OWU’s Mini May Mooove Out, March 22, 2017!

Bring your unwanted stuff and donate to Goodwill during our Mini May Mooove Out event on campus Wednesday, March 22 2017.

Bring your unwanted stuff and donate to Goodwill during our Mini May Mooove Out event on campus Wednesday, March 22 2017. Learn about our big May Move Out effort during the move-out week on campus, May 8 to May 14, 2017.

May Mooooove Out 2017

Monday, May 8: noon – 8pm
Tuesday, May 9: noon – 8pm
Wednesday, May 10: 9am – 1pm
Sunday, May 14: 9am-1pm

More info: https://maymoveout.owu.edu

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Sustainable Gardening: New OWU .25 Credit Activity Course 2nd Module Spring 2017

OWU students and faculty have initiated an effort to offer sustainability themed quarter credit activity courses beginning in the 2nd module for the spring semester of 2017.

This Activity Course has been postponed to the Fall of 2017! Contact Emily Howald for more information.

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OWU students and faculty have initiated an effort to offer sustainability themed quarter credit activity courses beginning in the 2nd module for the spring semester of 2017. Instead of yoga or bowling (which are both great) you can instead get active digging in the dirt.

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The class is run by staff from the very nearby Seminar Hill Farm, a leading regional organic farm. The class is one part of a strategy to make our campus garden sustainable and productive.

The class meets M and W from 2:30-3:30 in the garden near the old observatory on campus. Please contact Emily Howald for more information. Watch for the course as an option in the near future on Self-Service.

Free Farm to Table Meal @ OWU, Thursday February 16, 2017

Experience a free, farm to table meal using many fresh, locally grown ingredients, Thursday February 16, 2017.

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Experience a free, farm to table meal using many fresh, locally grown ingredients.

Join us for a free Cooking Outreach class, hosted by the Student Health Center at Stuy and the OWU Cooking Matters program. Featured talks by folks from our local Seminary Hill Farm.

Time: 7-9 pm
When: Thurs. February 16, 2017
Where: Stuy Kitchen/Milligan Hub

**FREE**
This class is limited to the first 25 responders.
Please RSVP to Olivia Minervino (owminerv@owu.edu) by Feb. 9!

Funding courtesy of an anonymous donor through the Ohio College Health
Association (OCHA)

OWU Environmental Studies & Sustainability Progress, Spring 2017

Established and ongoing efforts in environment and sustainability by Ohio Wesleyan students, staff and faculty and off-campus collaborators active during the 2016-17 academic year.

Established and ongoing efforts in environment and sustainability by Ohio Wesleyan students, staff and faculty and off-campus collaborators active during the 2016-17 academic year. 

A PDF of this document is available here.
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OWU Sustainability Plan: As a liberal arts institution, Ohio Wesleyan University must be a leader in progressive sustainability initiatives through educational, technical, and social means. The proposed Ohio Wesleyan Sustainability Plan (click for PDF) is intended to invigorate and expand a culture of sustainability that has a positive impact on the environment. Draft of the OWU Sustainability Plan, created by faculty, staff and students, is complete and being revised and vetted. Students in our Sustainability Practicum are currently arranging to move the proposed plan through OWU’s administrative network during the spring of 2017.
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May Move Out: A student-initiated project in collaboration with Goodwill, to defer usable materials from the trash as students move off campus in May. We defer 10 tons of reusable furniture, appliances, clothes, bikes, etc. on average, each May. Students are currently meeting with OWU’s Buildings & Grounds and Residential Life staff to plan for and promote the 2017 May Move Out. Ohio Wesleyan’s May Move Out program was awarded the 2015 Recycling Award from the Keep Delaware County Beautiful Coalition.

Reusable Food Containers in Hamilton Williams Campus Center: A student project initiated in the Fall of 2015 is being expanded during the spring of 2017. A new dishwasher was installed in our campus center in part to provide adequate washing of the containers. Students and campus food service staff are working to improve and expand the program during the Spring of 2017.

Environmental Science Major: A proposal for an Environmental Science major (in addition to our 39 year old Environmental Studies major) will be brought before OWU committees and faculty for consideration and approval during the Spring of 2017.

