Catalog description Faculty -- contact information Students -- contact information General goals Schedule Grading Equipment Academic honesty Field trip Teams SMART Independent projects Albums Reading material Videos Updated: 8 October, 2009

World's smallest vultures Can you find the six species in this image? What are they doing? Can you describe their ecological relationships with each other? Click on the image, scroll to the bottom, set the resolution, then click on each image to advance to the next.

Faculty

• Name:John Pickering (Pick or Dr. Pick)
• E-mail: pick@discoverlife.org
• Office phone: 706-542-1115 (daytime; messages)
• Cell phone: 706-254-7446
• Home phone: 706-353-7076 (not after 9:00PM, unless emergency)
• Office/Lab location: 538 Biological Sciences Building (northeast corner of building)
• Office hours: after class (12:15-2:00PM, Tuesdays & Thursdays) or by appointment.
• Technical support: Kosta Kleyman, 538 Bio. Sci. Bld., 2:30-4:00PM, Tuesdays, or by appointment (email: dl@discoverlife.org ).

General course goal

Our goal is to teach you how to think critically and foster your creativity. We will focus on developing your thinking and presentation skills, understanding concepts and constraints, and not memorizing facts. We will address issues of most interest to class members, not survey all environmental issues of current concern. You will learn through lectures, discussion, field trips, and assignments. You have a tabula rasa upon which to build an independent (video) project -- hopefully one that will teach others to interact with our environment in a better, sustainable way.

1. Enviromental problems -- Identify ones upon which to focus (over population, climate change, energy use, biodiversity, invasive species,...). You should plan to become an expert in one local, regional, or global environmental issue.
2. Tools -- learn theory, logical skills, scientific method, experimental design, ecological and evolutionary principles, teamwork,...
3. Local natural history -- get into the outdoor classroom, learn about the diversity of life around you, photograph nature, collect data,...
4. Independent projects -- Can your team change the world with a video?

Schedule

The following is a tentative schedule. It may change for logistic and other reasons.

• Time: 11:00-12:15AM, Tuesdays & Thursdays
  
• Where:
  • Inside -- Glass Conference Rooms, Ecology Building
  • Outside -- Campus, State Botanical Garden, Southeast Clarke Park, Lake Herrick
  • Wilderness field trip -- Joyce Kilmer, North Carolina
• Dates
  • Tu 18 Aug -- Course structure (this page).
    Student introductions.
    What is Ecology?
    Assignment-1: Bring a list of three books that you would like to be considered for possible book reports to class on 20 August. For each please list 1) author, 2) year, 3) title, 4) publisher, and 5) ISBN.
  • Th 20 Aug -- TABULA RASA -- 1) Problems, 2) Theory, 3) Natural history, 4) Independent team projects
    Plan assignments to groups, teams, partners, and independent projects; deadlines.
    "Tragedy of the Commons"
    Assignment-2: Bring 3 different estimates of how much sea level will change, including your sources, to class on 25 Aug.
    [Add: 17-21 Aug; Drop: 17-20 Aug]
  • Tu 25 Aug -- Problems: Global Warming
    "An Inconvenient Truth"
    Assignment-3: Email to dl@discoverlife.org the book that you have chosen to review from the list below and your partner's name. Due 5:00PM on 26 Aug. Only two people will be allowed to review each book. We will give priority to the first email selecting a particular book.
  • Th 27 Aug -- Problems: Climate Change
    
