Full Course Title:
Land Conservation in North Carolina
North Carolina is one of the most biodiverse states in the nation. We also have a very robust history and practice regarding land conservation and natural resource protection. This course will introduce students to the technical, political, and social aspects of land conservation and preservation, both public and private, in our state. It will present multiple perspectives regarding the issues relating to land conservation and explore competing interests and conceptions regarding conservation, shifting cultural conceptions of nature, Land Trusts/Conservancies and their role in the conservation community. We will also explore the legal and technical aspects of conservation easements, assessing conservation values, and some general “life lessons” that first year students should be aware of. Additionally, this class will introduce the history and philosophical underpinnings of land conservation through the lens of the American environmental movement. Instruction will be conducted through a combination of class discussions, brief films, academic, popular, and classic readings, class visits from professionals in the NC conservation community, a library research assignment, and an interview assignment.