Environmental Studies Minor in Food Studies: A Food Studies Minor (developed from the Food Course Connection) is in place (a collaboration between Health and Human Kinetics [HHK] and Environmental Studies). Two more minors, Sustainability and Climate Science are being developed.

Living Green Infrastructure Proposal: Students and staff are working on a proposal for a Living Green residence hall option. 1) Develop structural sustainability. 2) Allow students to live more sustainably by reducing their water, energy, and material waste. 3) Include workshop/classroom area for sustainable learning (repair, self-production). 4) Trained RA’s to be sustainable life assistants.

Delaware Foodshed Farm and Food Collaboration: Building on the Food Studies Minor and student interest in gardens, farming and food, OWU faculty in Environmental Studies and HHK are developing a collaboration between Stratford Ecological Center farms and the Methodist School of Ohio farms. Initial efforts will focus on student internships and engagement of OWU in a regional food network. With financial support for staff (donations or grants) campus gardens will be developed. Efforts will focus on the practice of ecologically sound farming, food production, regional food networks and social outreach (building on the existing Cooking Matters Program, organized by Dr. Chris Fink) to engage students and community members in growing food.

Environmental and Sustainability Internships: Eight to ten internships are being offered on a regular basis at Stratford Ecological Center and the City of Delaware. Foci include environmental education, marketing, farming, and sustainability. Additional internships will be available at the Seminary Hill Farm (Methodist Theological School of Ohio) Fall 2017.

Global Environmental Change Collaboration & Travel Learning Course: OWU collaboration with Amy Work (OWU ‘04) and her organization GeoPorter in Bahia Ballena-Uvita, Costa Rica. Learning and using environmental assessment methods in Delaware, Ohio (Fall 2017) and during a travel learning course trip (Dr. Nathan Amador’s Geography 347) to coastal Costa Rica (January 2018). Goal: to understand how local environmental data is collected and relates to regional and global climate and environmental change.

Chimney Swift Towers: A collaboration between students and OWU Alumni Dick Tuttle (OWU 1973) to build a chimney swift tower on the residential side of campus. Plans have been drawn up and cost estimates provided by a contractor. Funds will be provided by Tuttle. We anticipate construction during the spring or summer of 2017 pending approval from B&G and OWU’s Administration.

Campus Wildlife Habitat Enhancements: Student efforts continue to install and maintain bird houses, feeders and solitary bee houses on campus.

Green Week 2017: Building on a successful week of events in 2016, students are organizing another week of events for the spring of 2017 (the week prior to Earth Day).

Delaware Run Assessment and Restoration: Ongoing project focused on restoring Delaware Run between Sandusky St. and Henry St. Emerging collaboration with stream restoration specialists who propose restoration of the stream and adjacent riparian zone in return for state of Ohio stream credits. Currently waiting on the establishment of an official Ohio stream banking and credit procedure.

Bottled Water Sales Reduction: Student-led efforts to drive down bottled water purchases on campus, including the installation of hydration stations and promotion of reusable water bottles. Bottled water sales have dropped significantly in the last three years. We continue to install hydration stations (filtered water) at key locations as an alternative to bottled water.

GeoInspirations: Amy Work (OWU ’04) – Connecting People, Communities, Geotechnology, and the Environment by Joseph J. Kerski

Amy Work’s zeal for making a positive difference in our world through geography and geotechnologies led her to Costa Rica, where she has been working closely with students, community leaders, and conservation organizations for the past few years.

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Directions Magazine and author Joseph Kerski report on Amy Work, who graduated from OWU in 2004 with Environmental Studies, Geography, and Urban Studies majors, and her work in southern Costa Rica in Directions Magazine’s GeoInspirations Series.


By Joseph Kerski

I met Amy Work through the Teaching with Spatial Technology (TwiST) program that she conducted for educators at the Institute for the Application of Geospatial Technologies in Auburn, New York.  The goal of TwiST is to empower student discovery through GIS by teaching K-12 teachers and college faculty the skills and perspectives needed to teach with these tools.  Each year, Amy actively grew the network of educators who are using the TwiST content effectively in their own instruction across the country.

