CHANGES IN THE LAND:

AN HISTORICAL AND INTERDISCIPLINARY ANALYSIS OF THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT
STATEMENT OF COURSE DESIGN & EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES:  In this First Year Seminar, we analyze Changes in Land Use in this Central New York and Catskill Mountain region from the late 1700s to the present.  Our focus is on forces of change, for example, technology, presence or absence of natural resources, decline or increase in wildlife, demographics, urban influences, and market demands, as well as their socioeconomic impact. The course materials are interdisciplinary, including history texts, songs, poems, folk tales, interviews, photographs, and newspaper articles.  To take advantage of the surrounding landscape and local people who have expertise in regional issues, guest presenters visit class; and we, in turn, take several field trips.  The goal is to instill in students an ability to analyze forces of change in land use and an appreciation for this area, which will be their college home for the next four years.  The long range goal is to provide students with the necessary analytical tools to investigate and understand their hometown environments and the environment in which they will reside in the future.

The class meets in the Lakeside Classroom at Pine Lake.  In fact, the entire first unit is devoted to changing land uses at Pine Lake from its settlement in the early 1800s through its use as Hartwick College's Environmental Campus.  The class designed and raised a class flag to represent its experiences at Pine Lake and its awareness of environmental issues and community building.

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Class members in the group photo surrounding the flag: 
  standing from left to right: Peter Hussey, Jr.,  Douglas Crewell, Keith Youngman, 
  Kyle DeVoe, Jeffrey Romanek, Nathan Constable, Robert Mancini, Sarah Oster, and 
  Elizabeth Entwistle; sitting from left to right: Ariell Ahearn and Crystal 
  Lockwood.  Other classmembers not present: Kristen Barber, Michael Cunningham, 
  Ryan Friedlander and Troy Fowler.

Class Visit to Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Project of the New York Power   Authority, in North Blenheim, NY, on Tuesday, October 30, 2001.

Mr. Stephen E. Coonradt, Project Environmentalist, discussed how NYPA manages power generation and transmission at the site, environmental concerns and land use. He gave us a guided tour of the wetlands restoration project which uses recycled materials for its walkways.  As two of the students demonstrate, the recycled materials offer strong, yet light weight and flexible boards and beams for construction.

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