ENVS 195/295                                                                                                      Tom Hudspeth
Summer, 2006                                                                                                    l53 S.Prospect St.
                                                                                                                                        656-0171
                                                                                                      Thomas.Hudspeth@uvm.edu        
                                                         
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Natural History, Cultural Heritage, and Community-based Ecotourism Initiatives of Ecuador's Upper Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands

1.   Objectives:

• Consider the process of creating communities which are environmentally sound, economically successful, and socially just--i.e., from conceptual and operational points of view, gain an understanding of sustainability/sustainable development (SD) [development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs], with emphasis on community-based sustainable development
• Become familiar with successful sustainable development strategies/initiatives in Ecuador
• From conceptual and operational points of view, gain an understanding of ecotourism [travel to fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas that strives to be low impact and (usually) small scale; it helps educate the traveler, provides funds for conservation, directly benefits the economic development and political empowerment of local communities, and fosters respect for different cultures and for human rights] and its role in sustainability
• Become familiar with ecotourism initiatives in Ecuador
• Gain an understanding of the philosophy, principles and concepts, and techniques of environmental interpretation (EI) [communicating environmental values, natural history processes, and cultural features to visitors to recreational settings through the use of interpretive media] ] and its role in sustainability and ecotourism
• Become familiar with EI initiatives in Ecuador
• Gain an understanding of the natural history and ecology of the Amazon rainforest and the terrestrial and marine aspects of the Galapagos Islands
• Gain an understanding of the cultural heritage of Ecuador
• Gain an understanding of non-governmental organizations engaged in environmental conservation and protection of biodiversity in Ecuador
• Gain a better awareness of yourself and your own culture through exposure to “otherness”
• Learn about positive solutions to environmental problems, and gain empowerment in the process
• Employ “Writing Across the Curriculum” approaches to improve thinking and writing skills
• Explore potential careers in international development, environmental interpretation, community development, natural resource management, ecotourism, sustainability, etc.

2.      Prerequisites: Background in Environmental Studies, Natural Resources,
Community Development, International Development, Sustainability (e.g., ENVS 1 and/or 2, NR 1, CDAE 2, ANTH 23, or equivalent experience).

NATURE OF THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

1.    Class Format:  In keeping with the subject matter, ENVS 195/295 has a strong emphasis on learning through direct experiences. The heart of the course is a field trip/site visit to Ecuador from 24 May through 11 June, with guest speaker presentations, demonstrations, case studies, participatory activities/assignments, and journals. Preparatory class activities include:  lectures, seminar discussions of readings, and videos, and follow-up activities include researching and writing a research paper or carrying out a project related to Ecuador.
    Because of the nature of the course, active participation in all class activities is essential.  Sharing your knowledge, feelings, and skills with others in the class will enrich the course immeasurably.  Also, it is important that you provide continual feedback as to the degree to which the class is meeting your needs; changes can be made if necessary to meet the individual learning needs of class participants.
                                                                     
2.      Readings:  The required readings for this course are drawn from a wide variety of
sources and relate to: natural history and cultural heritage of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, Charles Darwin, evolution, sustainability, ecotourism, environmental interpretation, etc . They are drawn from:

• D’Orso, Michael.  2002.  Plundering Paradise:  The Hand of Man on the Galapagos Islands.  New York City, NY:  Harper Collins. UVM Library: GF852.G35 D67
• Miller, Jonathan, and Borin Van Loon.  1982.  Darwin for Beginners.  New York City, NY:  Pantheon.
• Vonnegut, Kurt.  1985. Galapagos.   New York City, NY.: Delta.
• Weiner, Jonathan.  1994.   The Beak of the Finch:  A Story of Evolution in our Time.  New York City, NY:  Vintage.  UVM Library: QL696.P246 W45
• Course packet for ENVS 195/295: Natural History, Cultural Heritage, and Community-based Ecotourism Initiatives of Ecuador's Upper Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands
• Handouts from a variety of sources in Ecuador
• Pp. 3-44 in Ham, Sam H., Environmental Interpretation: A Practical Guide for People with Big Ideas and Small Budgets (North American Press, 1992) On e-reserve under ENVS 204.

And while in the Galapagos Islands, during free time it will be important to read more about the natural history and ecology of the organisms we are experiencing from these two books in the boat’s library:

• Jackson, M.H.  1985. Galapagos: A Natural History Guide.  Calgary, AL, Canada:  University  of Calgary Press. UVM Library:  QH198.G3J33
• Kricher, John.  2002. Galapagos.  Washington, DC:  Smithsonian Institution Press. UVM Library:  QH198.G3 K75
        
3.    Assignments:  Because this course seeks to provide you with an opportunity to experience directly the work of sustainability, ecotourism, and environmental interpretation, assignments are a significant part of the course.  You should think of these exercises as a chance to field test what you read in your reading assignments and what we discuss in class, and as a case study by which you gain a better understanding of these fields.

