Environmental Studies Courses

The ES Major or Concentration begins (in most cases for Sophomores or First-Year Students) with an introduction to environmental studies, a class focusing on global environmental problems viewed from a scientific perspective but treated within the larger context of political, economic and ethical concerns. Students then select additional courses from a specific track. These track course choices provide a significant focus on discipline-centered studies of the environment, and include areas such as environmental history and ethics, conservation biology, earth system science, environmental chimistry, literature of the environment, and environmental policy. Choices for the remainder of the requirements include a number of off-campus studies as well as a large selection of courses from the other tracks, and some from allied departments. Examples of the former include winter ecology, desert ecology, and tropical ecology, or participation in programs in Costa Rica, south India, Australia, or Superior Studies in northern Minnesota. The capstone seminar, required of ES majors, is also an option as one of the elective choices for the Concentration.

Current Offerings


ES 137: Introduction to Environmental Studies
ES 202: The Culture of Nature
ES 222: Campus Ecology
ESPS 225: Environmental Political Theory
BIES 226: Conservation Biology
ES 232: Environmental Policy and Regulation
ES 245: Global Climate Change
ES 255: Remote Sensing & Geographic Info. Systems
ES 270: Nature and the American Landscape
ESPS 276: Environmental Politics
ES 281: What is Nature Worth? (Keeler)
ES 381: Adv. Topic: Gardens' Healing Powers (Rohn)
ES 381: Adv. Topic: Ecosystems Research (Schade)
ES 399: Senior Seminar In Environmental Studies


FALL
EnvSt 381:  Green Building and Remodeling 
(Area - TBD) - Paul Jackson
Shelter is one of the basic needs of all organisms, and human shelters are as varied as the cultures and climatic zones on earth, creating space for an extraordinary number of ordinary human activities.  Buildings are not entirely predictable. As Winston Churchill said, “We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us.”  This is especially true since buildings often outlive their owners and the cultural frames that shaped them. In the 21st century there’s an urgent need for buildings to build better communities with a smaller ecological footprint. An experience planning and living in a home remodeled with Earth in mind could inspire students to practice becoming responsible stewards of God’s gifts. This course will explore the motivation, theory and practice of more sustainable home building with an emphasis on retrofitting for both human and natural communities.  We will take a holistic view and examine the functionality, performance, costs and environmental impacts of the site, structure, subsystems and individual components.  We’ll plan for the project to live beyond this course, perhaps as an 'Environmental House' or community learning center.  All of these factors will lead us through decision-making processes where tradeoffs and compromise play prominent roles.  The class will make use of college facilities professionals, home owners and local builders with green home construction experience.  Swanson House, one of the college owned homes, will serve as the principal focus of the course.

JANUARY
EnvSt 381 Ecocriticism and American Nature Poetry
(ARTS/HUMANITIES)- Mark Allister

EnvSt 311 Global Futures (off-campus to Cranfield University, UK) - John Schade

BIES 286 Tropical Ecology in Costa Rica and Sustainable Land Use (off-campus) - Kathy Shea

SPRING
EnvSt 281 A&B Sustainable Development
(SOC SCI) - Seth Binder

EnvSt 381 Agroecology & STOGROW
(NAT SCI) - Kathy Shea

 

Courses from prior years:
2012-13
ES 381 Gardens' Healing Powers:  ARTS/HUM
ES 281A What is Nature Worth? Economic and ethical perspectives...SOC SCI

2011-12
ES 281 Env Justice, Food & Climate: SOC SCI
ES 381A Imagining Environment: ARTS/HUM
ES 381B Landscape and Regional Change in the Arctic: NAT SCI

2010-11
ES 281A Cultural Ecology - A look at 1st Nations'... SOC SCI or ARTS/HUM
ES 281B Issues of Food and Community Agriculture: SOC SCI
ES 381 Topics in Ecosystem Research: NAT SCI
ES 381 Eco-criticism and American Nature Poetry: ARTS/HUM

2009-10
ES 281 Life Cycle Analysis - Food & Ag: SOC SCI
ES 281 Water - Global Crisis: NAT SCI