    • Bjorn Lomborg: Our priorities for saving the world
    • Kary Mullis: Celebrating the scientific experiment
    Assignment-4: Bring to next class a summary paragraph describing how much the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates sea level will change, by when, and how these estimates were made. In your opinion, are these unbiased estimates? Why or why not?
  • Tu 01 Sep -- "Home" -- problems
  • Th 03 Sep -- "Home" -- solutions
  • Tu 08 Sep --
    • Field trip: liability waiver forms
    • Reading assignment by 10 September: The Appalachians
    • Theory: Hans Rosling: New insights on poverty and life around the world
    • Independent Projects: Team topics
  • Th 10 Sep -- Biodiversity; Discover Life; Planning wilderness field trip: GORP, payment, liability waivers
  • Tu 15 Sep -- Book reports, part I
  • Th 17 Sep -- Book reports, part II; Planning wilderness field trip
  • Friday, 18 September - Sunday, 20 September
    Wilderness field trip -- Joyce Kilmer, North Carolina
    Tips & What to Bring
    Estimated cost: $45
    Requires: Camping and backpacking gear; good attitude, even if it rains.
    Friday: Drive to Joyce Kilmer, leaving 3:00PM
    Car camp -- Rattler Ford Group Campground -- Site 001
    Saturday: visit Memorial Grove old-growth forest, hike to top on Naked Ground Trail, wilderness camp.
    Sunday: Overlook, decend, return to Athens, arriving late afternoon
    Excused absences: Attendance is required on this field trip. Exceptions will be considered if your are handicapped, on the football team,...
  • Tu 22 Sep -- Book reports, part III;
  • Th 24 Sep -- Book reports, part IV; Methods: Digital photography -- Take photographs outdoors on campus -- Uploading & editing data
  • Tu 29 Sep -- Natural history -- Botanical Garden -- Orange Trail [Group-Tuesday]
  • Th 01 Oct -- Natural history -- Botanical Garden -- Orange Trail [Group-Thursday]
  • Tu 06 Oct -- Natural history -- Botanical Garden -- Bee Hunt [Group-Tuesday]
  • Th 08 Oct -- Natural history -- Botanical Garden -- Bee Hunt [Group-Thursday]
  • [Midterm]
  • Tu 13 Oct -- Natural history -- Southeast Clarke Park -- Bee Hunt [Group-Tuesday]
  • Th 15 Oct -- Natural history -- Southeast Clarke Park -- Bee Hunt [Group-Thursday]
  • Tu 20 Oct -- Natural history -- Lake Herrick [Group-Tuesday]
  • Th 22 Oct -- Natural history -- Lake Herrick [Withdrawal Deadline]
  • Tu 27 Oct -- Natural history -- Data analysis & mapping / Rain day [Group-Tuesday]
  • Th 29 Oct -- Natural history -- Data analysis & mapping / Rain day [Group-Thursday]
  • [Fall break 30 Oct] Tu 03 Nov -- Independent projects
  • Th 05 Nov -- Independent projects
  • Tu 10 Nov -- Independent projects
  • Th 12 Nov -- Independent projects
  • Tu 17 Nov -- Independent projects
  • Th 19 Nov -- Independent projects
  • Tu 24 Nov -- [No class - Thanksgiving holiday]
  • Th 26 Nov -- [No class - Thanksgiving holiday]
  • Tu 01 Dec -- Film festival, Part I
  • Th 03 Dec -- Film festival, Part II; Course evaluation
  • Tu 08 Dec -- [No class - Friday class schedule in effect]
  • Th 10 Dec -- No final exam [10-11, 14-16 finals exams]
  • Fr 18 Dec -- [No class - Grades due]

Grading

Grades

Independent team video projects

• Examples of student videos
• Draft version due 19 November, 5:00PM
• Final version to be presented at the Film Festival, 1-3 December

In the Sierra Cool Schools: The Third Annual List the University of Georgia ranks 115 of 135 schools evaluated by the Sierra Club. UGA's final grade over a set of categories that include "Efficiency" and "Energy" is a "D." This is embarrassing. Some of you should consider a team project to help UGA improve its grade next year.

Equipment

• Camping Gear: You may rent camping gear for the wilderness field trip from GORP, located in the lower level of Ramsey Student Center. The office is open weekdays, 2-6pm.
• Camera: For the Natural History part of the class, you will need a digital camera that passes the Dime Test.
• Video: Your Independent Team will need access to a video camera.

Academic honesty

All academic work must meet the standards contained in "A Culture of Honesty." Students are responsible for informing themselves about those standards before performing any academic work. The link to more detailed information about academic honesty can be found at: http://www.uga.edu/honesty.

