Spring 2024

This course is a survey of basic issues and concepts in natural resource management and the environment in Native communities using integrated case studies that survey all the major varieties of environmental issues in Indian Country in the 21st century. A central theme will be developing tribally-specific solutions to rebuilding the resiliency of degraded ecosystems. We will consider particular case studies such as: tribal sovereignty, land tenure, reserved rights and Native claims; Native knowledge systems and Western science; co-management and restoration; water; fish and wildlife; agriculture and rangeland management; energy, mining and nuclear waste; and global climate change.

This course examines the taxonomy, ecology, evolution, and conservation of aquatic insects. Having a basic understanding of aquatic entomology will be useful for students interested in aquatic ecology, fisheries biology, water quality monitoring, conservation biology, and/or outdoor recreation (e.g. fly fishing). Active learning is a major focus of the course, and includes observing, documenting, and collecting aquatic insects in the lab and field.

Do you want to live permanently in Antarctica? Now is your chance, apply for Mission Antarctica! The ice is melting, the penguins are marching; it seems like a perfect time to settle, but many challenges await. Data can help you live and thrive in this changing environment and not be eaten by a leopard seal. However, most of us do not know how to organize, analyze, and translate real-life data into decisions. In this class, we undergo a series of scenarios to teach you how to use data to design and evaluateif we are making a difference in our new society. These scenarios include case studies related to disease, food security, conservation, sustainability, and nutrition. Through a combination of lectures, hands-on problem solving, and collaboration, this course teaches introductory data literacy skills such as data management, analytics, and visualization useful for decision making and your careers. No programming experience is required and students are encouraged to have in class laptops for in-class activities and assignments. All readings and supplemental material are open source, or free to students. Most importantly, no penguins will be harmed in this adventure, we promise.

When we think about where wildlife live, we often imagine open spaces like parks and preserves. However, we share our urban settlements with lots of wildlife, although we might not notice. In this course we will discuss how human-developed places are ecosystems, how they provide ecosystem services and wildlife habitat, and how to promote biodiversity in urban areas.

Designed for students in the atmospheric sciences, hydrology and related fields. It provides a framework for understanding the basic physical processes that govern mass and heat transfer in the atmospheric boundary layer and the vegetated land surface. In addition to the theoretical part of the course, there is a strong focus on modeling and students will be required to program numerical codes to represent these physical processes.

Introduction to water quality and its influences in natural environments. Interactions with land management and relationships to the larger issues of environmental quality. Graduate-level requirements include a class report and presentation on a negotiated topic of interest.

The objective of the course is to provide upper-division undergraduate and graduate students with a background in watershed management. The course will be taught from a landscape perspective addressing the linkage between hillslope processes to channel characteristics. The role physical watershed characteristics have in regulating hydrological processes will be examined. The effects of land use and the application of best management practices on the soil and water resources will be reviewed. The students will also be presented with a set of tools for performing a watershed assessment and analysis. Graduate students will submit a literature review on a topic in watershed management.

This course is a survey of basic issues and concepts in natural resource management and the environment in Native communities using integrated case studies that survey all the major varieties of environmental issues in Indian Country in the 21st century. A central theme will be developing tribally-specific solutions to rebuilding the resiliency of degraded ecosystems. We will consider particular case studies such as: tribal sovereignty, land tenure, reserved rights and Native claims; Native knowledge systems and Western science; co-management and restoration; water; fish and wildlife; agriculture and rangeland management; energy, mining and nuclear waste; and global climate change. Graduate-level requirements include Increased length of writing assignments.

Introduction to water quality and its influences in natural environments. Interactions with land management and relationships to the larger issues of environmental quality.

The objective of the course is to provide upper-division undergraduate and graduate students with a background in watershed management. The course will be taught from a landscape perspective addressing the linkage between hillslope processes to channel characteristics. The role physical watershed characteristics have in regulating hydrological processes will be examined. The effects of land use and the application of best management practices on the soil and water resources will be reviewed. The students will also be presented with a set of tools for performing a watershed assessment and analysis.