I also visited Amy a few times at Cayuga College and was consistently impressed by her ability to conduct research in remote sensing and environmental issues while simultaneously teaching numerous face-to-face and online courses.  She was never content to teach just her own students; she has always been keen on teaching other faculty.

Her zeal for making a positive difference in our world through geography and geotechnologies led her to Costa Rica, where she has been working closely with students, community leaders, and conservation organizations for the past few years. As a Directions Magazine reader, you may already be familiar with Amy Work; she and Anne Haywood wrote an article on applying geospatial technologies to solve local problems for our June 2015 edition.

The seeds of Amy’s career were sown back in her high school mentorship program at the City of Westerville Ohio’s Planning and Development Department.  “I thought I wanted to be a civil engineer, but this mentorship position, which evolved into a job during school breaks, including summer, introduced me to GIS,” she said. “This was back in the 1990s when not many city governments were using GIS.”

Then, in her freshman class at Ohio Wesleyan University, she took a course called Maps and GIS taught by geography and cartography professor John Krygier. After additional coursework in  cultural geography and economic geography, she said, “It all made so much sense to me.”

Amy ended up with a very impressive triple major in geography, urban studies, and environmental studies from Ohio Wesleyan University.  She went on to pursue a master’s degree in geography from Syracuse University, graduating in 2006.  She then became the GIS coordinator at the Institute for the Application of Geospatial Technologies housed at Cayuga College.

One of Amy’s projects at the institute was to create an interactive tool to foster analytical thinking about global climate change and the potential impact on human health by enabling investigations between climate and socioeconomic and health data. This tool and associated activities focused on real-world issues that people will continue to encounter as changes in precipitation and temperature values impact agricultural lands and food production. This further impacts access and quality of food, altering the availability of freshwater, and exposing greater numbers of people to malaria for the first time via new habitats for malaria-carrying mosquitoes.  A critical component of this, and other projects Amy has been involved in, is training educators in the use of the tools and activities that help them and their students  investigate the data and gain skills in critical thinking, spatial thinking, and geotechnologies.

After connecting with Anita and Roger Palmer, founders of GISetc.com, Amy began working and living in Bahia Ballena, Costa Rica in 2012.  Bahia Ballena is a unique community.  It is the gateway to Marino Ballena National Park, one of the first marine protected areas in Latin America. Tourism related to marine life in the park is the primary income generator for the area. In this community of 3,000 residents, more than 200 individuals thus far have participated in an activity or event using GPS and GIS to map and analyze data.  Projects with which Amy has been involved have included reducing trash through community partnerships, combating beach erosion, analyzing water quality, and mapping humpback whale sightings.  She engages all of these with the help of GIS and field-collected and mapped data, but more importantly, with the help of the community.  Her projects involve teachers, students, community officials, nonprofit organizations, businesses, parents, and others.  Her work is funded by Geospatial Educators’ Opportunities for Partnership Outreach Research and Training (Geoporter), a nonprofit organization designed to send educators around the world to solve local issues with GIS.

When I asked Amy to identify what, or who, has been the most inspirational to her career, she replied, “I don’t think I can pick just one class or person. There are so many people who have inspired me along the way, thus the reason I am where I am.  However, in my career as a geospatial educator teaching other educators to use geospatial technologies, I had a great group of teachers from Hannibal School District participate [in the summer institutes].  These teachers helped me merge my knowledge of geospatial technologies with what classroom teachers needed the most.  Prior to these workshops, I had only taught GIS and remote sensing labs for technical skills.  I began teaching GIS for the purpose of engaging youth in exploring their community and their world.  Therefore, it is Bob Jones, Carol Burch, and Tom O’Neil to whom I owe so many thanks for not only sharing their knowledge, but becoming true friends.”

One of the things I admire about Amy is that she actively connects with her alma mater.  She has partnered with students and faculty at Ohio Wesleyan University, for example, to bring them to Costa Rica and involve them in community projects there: One examined what could be done to reduce yearly water shortages, another examined banana plantations, and another used a UAV to collect high resolution imagery for the coastal area near Bahia Ballena.