Books

The course has no assigned text. You will be expected to present a book report to the class with a partner on 15-17 September. Select from the following:

• Abbey, Edward. Desert Solitaire. New York: Touchstone, 1990. ISBN 0671695886
• Adams, W. M.. Green Development: Environment and Sustainability in a Developing World. New York: Routledge, 2008. ISBN 0415395070 [Reviewers-4: Andrew + Jonathan]
• Braungart, Michael, and William McDonough. Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. New York: North Point Press, 2002. ISBN 0865475873
• Brinkley, Douglas. The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America, 1858-1919. New York: Harper, 2009. ISBN 0060565284
• Brown, Lester R.. Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, Third Edition. New York: W. W. Norton, 2008. ISBN 0393330877
• Buchmann, Stephen L., and Gary Paul Nabhan. The Forgotten Pollinators. Washington, DC: Island Press, 1997. ISBN 1559633530 [Reviewers-10: Cody + Lily]
• Carson, Rachel. Silent Spring. New York: Mariner Books, 2002. ISBN 0618249060
• D'Agnese, Joseph, and Nell Newman. The Newman's Own Organics Guide to a Good Life: Simple Measures That Benefit You and the Place You Live. New York: Villard, 2003. ISBN 081296733X
• Daily, Gretchen, and Katherine Ellison. The New Economy of Nature: The Quest To Make Conservation Profitable. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2003. ISBN 1559631546
• Diamond, Jared. Collapse. London: Penguin Books, 2005. ISBN 0143036556 [Reviewers-13: Chris + Scott]
• Edwards, Andres R.. The Sustainability Revolution: Portrait Of A Paradigm Shift. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Publishers, 2005. ISBN 0865715319
• Food Inc.: A Participant Guide: How Industrial Food is Making Us Sicker, Fatter, and Poorer-And What You Can Do About It. New York: PublicAffairs, 2009. ISBN 1586486942 [Reviewers-1: Ashish + Matt]
• Friedman, Thomas L. 2008. Hot, Flat, and Crowded (Why We Need A Green Revolution - And How It Can Renew America). New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN-13:978-0-374-16685-4/10:0-374-16685-4. [Reviewers-11: Jeffrey + Alicia]
• Gluckman, Peter, and Mark Hanson. Mismatch: Why Our World No Longer Fits Our Bodies. New York: Oxford University Press, USA, 2008. ISBN 0199228388 [Reviewers-8: Terica + Suzie]
• Goleman, Daniel. Ecological Intelligence: How Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change Everything. New York: Doubleday Business, 2009. ISBN 0385527829 [Reviewers-5: Kathleen + Jill]
• Gore, Al. An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It. Emmaus, Pa.: Rodale Books, 2006. ISBN 1594865671
• Gore, Al. Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit. Emmaus, Pa.: Rodale Books, 2006. ISBN 1594866376
• Hawken, Paul, Amory Lovins, and L. Hunter Lovins. Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution. New York: Back Bay Books, 2000. ISBN 0316353000
• Hopp, Steven L., Barbara Kingsolver, and Camille Kingsolver. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (P.S.). New York: Harper Perennial, 2008. ISBN 0060852569
• Horn, Greg. Living Green: A Practical Guide to Simple Sustainability. London: Freedom Press, 2006. ISBN 1893910474 [Reviewers-3: Jackson + Sarah]
• Institute, The Worldwatch. State of the World 2009: Into a Warming World (State of the World). New York: W. W. Norton, 2009. ISBN 039333418X
• Kessler, Brad. Goat Song: A Seasonal Life, A Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese. New York: Scribner, 2009. ISBN 1416560998
• Leopold, Aldo. A Sand County Almanac (Outdoor Essays & Reflections). New York: Oxford University Press, USA, 2001. ISBN 0195146174
• Lomborg, B. 2007. Cool It - The Skeptical Environmentalists's Guide to Global Warming. Vintage Books. New York. ISBN:978-0-307-38652-6 [See www.lomborg.com.] [Reviewers-9: Alison + Elizabeth]
