 |
|
| Course Introduction
Welcome to NRES 600,
Wisconsin Environmental Studies.
The mission of this course is to increase awareness and develop
participant interests and literacy in Wisconsin environmental content,
issues, and ideas. We will
explore and discuss Wisconsin’s conservation history, eco-foundations,
biodiversity, and environmental health and quality.
The importance of Wisconsin natural resources such as air, land,
water, and energy will also be discussed.
In order to address and resolve environmental problems and issues,
one must be literate about the environment. To accomplish this
requires being knowledgeable about ecological principles and natural
history; understanding the social, political and economic aspect of
human systems and how these factors affect ecological systems.
There is no better place to start than here close to home.
So this course will begin by exploring the natural history,
natural resources and environmental issues of our local area and
Wisconsin. Once we have
achieved a firm knowledge base about our state’s environmental
picture, we can then relate
to a more regional and, in the future, global perspective.
Because of the delivery nature of this course (online), the learning
style will be different than in a traditional face-to-face class.
The instructor will serve as facilitator.
You as the learner will have to be self-motivated and
self-disciplined in exploring the various resources available to
fill in the gap in your knowledge of problems and issues.
In each topic, we will provide websites that will point the
way to useful information needed for each topic but you are in no
way limited to these.
You are encouraged to explore other websites and other media that
are not listed. In any case, you will need to cite the resources you
used in your reference list.
While thoroughly exploring the listed topics, you will be engaged in
discussion that will guide your explorations and your
comments/responses in the class discussions. Participation in the
discussions is mandatory and comprise more than half of your grade.
Our experience has shown that participants benefit greatly from
interaction with others in the class.
We hope that what you learn
from the course will be useful in your daily life and professional
practice.
|
|