The Politics, Geography and Management of New England Natural Areas

The Politics, Geography and Management of New England Natural Areas is a Natural Science course taught by P. Westover.

Course Description
New England has a tremendous diversity of natural areas of ecological, historical, and wildlife importance. In this class students will become familiar with political and ecological issues involved with the protection and management of many of those areas. The course is designed for students interested in environmental politics, ecology, land management, and the workings of resource protection agencies. The course will include field trips and guest lectures from government and private sectors. These guests will provide on-the-ground stories from the front line about issues relating to forestry, endangered and invasive species, wind power, threats from abutting owners, development, and others. Individual and team projects will include three short preliminary papers and a more detailed final 10-page write-up and presentation focusing on a specific area or resource issue. Areas to be studied include rivers, bogs, old-growth forests, sand plains, mountain environments, and other preserved areas.