    *Journal/Field Notes:

     Journal writing is different from almost all other writing that you do in that its end is really the process of writing, rather than the written product itself.  In your journal you engage in a form of writing known as "expressive writing."  This is the form of writing closest to thought.  It is the same as the voice that you use to talk to yourself all the time ("Uh oh!  I can't believe I...").  In contrast, "transactive writing" is the form of writing that you use to communicate to others.  While transactive writing must be clearly organized, and carefully worded, expressive writing can be raw -- pure thought poured out onto the page.

    The wonderful thing about journal keeping -- as those of you who already keep journals know -- is that it offers the opportunity to give full range to your ideas, exploring and clarifying your thinking in a way not possible without the written word; yet it frees you from the constraints of conforming your writing style to the standards necessary to communicate with others.  In your journal, you become actively engaged with your ideas and experiences.  Through the free writing process you make connections, build relationships, focus, and stretch your thinking.

In this course, we will write in our journals each day while in Belize as a way to develop our thinking before class discussions, to process events and activities (guided walks, guest speaker presentations, student presentations, etc.) personally, and to draw connections between background readings and class discussions. These entries will give you an opportunity to reflect on course ideas and experiences and to relate them to other parts of your life.  

For each of these journal entries, you should try to write continuously for a minimum of five minutes, or about a page (really continuously -- without lifting your hand if possible!).  Longer entries are even better, giving you an opportunity to develop your thoughts, insights, ideas, and questions more fully.

    Each journal entry should have a short identifying title and date.  You do not need to type your journal entries.  Your journal will be collected after we return to Burlington from Belize.  It will be evaluated not on writing style, but rather on my sense of your commitment to the journaling process and on the depth with which you explore the ideas and experiences of the course.  Your journal should show a serious, continuous involvement with the course material.  Make sure your table of contents is up-to-date before submitting your journal for my review.

    In my experience, when you make frequent entries in your journal, and when you take those entries seriously, you will enjoy writing them.  Your journal will make the class material more meaningful, more focused, and more fun.  The more you write, the more you will be actively engaged in your subject.  You will be writing what you choose to write and to remember about this course.

Your initial journal entry should record your pre-course impressions:  Why would you like to participate in this course, what do you expect to learn, and what do you expect to see?        

    Your final journal entry or conclusion should record your post-course impressions: Re-read all your journal entries for the entire course.  Then summarize what you have learned from this course—e.g., highlight knowledge or skills or changed values you have gained.
    
    *Scorecard/criteria for assessing ecotourism:
     Develop a scorecard or list of criteria for analyzing/ assessing/ evaluating/measuring ecotourism.  You will apply your scorecard to Sacha Lodge and the Ecoventura boat and determine to what degree they are examples of ecotourism.  You will then write recommendations for them to improve their “ecotourism scores.”

    *Research paper:
Identify a topic related to this course (tropical rainforests, Galapagos Islands, Charles Darwin, evolution, environmental issues in Ecuador, ecotourism, etc.) that you are especially interested in or passionate about.  Research it in depth and write a research paper, properly documented.  Be sure to have the instructor approve your topic as soon as you have decided on it.  The final draft of the paper is due no later than one month from the last day in Ecuador, or 11 July 2006 (in Tom’s mailbox at The Bittersweet, 153 S. Prospect St., Burlington, VT. 05401).
    Content information on the topic of your paper may come from books and journals in the library, interviews with knowledgeable people, the Internet, etc.  In this sense, your work will be very much like that of international development consultants with severe time constraints who must use best available information and who must “satisfice.” It is essential that you draw upon your own and others’ knowledge and skills to accomplish what needs to be done in a limited time period.  
    In past years, I have found that it works out far better for students to decide on a topic for their research paper, conduct research, and write a first draft of their paper BEFORE going to Ecuador, and then make an oral presentation to the entire class on their topic while in Ecuador …than to wait until returning to Burlington to work on the research paper.  That way, the students become co-instructors for the course!

4. Grading and Expectations:  Each class participant is expected to participate and
become actively involved in all class sessions, contributing to the growth of other class members as well; to read all class handouts and reading assignments; to complete required assignments, journal entries, etc. on time.

    In grading for this course, I employ criterion-referencing assessment.  You must reach certain criteria; that is, I have minimum-accepted standards regardless of who is in the class.  My task is to help you succeed.  If everybody in the class performs excellent quality work, everybody receives a grade of A.  (This approach is quite different from norm-referencing assessment, which assumes that there is a normally-distributed range of abilities within the class and the grades are, therefore, spread accordingly).


    Class participation and journal                                                                        30
    Ecotourism scorecards/assessments, with paper on recommendations            20
    “Practical exam” while in Ecuador (everybody should score 100 on this!)    15
    Research paper                                                                                               35                                            
    TOTAL                                                                                                         100

                                                                  


                                                 
Creationism:  belief that God has created all species exactly as we know them, whole and immutable.    
Evolution:  in his landmark Origon of the Species, published in 1859, Darwin “proposed that all species had descended from common ancestors through an evolutionary process that favored the individuals of each generation who happened to inherit the traits most advantageous for their time.”