Another thing I admire is that Amy doesn’t just study a topic—she acts upon the knowledge that she gains.  For example, as part of the Semilla de Ballena (Seeds of Ballena) project, she and community members germinated and planted 1,000 manglillo, sota caballo, and cedro maria trees to combat beach and soil erosion.  In another example, Amy doesn’t just say, “Schools are important to the region’s future,” and leave it at that—she actively works with educators to identify their needs and empower them in the use of GIS, GPS, and remote sensing technologies.   In other words, she practices what she preaches.  She is patient—whether with trees or with people—she realizes that thoughtful efforts focused on important issues will reap long-term benefits.

Amy is also a good listener.  You don’t move to another country and work on successful projects with local people by blazing forward with your own agenda; you do it through careful listening to their needs, building trust, and working toward common goals.

I have taught with Amy for many years as part of the Teachers Teaching Teachers GIS (T3G) program at Esri, a professional development opportunity that resulted in an online community and a face-to-face intensive GIS-focused institute.  I have been consistently impressed with Amy’s focus on doing everything to the highest standards of quality, down to the smallest detail of instruction or component of the lesson.

After listening to Amy’s keynote speech at a recent Applied Geography Conference, I could not help but think that her efforts have always been exactly that–applied.  She applies what she knows to teacher training, to teaching students, and to helping people and communities achieve their potential.

Amy has been involved with many projects involving geography over the years, but the one she is perhaps proudest of is a Syracuse Community Geography project with which she was involved while studying for her master’s degree.  The project applied GIS to social issues such as food security and access to resources for senior citizens. It was an expansion of how GIS and geography could help city organizations and institutions better understand their clients, their clients’ needs, and how to best allocate their resources.

Amy says she is also proud of what she is currently doing with Geoporter and teaching community residents to apply the technology to their own concerns. “Perhaps it’s hard to say I am most proud of this project, because to me it is still ongoing. It’s not complete. Maybe in time I will see it not as my daily work, but as something to be extremely proud of.”

Given Amy’s leadership, I asked her what she thinks is the most important thing we, the geography community, need to work on.  Amy responded, “I think we should continue to look at social and human dynamics related to environmental changes; for example, applying geography to human health, including infectious disease, or just for a better understanding of individuals’ medical histories.  How do changing climates impact disease patterns and incidence?  Furthermore, how does climate impact the political sphere or the refugee crisis, and how does it alter access to food and water resources?”

Amy’s advice to new geographers?  “Geography is all around us. Find what interests you and apply your skills to helping better understand that topic. Keep trying and you will be a geographer. There are so many of us in the world, and when you do meet them, you will find you have so much in common.”

Amy believes in dreaming big and making those dreams a reality.  As she said in an article for the Ohio Wesleyan University news, “If you would have told me when I was in college that I’d be living in the tropics and working, I would have said you’re joking, there is no way…Now I know that anything’s possible.”

For more information about Amy Work’s projects, see the Geoporter nonprofit organization’s webpage.

Wooster Speaker Series, Spring 2017: Environmental Challenges to the Global Community

OWU’s peer institution to the north, Wooster College, is hosting a speaker series this spring called Environmental Challenges to the Global Community.

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OWU’s peer institution to the north, Wooster College, is hosting a speaker series this spring called Environmental Challenges to the Global Community.

More information here.

The annual series starts Feb. 2, when Robert Musil, president and CEO of the Rachel Carson Council (RCC), presents “Another Silent Spring? The Continuing Relevance of Rachel Carson’s Ecological Vision” at 7:30 p.m.

On Feb. 9, there will be a screening of “The Age of Consequences,” a 2016 film that investigates climate change’s impacts on resource scarcity, migration, and conflict, at 7 p.m., followed on Friday, Feb. 10, with a luncheon lecture “Solutions to Climate Change in the Age of Consequences” by the writer, director, and producer Jared Scott. That will be held at Kittredge Dining Hall (535 E. Wayne Ave.) from 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m.

The third lecture, scheduled on Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m., features Jeff Hoffman, the co-founder of Priceline.com, who will make the case of “Innovation for Global Problems – How Entrepreneurs Can Save the World.” 

Next, academic, activist, and author Raj Patel will analyze “How Will We Feed 10 Billion People Sustainably?” on March 2, at 7:30 p.m.

