Hood’s Coastal Studies Program:

1. Hood’s Coastal Studies Program: Learning Environmental Science through a Multidisciplinary Approach There is a great danger in the present day lest science-teaching should degenerate into the accumulation of disconnected facts and unexplained formulae, which burden the memory without cultivating the understanding. J. D. Everett, 1873 The knowledge of the world is only to be acquired in the world, and not in a closet. Lord Chesterfield

2. Why hasn’t the 25-year restoration of the Chesapeake been more successful? The Educational Perspective Population increases have been coupled with increased mobility. • Lack of a “sense of place” • Constantly shifting baselines for environmental health and quality of life Diminished opportunities for formal and informal environmental learning. Diminished opportunities for field-based learning, especially in extended programs. A growing reliance on simulations and computer-aided instruction. Few opportunities to “connect the dots” among disciplines Scientific Understanding Historical / Cultural Climate Economic / Political Environment Current Technological Capacity Environmental Problems ? ? Environmental Solutions

3. Coastal Studies Program “The study of culture, politics, history, and science in the context of coastal communities and environments.“

4. Why Study Coastal Environments? • Physically, ecologically, and culturally diverse • Generally “long” historical record • Academically relevant • Just plain appealing to students

5. What is the Coastal Studies Semester? • a travel-based semester centered on Mid-Atlantic Coastal environments and communities • a full semester of courses (14-17 credits) • an opportunity to engage in and present original research • an opportunity for both Hood students and students from other colleges

6. Coastal Studies Semester Courses Coastal Community Ecology (4 credits) Coastal Oceanography (4 credits) The Chesapeake Bay: Human Impacts on a Natural System (3 credits) Related Elective in Literature, Policy, Economics or History (3 or 4 credits) Independent Research (2 credits) Sampling Patuxent River Oyster Bar

7. What makes the Coastal Studies Semester unique? • learning community immersed in a group of closely interrelated courses in the liberal arts • first-hand, experiential learning environment • issue-based, the locations provide the “text” • learning with a purpose / student ownership • interactions with local artists, authors, scientists, and policy-makers

8. Provide extensive multidisciplinary background information in a classroom setting. Geology Estuarine Ecology Environmental Policy European Colonization Literature

9. The Coastal Studies Program emphasizes travel and experiential learning. Hood College acts as the base of operations with 3 extended trips planned throughout the semester (1 month off-campus travel) Trip 1 – Physiographic regions of the watershed, Up-land habitats, Management of forests and freshwater resources Trip 2– Environmental History, Archeology, Coastal Ecology, Oyster Management, Aquaculture, Restoration Ecology Trip 3 – Estuarine Ecology, Environmental History, Paleontology, Oyster Disease, Fisheries Issues

10. What are the travel logistics of the Coastal Studies Semester? • students / staff travel by van and transport all program materials • sampling equipment • laboratory equipment • library resources • computers • stay 1 to 2 weeks at selected locations • Research and Education Facilities • dormitory housing & kitchen • classroom and laboratory access • additional library resources • additional computers / internet access • day trips from campus

11. A Sampling of Topics addressed during Trip 1 Stream Ecology Forest Management Geology Stream Restoration

12. Major Sites Utilized during Trips 2 and 3 of the Program Morgan State Estuarine Research Center Oxford Cooperative Laboratory Chesapeake Biological Lab Marvesta Shrimp Farms Historic St. Mary’s City Horn Point Laboratory Wallops Island Marine Consortium Historic Jamestown VIMS Eastern Shore Lab Nauticus

13. Examples from Trips 2 and 3 The Coastal Studies Interdisciplinary Approach Learning about traditional fisheries from the Bay’s watermen. Measuring condition and disease prevalence in native oysters

14. Concepts of barrier island geomorphology are brought to life. Archeology informing Environmental History

15. Blending classroom instruction, literature review, and interviews with hands-on science.

16. Summarize findings and place them within existing conceptual or theoretical frameworks. • Examples of research topics: • Nutrient-limitation of benthic Algae • “Flush-tax” legislation – willingness to pay • Ghost traps and marine debris in the Bay • Studies of invasive rusty crayfish Independent Research

17. The Coastal Studies Program – A Student’s Perspective “It’s a chance to try something new and different. – to see that learning science can be personally and professionally fulfilling.”

18. The Coastal Studies Program – A Student’s Perspective “It’s a chance to meet and interact with scientists, policy-makers, and authors.”

19. The Coastal Studies Program – A Student’s Perspective “The Program’s learning community approach and great access to professors boosts student confidence.”

20. Our Program Alums will Make a Difference for the Environment • Our alums have embarked on careers that will place them as the leaders in environmental fields. A sampling of their current pursuits: • A Ph. D. candidate at the University of Rhode Island studying disease transmission in oysters. • A Master’s Degree student at the University of Maryland in Marine, Estuarine and Environmental Science studying fisheries management • A graduate student in Toxicology at the Michigan State University • A marine science research assistant at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute studying sea grass recovery • A Ph. D. student at Georgia Tech studying marine chemical ecology • A Master’s degree student studying conflict resolution and environmental sociology at Humbolt State University • A graduate student at the Boston University School of Public Health

21. The Coastal Studies program …. a learning expedition

22. Does this Experiential Model Provide Positive Results? Here’s What Our Alums Have to Say About the Coastal Studies Program…… “The Coastal Studies program has had a profound influence on my career in the marine sciences.” “I learned a great deal about working independently as well as cooperating with multiple people. The research experience taught my valuable skills I will need in the future.” “I came to Hood for this experience, but in the back of my mind I had regretted that this would replace a study abroad semester. Now I do not regret it at all. I got more out of this then I would have anywhere else. After seeing how rewarding this has been, I hope so many more can have this experience.” “It is a great opportunity to work hands-on in the environment and learn from others.” “It is a life changing experience that I will be able to put on resume’s and tell my kids about. I feel like I have learned more this semester than any other and I enjoyed it more than I would have in a classroom.” “My Coastal Studies Semester experiences were the best of my undergraduate years and I would love to stay connected to the program as it grows.” “…one of the best experiences of my life” …. “It was easily my most memorable college semester!”