An Academic Year-long independent study.

This introductory statistics course aims to provide students interested in ecology with a supportive, encouraging and comfortable environment for developing a sound knowledge of core statistical concepts in ecology. Ecology, the study of the relationships between organisms to one another and their environment, is a discipline concerned with quantifying the relationships we observe in nature. The objective of the course is to demystify statistics and help develop the basic level of understanding that all future ecologists should possess.

Trees growing in residential areas provide many benefits like cleaning the air and water, reducing energy use, and blocking unsightly views. They can also be dangerous if not carefully planted and properly maintained, causing power outages and damaging property. We'll review the benefits that trees provide, including different ways to assess their value. We will also discuss how best to plant and maintain trees to maximize their benefits and minimize their costs.

The goals of this course are to teach you basic GIS concepts such as spatial data sources and structures, projections and coordinate systems, geospatial analysis, cartographic modeling, and the integration of remote sensing and GIS. By the end of the course, students will be proficient in ESRI ArcGIS software.

Project-based course in which students will work on a semester-long applied research project that analyzes various current systems in western Massachusetts (energy, transportation, agriculture), and identify practical solutions that move towards sustainability. Students identify unique research areas, develop methods and collect data, and analyze and present findings in a report. This course will satisfy the Integrative Experience requirement for BS-NRC and BS-EnvSci majors.

Students will work in teams to research and develop solutions to the sustainable challenges facing our society. They will collaborate to investigate, critically evaluate, effectively communicate, and reflect on the multifaceted challenges associated with addressing sustainable resource use, water, food, energy, transportation, waste management, and climate change.

This course will introduce students to major themes of renewable energy systems. Students will analyze alternative energy solutions for a sustainable future. Emphasis will be on the different forms of renewable energy, within the context of the existing energy mix, energy policy, resource potential, and institutional opportunities and barriers. We will explore renewable energy potential and solutions through textbook and supplemental readings, current event briefings, group work and activities.

Description not available at this time

This course introduces students to the study of environmental decision-making. Topics covered include: behavioral approaches to conservation; behavior change; barriers to and facilitators of conservation behavior; effective intervention design; persuasive and strategic environmental communication. Students will develop their own environmental behavior change campaigns and integrate course content with their broader undergraduate education experience. Satisfies the Integrative Experience requirement for BS-NRC and BS-EnvSci majors.

Forests provide tremendous public benefits. This course will teach methods for mapping forest resources and quantifying the forest species and structure that provide these many benefits, with the goal of informing forest conservation decisions. The course will also include methods for determining threats to forests, including invasive plants, exotic insects, and deer over populations. Finally, the course will include techniques for monitoring conservation restrictions.