The series closes with a visit from Spencer Abraham, the U.S. Secretary of Energy (2001-05) under President George W. Bush, on March 30, at 7:30 p.m. He will present “Lights Out! Ten Myths About (and Real Solutions to) America’s Energy Crisis.”

 

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Thursday Jan. 26, 2017: Establishing Respectful Political Dialogues on Climate Change: A Film and Conversation with Citizen’s Climate Lobby

Viewing an episode “Safe Passage” from “Years of Living Dangerously” followed by a discussion about taking effective political action to support climate change.

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Open to any and all:

Establishing Respectful Political Dialogues on Climate Change: A Film and Conversation with Citizen’s Climate Lobby

7PM, Thursday, January 26, Room 163 of the Schimel-Conrades Science Center on the Ohio Wesleyan University campus. Room 163 is a lecture hall off the central atrium on the lowest floor of the Science Center.

Representatives from the local chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby will be in attendance.

We will show the episode “Safe Passage” from “Years of Living Dangerously” followed by a discussion about taking effective political action to support climate change moderated by Dr. Laurie Anderson, Professor of Botany & Microbiology.  The event will conclude by 9PM.

OWU ’17 Michael Durfee: Summer ’16 Diving Internship

Michael Durfee, OWU 2017, is an Environmental Studies and Medieval Studies dual major, and participated in a summer 2016 master diver apprenticeship in Cozumel, Mexico.

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Michael Durfee, OWU 2017, is an Environmental Studies and Medieval Studies dual major, and participated in a summer 2016 master diver apprenticeship in Cozumel, Mexico.


Michael Durfee
October 27, 2016

One of the first lessons we are taught as divers is that we are the stewards, the voice of, and the ambassadors of the underwater world. Nobody else has the means to be so intimate with this environment. Even if for no reason other than we love being in it, we must help protect it.

The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) stresses the importance of the environment throughout a diver’s training. They teach us how to be careful of sensitive aquatic ecosystems (by maintaining good buoyancy, kicking properly, by knowing we won’t be attacked by animals unless we harass them, or simply by not touching things). PADI provides examples in their training books of ways to be active in the fight to keep our waters healthy.

PADI also advertise and teach Project AWARE both as an independent project and movement and as a specialty course for certification (AWARE Fish Identification, AWARE Shark Conservation, AWARE Underwater Naturalist for example). Project AWARE is the environmental movement within diving, started years ago by PADI and broken off into something grander. AWARE stands for Aquatic World Awareness Responsibility and Education. At its most basic we are given its Ten Ways a Diver Can Protect the Underwater Environment. These are: 1) Dive carefully, 2) Be aware of your body and equipment, 3) Keep your dive skills sharp, 4) Consider your actions, 5) Understand and respect underwater life, 6) Be an Ecotourist, 7) Respect underwater cultural heritage, 8) Report environmental disturbances or destruction, 9) Be a role model, and 10) Get involved.

I went to Cozumel, Mexico to earn my PADI Professional Divemaster rating. I chose a very good location for this dive training. Reasons for this are many, but primarily for the fact that the waters surrounding the island are a huge Marine National Park. All divers are required to be extra careful and mindful. For example, nobody is allowed to dive without a local Divemaster. There are extensive, complex coral reefs along the entire west side of the island. There was greater pressure for me to become a better, more skilled diver here. I have confidence in my abilities to observe sensitive organisms without any accidental harm occurring.

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Diving these world famous coral reefs was remarkable and eye opening for me. I can hardly express what I have learned. I am familiar with numerous species of fish and am only just beginning to understand how they interconnect to form this ecosystem. I learned how a coral reef works in its most fundamental sense and how nearby wetlands like Mangroves can be essential to the reef’s continued survival.

Simply by observation while in over 60 dives, I got to see how some aquatic animals rely on the health of their coral environment. Health has multiple aspects.

I’ve chosen a few examples.

The sea turtles around Cozumel, most commonly the Green Sea Turtle and the Loggerhead Turtle, depend on coral reefs for food and protection.

turtThe turtles will lie there chomping on coral, digging at it with their beaks. I may postulate that the type of coral matters, which makes the coral and sponge diversity important to the turtles.The relative shallow depths of these reefs allow turtles to live and feed well while still having fairly quick access to the surface for air. Here is a Green Sea Turtle who was eating but is now looking at the diver taking the photo.

