History 691N - S-Conservation/Nature&Culture

This course will explore the history of various efforts over the past 200 years to conserve nature and culture. Primarily, it's a history of the conservation movement in North America, but students will also be encouraged to think broadly about what the idea of "conservation" means in archeology, folklore, historic preservation, and the fine arts, both here and around the world. The fundamental premise of the course is that the conservation of nature and culture are inextricably intertwined; nature cannot truly be conserved without also conserving the culture that has shaped it, and culture cannot truly be conserved without also conserving the natural world in which it rests.

Open to Doctoral & Masters students only. Graduate students will be required to write a 20-25 page research paper on a topic of their choice, subject to approval of instructor.