GEOG 380 02 / ENVR 300 01 Fall 2010

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Geography of the James River Watershed GEOG 380 02 / ENVR 300 01

Instructor:

Dr. Todd Lookingbill Office: 311 Carol Weinstein International Center Phone: 804.289.8265 Email: tlooking@richmond.edu Office hours: Mon/Thurs 3:00-4:00 or by email appointment

The web site for the class can be found on Blackboard http://blackboard.richmond.edu/

Course Schedule: Class meets: Wed, 1:30-4:15, 229 Carole Weinstein International Center Additional time will be required outside of the classroom to complete the community based learning component of the course. Course Description and Objectives: The course has three primary objectives: (1) to provide students with an introduction to physical geography by thinking about scale, connectivity and boundaries, (2) to exercise and hone skills of critical observation, and (3) to link the theory learned in class to the practice of natural resource management in the local community. These goals are accomplished through a combination of scholarly discussion in the classroom and first-hand exposure to the people and environments that define the resource challenges and opportunities within the James River watershed. The course begins with a field trip on the river in which initial impressions of the region’s natural resources are made. These impressions are deconstructed in class as part of the core lecture material. During the rest of the semester we meet and work with local practitioners on projects related to conservation in the watershed. These projects vary from year to year but focus on the James River Park System with whom potential projects include improved mapping of the park, treatment of invasive plants in park meadows and forests, development of a fire management plan, or consideration of the importance of neighboring protected lands and easements to the integrity of the park’s resources. Local experts also participate in the course as guest lecturers. A final project ties together the lecture and field-based components of the course.

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Course Materials: There is no required textbook for the course but reading assignments will be made in advance of each class. These readings will be accessible through the course web page. Extra class material also will be placed on reserve in Boatwright Library. Lecture materials and a course bibliography will be kept on the class web site. Student Evaluation: 25pts Quizzes and midterm exam

Short in-class quizzes may be given at any time during the semester. These quizzes will cover concepts from the previous week and/or the current week’s assigned readings. Students missing a quiz for a non-legitimate reason will score zero for that quiz. A mid-term exam will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions focusing on the material from lecture and the readings.

26pts CBL Independent projects Community Based Learning (CBL) will be an integral part of this course. A total of 12 hours of volunteer service within the James River Park are required. A list of potential projects will be provided. The preferred way to complete these service hours is in 3 half-day (4-hour) blocks. Our community partner will help to assign a grade for these activities. Failure to complete site visit hours (documented by community partner) by the date indicated in the syllabus will result in zero points being awarded for this component of the course. (10 pts) Student observation logs will be an important part of the independent projects. These will be maintained on the web (http://blog.richmond.edu/James/ and posts are required weekly for 8 weeks. Postings should link observations from time spent in the James River watershed to concepts discussed in class. A list of potential topics to address will be provided. Two comment posts on other students’ observations also are required each week. (2 pts/wk = 16 pts)

10pts Class participation

To gain full credit for participation, students must: • demonstrate excellent preparation for class including completing the

assigned readings prior to class; • facilitate productive class discussions and group activities on a consistent

basis; • offer analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of material not just reiteration of

information without elaboration; • answer questions and raise substantive questions about the readings and

assignments; and • engage thoughtfully with invited guest speakers and field trip hosts.

In addition, students are expected to remain fully attentive in the class without distractions such as text messaging, using the Internet, and talking about matters unrelated to class. One undocumented (no note from a dean or physician) absence is permitted per semester. One point will be deducted for each additional absence. This includes absences from scheduled field trips.

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14pts Application papers Two applications papers will be required during the semester in which students will apply relevant theory to management challenges introduced by readings or guest speakers. Each paper will be only two-pages in length but arguments should be carefully researched, documented, and presented. The concepts of scale, connectivity and boundaries should be emphasized where relevant. Drafts of the papers will be due before class on the day that the topic is being discussed (4 pts/paper). Comments will be provided and final papers will be due by Thanksgiving break (3 pts/revision).

25pts Final project

As a final project, students will evaluate whether the James River Park should be considered for listing as a National Natural Landmark (http://www.nature.nps.gov/nnl/). The first step in the listing process is the submission of a potential NNL, or pNNL, proposal. These proposals can be no more than five pages plus accompanying figures and must address why the site does (or does not) represents an illustrative example of one or more of a published list of unique biological and geological features. Final papers will follow the pNNL format and be due at the end of the semester (15 pts). The last class of the semester will be dedicated to a discussion of the merits of listing the site (students can choose to either support a listing or not). To gain experience, students will first draft two shorter (2-page) pNNL proposals for other sites within the James River watershed (5 pts each). Students may work in small groups of no more than three for the final project but must write the two shorter practice proposals on their own.

• The grading scheme will follow standard University of Richmond guidelines

(http://registrar.richmond.edu/services/policies/grading.html).

A > 93 pts B 87-83 C 77-73 D 67-63

A- 93-90 B- 83-80 C- 73-70 D- 63-60

B+ 90-87 C+ 80-77 D+ 70-67 F < 60 pts

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Fall 2010 Schedule

This schedule will be followed approximately. Some changes may be made as the class proceeds but the exam date, assignment due dates, and field trip dates will not change. We will begin most classes with a discussion of observation logs. Additional information on the CBL independent projects, observation logs, application papers, and pNNL evaluation procedures will be provided in supplemental handouts during the semester.