Often while I was diving I thought to myself how odd some of the fish I see are. Many seem to be just generic and what a human might expect, but others not so much. Filefish are one of these oddities. I love to wonder why they look like they do – inspiring research on my part.

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Watching The fish feed is the biggest clue. Their mouths are specialized for a certain diet. What exactly they eat I do not know, but they use their outwards-pointing teeth and elongated mouth to scrape their food off the bottom and the coral. Being so specialized may indicate an existence more vulnerable to environmental changes. Of the animal species here, it is the oddities, the curiosities and the fantastic that are the first to leave when conditions change.

drumfishThe Drumfish is one of the most elegant and beautiful species of fish I was ever fortunate enough to observe. They are shy and love to hide under small, shallow ledges. Diversity of structure is one of the most important aspects of coral reef health. In this case, structural diversity allows for the shy to hide their faces and the very shy to hide their entire body. An example of the very shy would include the endemic species to Cozumel, the Splendid Toadfish who hides in a hole day and night.

Another species which appreciates the structural diversity of coral reef systems is the Stonefish, the most poisonous fish in the world.

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Stonefish are docile, though, and are named for their ability to blend in with their surroundings and look like a stone or piece of coral. They are one reason why divers in the Caribbean try not to touch the reefs. If we imagine a reef that has been bleached or depleted in its various diversities, a Stonefish would not survive.

There are dozens of animals species which rely on the existence of coral reefs and their diversity. A diver’s awareness of this as connected to their choices and advocacy on land is an essential power. We can help advocate for more Marine National parks and sustainable fishing regulations. We can use sustainably produced products which would not create by-product which ends up in the ocean. We can use sustainable energy sources and/or cut back on overall energy consumption. Our mindful choices have a say in whether these beautiful places and animals will survive.

Having learned in a Marine National Park in Cozumel gave me a heightened sense of my duty as a now Professional diver. My Divemaster training stressed that one of my most essential duties is to be a good role model. This means being a skillful and knowledgeable diver, embracing and adhering to PADI Standards (which keep divers and the environment safe) and embracing and adhering to Project AWARE teachings.

Spring 2017 Internships through OWU at the Stratford Ecological Center

Stratford is offering an 8-hour-per-week internship (120 hours total) to Ohio Wesleyan students for Spring 2017. Upon completion of these hours, along with appropriate readings, research projects, and other academic components, students can receive class credit through Ohio Wesleyan.

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Internships through OWU at the Stratford Ecological Center

Stratford Ecological Center is a 501(C)(3) that offers a working organic 236-acre education and research farm and nature preserve located on Liberty Rd., approximately 5 miles south from Ohio Wesleyan. Stratford is offering an 8-hour-per-week internship (120 hours total) to Ohio Wesleyan students for Spring 2017. Upon completion of these hours, along with appropriate readings, research projects, and other academic components, students can receive class credit through Ohio Wesleyan. Stratford’s varied programming and many natural environments allow for a range of internship topics, including:

Sustainable Agriculture- How can we raise meat, dairy, fiber and egg producing animals, agronomic and horticultural crops in line with natural cycles, while also producing enough to feed customers and support a business? Interact with goats, sheep, hogs, cattle, and chickens while also learning about crop rotations, farm equipment, and other skills.

Organic Gardening- Learn to start, plant, and raise a variety of fruit and vegetable crops in an organic fashion in the field, garden and greenhouse. Composting is an important skill!

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Environmental Education– Assist in planning and running field trip programs for kindergarteners and first graders. Develop environmental curricula, educational tools, or adult education classes!

Maple Syrup Production (Agroforestry)- Interested in the way that maple syrup is extracted and made? How does this industry allow forests to be preserved, while also being utilized by humans? (Maple sap used to produce maple syrup only flows for about 6 weeks from February through March, so semester-long internships would require additional subjects, or extended agroforesty research).

Invasive Species Management- This 95 acre State Nature Preserve surrounding three sides of the farm at Stratford requires maintenance in the form of invasive species removal. Learn how to identify and remove these plants, and research their effects on Ohio ecosystems.

