COURSE DESCRIPTION

Urban areas are increasing in population and extent, and more than 70% of people globally are expected to live in cities by 2050. While cities represent a small but growing total land area, urban areas contribute disproportionately to the twin challenges of the Anthropocene—climate change and biodiversity loss. Consequently, cities are critical social-ecological landscapes to consider in conservation and sustainability initiatives. In this class, students will develop a foundational understanding of cities as social-ecological systems with unique defining principles. Students will then build upon this knowledge through pairing lectures and readings with a place-based exploration of their own hometown and share with other class members about the dynamics and specifics of their home ecosystem. By the end of the course, students will have a firm understanding of some of the challenges and opportunities of working in or thinking about human-nature systems and be able to apply these skills to diverse professional trajectories.

PREREQUISITES

None

COURSE FORMAT & DATES

INSTRUCTOR SUPPORT

Students will take this course at their own pace over a 4-week period. Each module will include pre-recorded lectures about the module theme, or the skills needed for the week’s activities. Each module will also include hands-on activities that get you out exploring the ecosystem around your home. These will generally require photo explorations and will build towards students’ final projects. The main project for the course will be to document and contextualize the challenges and opportunities of integrating urban ecology into plans for biodiverse and sustainable cities. This will take the form of a final report, but there is flexibility in the formatting details. Students may choose to develop a video, a story map, an infographic, or any other creative format. Students will participate in a weekly online discussion to engage class materials with real-word happenings. These will typically be based on thoughts and connections with readings and relevant lectures and will include responses to classmates and dialogue with the instructor. The instructor will be available via email, one-on-one Zoom appointments, and during weekly Discussions. You will have access to the course for the 3-month term. Completing all exercises and course surveys are required to pass the course and receive a CWS certificate of course completion, which can be submitted for continuing education with TWS.

Summer: June 3 - Aug 25 (early bird): $500 professional / $400 student

ACADEMIC CREDIT

Reach out to your instructor for help during the first month (and less consistent support the next two months of the term) as you work through prerecorded lectures, exercises, and your own personal work. Instructor support includes emailing your instructor, accessing live discussion threads, attending group meetings, and scheduling one-on-one appointments (Zoom or phone) about course materials, your research, datasets from work, etc. You will have access to the course for 1 year. This 1-credit academic course (16 contact hrs + additional work) is pre-approved for continuing education with TWS and can be taken for an additional 1-2 academic credits.

Summer: June 3 - Aug 25 (early bird): $600 professional / $500 student

TOPICS & LEARNING OUTCOMES

History and Patterns of Urbanization; Principles of Urban Ecology
Cities as Social-Ecological Systems, Urban Landscapes, and Ecosystem Services
Urbanized Waterways
Biodiversity and Urban Conservation
Climate Change and The Future of Cities
Identify themes and principles of urban areas and identify complexity in social-ecological systems.
Discuss knowledgably the ecosystem services, disservices, and injustices that persist across urban landscapes and identify some of these features in their home city.
Understand chemical, biological, and physical issues of urbanized waterways, with a particular emphasis on characteristics of urban stream syndrome.
Incorporate urban areas and principles in their understanding of climate change resilience planning, biodiversity conservation strategies, and global sustainability.
Explore their home cities and any future travel destinations with a critical eye towards social-ecological form, function, and future.

CONTINUING ED / ACADEMIC CREDIT

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT

This course has been pre-approved for continuing education by The Wildlife Society for 16 CEUs in Category I of the Certified Wildlife Biologist® Renewal/Professional Development Certificate Program. Students must complete all exercises in this course to receive a Certification of Course Completion, which is required to earn the CEUs specified above. See our continuing education credit page for details.

UNDERGRADUATE OR GRADUATE CREDIT (OPTIONAL)

This 1-semester credit equivalent course can be taken with pre-approval from an administrator at a student’s college or university. In addition to meeting the requirements for course completion, students must take a final assessment to earn academic credit (e.g., Pass/Fail, letter grade) for this course. See our academic credit page for details.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Full scholarships are available to participants from countries designated as “lower income” and “lower middle income” in the World Bank List of Economies. Please see our CWS World Scholars Program page for details.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Cancellations 30 days or more before the start date are not subject to cancellation fees. Cancellations <30 days before the start date are subject to a 50% cancellation fee. No refunds once the course begins.

QUESTIONS?