parking lot onto Columbia Dr. Follow Columbia through a sub-division for roughly 1.8 miles until it turns sharply to the right and becomes Bellhurst. Once you identify the EBMUD access drive on the left, park.
End of hike shuttle back to Chabot Staging Area
Take Bellhurst to Columbia Dr, and go back down the hill to Cull Canyon and make a Right onto Cull Canyon. Turn Right onto Heyer, and follow back to Redwood Rd. Turn Right onto Redwood Rd, and follow it roughly 2.5 miles until you see the Chabot Staging Area on your right hand side.
From Tree to Sea: A Bay Area Cross Section
ENVMT 40 CODE 24508
Hike, bike and boat Field study of ecosystems of the bay, explorations of sustainable cultural, ecotourism, and economic uses of the Bay environment. Choose any or all field trips.
1.0-3.0 units Freeman SRH, Field
Wednesdays 6:30-9:20pm, 3 Saturdays 10am-4pm 3 Sundays 10am-4pm Contact robinf5713@aol.com (510) 434 3840 office (510) 915-1452 cell, Oakland Emergency OPD: (510) 777-3211, Alameda County Sheriff Emergency: (510) 351-2020
NOTE: The field locations may change. It is strongly recommended that you attend the previous Wednesday to your selected weekend(s). Instructions will be given the evening meeting before the field day otherwise contact the instructor several days in advance for details. All the meetings and field days together are a 3 unit course. 18 hrs = 1 unit.
Wednesday 3/24 Introductions, Responsible Ecotourism, Intro Watershed and Community – What it takes to know a place and each other, re – spaces between us
6:30 – 9:30 Environmental Center (SRH): Introductions, Field walk and field information, Recording field observations, Purpose and methods of the course.
HEADWATERS
Saturday 3/27
10am: Ridge Trail and Upper Sausal Creek Watershed
Downhill through the Redwoods, some fairly steep areas. Bring on all trips: lunch, water, snacks, sunblock and sun hat and wear walking shoes and layered clothes.
Sunday 4/11
San Lorenzo Creek Upper Watershed Dinosaur Ridge
Up and downhill, some steep areas
Wednesday 4/14 SRH Tour Sunset 7:43
PEDIMENT (FOOT OF HILLS)
Sunday 4/25 San Lorenzo Piedmont or San Lorenzo Ashland / Cherryland
Wednesday 4/28 SRH Sunset 7:56, Full Moon Assemble data and review
Wednesday 5/5 SRH Sunset 8:02, half moon Lion/Arroyo Viejo watershed hike
ALLUVIAL PLAIN - SHORELINE
Wednesday 5/12 Sunset 8:08 Bay Trail San Lorenzo creek, Hayward shoreline
TBA
Saturday 5/15 San Leandro Creek
Wednesday 5/19 SRH Sunset 8:14 Final Trip Prep, Assemble data
Saturday 5/22 Raft or Angel Island
Sunday 5/23 Raft, Angel Island or Bay Trail
GRADING: This course may be taken for a letter grade or credit/non-credit. It may be taken for 1.0 to 3.0 units (18 class hours= 1 unit; If taken for a letter grade, this course satisfies the 2 unit field course requirement for the EMART majors. For Credit only; 80% class attendance is required. For a letter grade attendance, participation, and assignments are required.
ASSIGNMENTS: Most of the work is done in the field where we will record data. The text is the East Bay Watershed Center CD which contains the Intertidal Directory and the Feasibility Guide. Review these, especially the “Sample Flowchart” in the beginning of the Intertidal Directory and the “Summary”, “Study Uses” and “Goals (focusing on Stakeholders)” in the Feasibility Guide. Our responsible ecotourism assignment will be to 1) research and coordinate with local stakeholders towards supporting their goals where possible, and 2) enter the data we gather, including photos, in the East Bay Watershed Directory format. Since this may be time consuming, additional credit and hours are available through ENVMT 10, Special Projects.
FIELD DAY INFORMATION: Each trip will have its own information sheets which will be handed out either the Wednesday before or the morning of the trip or by email. NOT ALL FIELD DAYS MEET AT THE SAME PLACE. Make sure you contact the instructor beforehand if you do not have the meeting information. In all cases bring a day pack with your lunch, water, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, hiking shoes or boots with lugs (ie not smooth soles except for on board the boats) camera (optional), any medication you may need, snacks, long pants and sleeves as needed and appropriate clothing for the weather conditions. The hikes are moderate to light and usually not more than 4 miles. For bicycle trips, bring a helmet, windbreaker (and wind pants, if you like) and gloves are recommended; the pace will be slow to moderate. We will carpool between the start and ending sites. Some days we will be driving between several sites. R. Freeman’s emergency cell phone (510)915-1452.
Tree to Sea Directions
Upper Sausal Creek
From Park Boulevard, just below Highway 13, turn southeastward onto Monterey (it's a frontage road, here.) Stay to the right. After 1500', just past the Montclair Golf Course, look for a trash can and trailhead sign. The trail here leads down into the redwoods -- the small stone bridge may not be passable immediately after big rain. Our Redwood Understory restoration site is a narrow band along the switchbacks that lead up to the Bridgeview Trail (1,000 feet beyond this trailhead is a pedestrian tunnel that leads under Highway 13, and into Joaquin Miller Park.)
Shuttle from Monterey Trailhead on Sausal Creek to Moon Gate:
Take Monterey ~3/4back to Joaquin Miller Rd., turn left uphill across the freeway and follow Joaquin Miller Road 1+mile up to Skyline Blvd. Turn left 2+ miles to Moon Gate dirt parking area hidden sign on right near 9383 Skyline Blvd mailboxes. Ridge trail starting point.
Upper San Lorenzo Creek
Meet at Merritt campus, parking lot E at 10am. From Merritt, turn right onto Campus Drive back to Redwood Rd. Turn right onto Redwood Rd, up the hill. You will cross Skyline Blvd, dropping into the Upper San Leandro Reservoir watershed passing the reservoir. Proceed on Redwood Rd for 10.1 miles, where the road makes a hairpin right turn and you will make a left into the Chabot Staging Area parking lot.
From Chabot Staging Area to stopping point
Make a left onto Redwood Road. After roughly 2.5 miles, you will come to Heyer Ave – make a Left onto Heyer. Take Heyer over the Cull Canyon Lagoon to Cull Canyon Rd and kake a Left onto Cull Canyon Rd. Make a Left just after the parking lot onto Columbia Dr. Follow Columbia through a sub-division for roughly 1.8 miles until it turns sharply to the right and becomes Bellhurst. Once you identify the EBMUD access drive on the left, park.
End of hike shuttle back to Chabot Staging Area
Take Bellhurst to Columbia Dr, and go back down the hill to Cull Canyon and make a Right onto Cull Canyon. Turn Right onto Heyer, and follow back to Redwood Rd. Turn Right onto Redwood Rd, and follow it roughly 2.5 miles until you see the Chabot Staging Area on your right hand side.
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