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Apiculture– Shadow our beekeeper to learn about bees and their management, queen rearing, nook production, pollination services, and honey production. Bumblebees are the recommended focus of spring internships, due to the seasonality of bee activity.

Non-profit Management/ Marketing and Development- Learn about the business side of Stratford, including public relations, marketing, advertising, community connection, donor cultivation and management, and grant-writing.

These are just a sample of possible internship topics at Stratford. As an intern, we at Stratford will encourage you to find where our needs and your passions and interests intersect. We’d love to hear your ideas for research, experiential learning and new initiatives using the resources at Stratford!

Please contact Dr. Laurie Anderson at ljanders@owu.edu for permission to register. Students will receive one upper level course credit in the Botany/Microbiology department. The course will be graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory. Limit: 5 students – first come, first served. Students must arrange their own transportation to Stratford Ecological Center. See syllabus on the next page.

Stratford Ecological Center Internship

BOMI 495 – Spring 2017

Instructor for Spring 2017: Dr. Laurie Anderson (BOMI 495)

 

Course Objectives

  • Gain practical experience in organic and sustainable agriculture, environmental education, local ecology, local food issues, land management, non-profit management, and related areas.
  • Build critical thinking, research, and writing skills by pursuing and completing an independent project developed in collaboration with Stratford staff, and submitting a final report on this work.

General Information

Stratford Ecological Center is a 501(C)(3) that offers a working organic 236-acre education and research farm and nature preserve located on Liberty Rd., approximately 5 miles south from Ohio Wesleyan. Stratford offers a 120 hour (average 8 hours per week for 15 weeks) internship to Ohio Wesleyan students. Upon completion of these hours, along with appropriate readings and activities related to a project developed by the student in consultation with the Stratford staff and their faculty advisor at Ohio Wesleyan, students can receive class credit through Ohio Wesleyan. Stratford’s diverse programming and many natural environments allow for a range of subjects for the internship including apiculture, organic gardening, sustainable agriculture, invasive species management, agroforestry and maple syrup production, environmental education, and non-profit management. Projects may explore multiple topics as long as there is a central area of focus.

Students who successfully complete the internship will receive an upper level credit towards graduation and/or their major, but do not receive a letter grade. A grade of S (Satisfactory) or U (Unsatisfactory – no credit received) will be awarded.

Details and Requirements

  • Students are expected to work at Stratford for an average of 8 hours per week for 15 weeks, although weekly deviations up or down from this standard may be required for a particular internship, given the demands of a student’s specific project.
  • Students must submit journal entries biweekly to Blackboard, i.e., on the Friday of weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 of the semester. These should include reports of your activities, updates on progress, next steps planned, and reflections on what has been learned to date.
  • At minimum, each journal entry should be about two typed, double-spaced pages.
  • Journals should be submitted biweekly, even if you had reduced hours at Stratford during that period. Just submit a statement that explains the situation, and describe plans for the upcoming time period.
  • Journal entries must be submitted on time. Failure to submit two journal entries results in no internship credit.
  • Each student must have at least one mid-semester meeting with their faculty advisor to discuss progress to date. This must be done during weeks 7-9 of the semester. You or your faculty advisor may request additional meetings, as needed.
  • Final Report. This is a final paper describing the student’s project and its findings or outcomes. Each report should be 8-10 double-spaced, typed pages in length, include a background section with references to appropriate sources and an attached bibliography, a description of project goals or hypotheses (if the project is an experiment), a description of activities or methods, and a discussion of project findings or outcomes. The final draft is due no later than the last final exam of the semester. A copy of the Final Report must be submitted to Stratford Ecological Center as well.

 

Talk: Politics and the Environment: How to Vote for Your Planet

Join Dr. David Blockstein for a lecture on how politics have shaped our planet in the past, and learn about the possible effects this current election could have.

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Join Dr. David Blockstein for a lecture on how politics have shaped our planet in the past, and learn about the possible effects this current election could have.

Dr. Blockstein is Senior Scientist and Director of Education at the National Council for Science and the Environment.

12 – 1 p.m., Oct. 24, 2016.
Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, Room: Benes Room A and B.

OWU Sponsoring Organization/Office: Environment and Wildlife Club.
Contact: Eva Blockstein at eablocks@owu.edu.