Week Topic Assignments

INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL – The James River Watershed

Aug 25

What defines Place? Region? What is a Watershed? What defines the James River Watershed? Hil Scott – blog set-up

A geography of place: principles and applications for defining ‘eco-civic’ resource governance Blog 1: Observations of the Westhampton Lake watershed

Sept 1 Field trip on the James from Reedy Creek to 14th Street Bridge

James River Interpretive Guide James River Journal: a year in the life Blog 2: Initial observations of the James River watershed

BOUNDARIES – Watersheds, Wetlands, and Protected Areas

Sept 8

History of the James River watershed and its relationship to patterns of human settlement; Watershed science Terry Dolson – working in the community

Nonesuch Place (Ch. 1 and 5) The urban stream syndrome

Sept 15 Field Trip to Pony Pasture with Ralph White

Interpretive Guide to the Trails of Pony Pasture and Wetland Wonders Blog 3: The James from its shoreline

Sept 22

The riparian interface; riparian and wetland stewardship

Don Forsyth - psychology of watershed perception and protection: Upham Brook

Down by the riverside: urban riparian ecology Bank erosion as a desirable attribute of rivers

Sept 25 SATURDAY: International Coastal Cleanup Day First ½ day service activity (8:00am-noon)

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Sept 29 Protected areas and boundaries; Introduction to the NNL program

Designing Small Parks: A Manual for Addressing Social and Ecological Concerns Threats to U.S. public lands from cumulative hydrologic alterations outside of their boundaries Blog 4 Due

CONNECTIVITY – Hydrologic, Biotic, and Human-Environment

Oct 6 Catchment hydrology; Hydrologic flow alterations through time

Elements of Physical Hydrology (Ch. 1) Altered ecological flows blur boundaries in urbanizing watersheds Blog 5 Due

Oct 13 Interactions between the water and the land; influence of humans on watershed connectivity

State of Chesapeake Forests (Ch. 1-3) Use of multiple dispersal pathways facilitates amphibian persistence in stream networks Blog 6 Due

Oct 20 Midterm

Oct 27

Movement, invasions, and global connectivity Nathan Burrell – Connecting to the City through its Parks

Noah’s Garden (Ch. 1) Migration and environment in the context of globalization pNNL Write-ups Due

Oct 31 Independent project service must be completed by the end of October

SCALE – Local, Regional, National, and Global

Nov 3 The forests and the trees: land cover and urban forestry

The State of Chesapeake Forests (Ch. 4, 7 and 8) Virginia’s Urban Forests Blog 7 Due

Nov 6 SATURDAY: Tree planting with City of Richmond Dept of Public Works Norm Brown, Arborist, City of Richmond (9:00am-noon)

Nov 10 Field Trip: Fish and macroinvertebrate sampling with INSTAR program

The physical environment as a basis for managing ecosystems Blog 8: Comment on program value to watershed mgmt based on what have learned and observed over the semester

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* Initial drafts of 2 application papers may be handed in at any time during the semester.

Nov 17

Exploration of the world’s iconic rivers: Amazon, Ganges, Mississippi, Nile, Rhine, and Yangtze Karl Huber – Non-point source pollution and the James

The politics of scale, position, and place in governance of water resources in the Mekong Region Climate change and the world’s river basins: anticipating management options

Nov 24 Revisions of application papers due before Thanksgiving break*

Dec 1 James River Park NNL group presentations

Dec 5 Final project papers due

If you experience difficulties in this course, do not hesitate to consult with me. There are also other resources that can support you in your efforts to meet course requirements. Academic Skills Center (http://asc.richmond.edu or 289-8626) helps students assess their academic strengths and weaknesses; hone their academic skills through teaching effective test preparation, critical reading and thinking, information processing, concentration, and related techniques; work on specific subject areas (e.g., calculus, chemistry, accounting, etc.); and encourage campus and community involvement. Career Development Center (http://cdc.richmond.edu/ or 289-8141) can assist you in exploring your interests and abilities, choosing a major, connecting with internships and learning experiences, investigating graduate and professional school options, and landing your first job. We encourage you to schedule an appointment with a career advisor during your first year. Counseling and Psychological Services (289-8119) assists students in meeting academic, personal, or emotional challenges. Services include assessment, short-term counseling and psychotherapy, crisis intervention and related services. Speech Center (http://speech.richmond.edu or 289-8814): Assists with preparation and practice in the pursuit of excellence in public expression. Recording, playback, coaching and critique sessions offered by teams of student consultants trained to assist in developing ideas, arranging key points for more effective organization, improving style and delivery, and handling multimedia aids for individual and group presentations. Writing Center assists writers at all levels of experience, across all majors. Students can schedule appointments with trained writing consultants who offer friendly critiques of written work: http://writing.richmond.edu Note: Students having special needs that require an accommodation or an academic adjustment, please arrange a meeting with me within the first two weeks of the semester.