Aldo Leopold at Earth Portal

Earth Portal's Topic of the Week is Environment in Focus: A Voice in the Wilderness by William Cronon. This article written in 1998, is introduced thus, "William Cronon pays tribute to a remarkable man and his book that altered forever the landscape of the environmental movement."

Cronon describes Sand County Almanac:

"Sand County is very different, which is probably why it feels as fresh today as it did when it was written-the mark of a true classic. To the first-time reader, it presents itself as an unprepossessing collection of nature writings, brief essays offering reminiscences of landscapes and encounters in natural places, all cast in a spare, lucid prose that is far more elegant and literary than polemical.

Only as one reads more deeply into the book does one begin to recognize the arguments and insights that lie almost between the lines, or appreciate the quiet passion that informs its call for a new human sense of moral responsibility toward the natural world. The voice is that of a first-rate scientist and naturalist, a cool-eyed observer not just of nature but of the human condition, and the tone is far more meditative and ironic than polemical or belligerent. One gets the sense that the author would be much happier getting out into the woods with his dog than finding himself mounting the barricades on behalf of a political cause.

And yet these little essays bespeak nothing less than a revolution in ways of thinking about the human place in nature - a revolution as yet unfinished, but very near the heart of environmental politics in the second half of the 20th century and beyond. By putting into words the deep questions and concerns that would persuade millions of Americans to join the environmental movement in the years after its author’s death, A Sand County Almanac earned itself an indelible place in history."

In addition to the moving essay by Cronan, you will find many links to supplemental reading, related News in Focus articles and website links. Please be sure to follow the link to the Aldo Leopold Archives at the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections.

There is a wealth of study material here for the lifelong learner looking for environmental history resources. Enjoy!

Impacts on Native American Lands

This is a very good collection of study materials from Carleton College, Integrating Research and Education, called Impacts of Resource Development on Native American Lands.

It covers six case studies:

• Uranium Mining on the Navajo Nation
• Gold Mining and the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation
• Coal Bed Methane and the Crow Reservation
• Water Resources and the Nez Perce Indian Reservation
• Gold Mining and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
• Resources of the Pribilof Islands

This actually just one part of many sections of Integrating Research and Education, including one on Hurricane Katrina and the Yellowstone Geoecosystem.

I think lifelong learners will find this to be a very nice addition to their study resources.

Biology at University of Hawaii

Offered by the University of Hawaii, Biology 101 Biology and Society is taught by Dr. George Wong, Botany Department.

This course website makes available 41 lecture pdf's and 18 sets of background links for some of the lectures. The only broken links found are for the Blue Planet Biomes in Lecture 7. I will see what site can be substituted for these and do an update shortly.

These materials will make a nice supplement for the lifelong learner's ecology projects.

Land Use History of North America at USGS

From Mars Hill

Flagstaff, Arizona

Credit Marilyn Crain

This time we get "two for the price of one." Go visit Land Use History of North America (LUHNA) and Colorado Plateau-Land Use History of North America (CP-LUHNA) for a good contribution to your resources on the environmental history of the United States. It goes a long way toward explaining the delicate balance between the viability of our environment and its plant and animal inhabitants and the needs of our human population.

The CP-LUHNA is exceptional in the quality and quantity of material available. These two sites are definite assets to be added to your learning toolbox.

Lifelong learners, enjoy.

Human Impacts on Ecosystems

Are you looking for a course that will give you an overview of the impact humans are having on the earth's ecosystems? Check out this Oregon State University Winter 2008 course, BI 301 Human Impacts on Ecosystems. Dr Patricia Muir makes available extensive resources, good solid information, on the course website. She describes the course, "... we will examine selected human impacts on ecosystems in depth, including management of agricultural and forest resources, altered air quality, and changes in global climate. The causes, approaches to investigating, and potential solutions for each issue will be discussed from scientific and social perspectives. For each environmental problem, we examine how human activities are transmitted through linkages among air, land, water, and the biota."

In addition to lecture notes, there are also study guides and supplementary readings for each unit of the course:

• Human population
• Agricultural issues
• Air quality issues
• Global climate change
• Stratospheric ozone depletion
• Biodiversity and forestry issues

The website is still being updated for fall, but it appears all links are live.