• Louv, R. 2005. Last Child in the Woods. Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. ISBN-13:978-1-56512-391-5/10:1-56512-391-3. [Reviewers-2: Clare + Rudi]
• Loux, R. Easy Green Living: The ultimate guide to simple, eco-friendly choices for you and your home. Rodale, New York. ISBN 101-59486-792-5/13978-1-59486-792-7
• Mason, Adrienne, Amanda Mcconnell, and David Suzuki. The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature. Vancouver, British Columbia: Greystone Books, 2007. ISBN 1553651669
• Mckibben, Bill. Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age. new york: Owl Books, 2004. ISBN 0805075194
• Mckibben, Bill. The End of Nature. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2006. ISBN 0812976088
• Meadows, Dennis L., Donella H. Meadows, and Jorgen Randers. Beyond the Limits: Confronting Global Collapse, Envisioning a Sustainable Future. Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 1993. ISBN 0930031628
• Montgomery, David R.. Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008. ISBN 0520258061
• Mowat, F. 1996. Sea of Slaughter. Mariner Books. ISBN-10:1576300196/13:978-1576300190 [Reviewers-12: Amanda]
• Perfecto, Ivette, and John Vandermeer. Breakfast Of Biodiversity: The Political Ecology of Rain Forest Destruction. New York: Food First , 2005. ISBN 093502896X
• Pimm, Stuart. The World According To Pimm: A Scientist Audits the Earth. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001. ISBN 0071374906
• Pollan, Michael. The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2002. ISBN 0375760393 [Reviewers-7: Faheed + Tim]
• Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. New York: Penguin, 2007. ISBN 0143038583 [Reviewers-6: Bejan + Kevin]
• Prelitz, C. Green Made Easy: The everyday guide for transitioning to a green lifestyle. Hay House. ISBN 978-1-4019-22??-9
• Quammen, David. The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinction. New York: Scribner, 1997. ISBN 0684827123
• Roberts, Callum. The Unnatural History of the Sea. Washington: Shearwater, 2009. ISBN 1597265772
• Royte, Elizabeth. Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash. New York: Back Bay Books, 2006. ISBN 031615461X
• Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal (P.S.). New York: Harper Perennial, 2009. ISBN 0061838683
• Speth, James Gustave. The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009. ISBN 0300151152
• Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. New York: Digireads.Com, 2005. ISBN 1420922610
• Weisman, Alan. The World Without Us. New York, NY: Picador, 2008. ISBN 0312427905
• Wilson, Diane. An Unreasonable Woman: A True Story of Shrimpers, Politicos, Polluters, And the Fight for Seadrift, Texas. White River Junction: Chelsea Green, 2006. ISBN 1933392274
• Wilson, Edward O.. The Future of Life. New York: Vintage, 2003. ISBN 0679768114
• Workman, James G.. Heart of Dryness: How the Last Bushmen Can Help Us Endure the Coming Age of Permanent Drought. New York: Walker & Company, 2009. ISBN 0802715583
• Ecological Integrity: Integrating Environment, Conservation, and Health. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2000. ISBN 1559638087

• Trivers, R. L. 1985. Social Evolution. Benjamin/Cummings. ISBN 0-8053-8507-X.
• Friedman, T. L. 2005. The World is Flat. A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century. Farrar, Straus, & Giroux. New York. ISBN-13:978-0-374-29288-1.
• Smith, T. M. and R. L. Smith. 2009. Elements of Ecology (Seventh Edition). Pearson Benjamin Cummings. ISBN 0-321-55957-6/978-0321-55957-9.
• Stiling, P. D. 1996. Ecology: Theories and Applications (Second Edition). Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-221939-5.
• Ricklefs, R. E. 1990. Ecology (Third Edition). W. H. Freeman & Co. ISBN 0-7167-2077-9.

Videos

Please view these as assigned. Some will be shown in lecture.

• 5 minutes university [on 18 August]
• Links to additional videos will appear here.