BIOL 258 - Small Scale Land Conservation in Massachusetts

This course is designed to introduce students to the conceptual, ecological, and practical issues relating to small-scale land conservation. Study sites will be within the north-central Massachusetts region. Lectures given by the professor and local Massachusetts conservation experts will be supplemented by numerous on-site training activities. Students will learn: what ecological attributes of specific sites motive small-scale conservation effords; how various groups work together to maximize the conservation potential of small tracks of land; how land-owners and acquiring entities come to an agreement on a specific conservation document; and what ecological monitoring and other similar continuing effords (e.g., control of invasive species) are involved. Although the course will focus on the Conservation Restriction as a conservation tool, other conservation vehicles will be explored. Participating Massachusetts entities will include: The Trustees of Reservations; the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissioners; the North Quabbin Land Trust; and Central Massachusetts service foresters working with the Department of Conservation & Recreation.

Prerequisites: BIOL 101 /103, BIOL 102 , BIOL 105 , BIOL 216 , and one additional "hard science" course (could be in another department, such as Geography).

Course Designation/Attribute: POP

Anticipated Terms Offered: Fall semester annually

Close Window