Meets the following requirements: HS   

Wilderness has been the clarion call for generations of environmentalists.  Henry David Thoreau once said, "In wildness is the preservation of the world." That single sentence and the controversy surrounding that idea provides the central focus of our explorations over the term.  This course examines the question of wilderness from multiple perspectives in the hopes of providing an understanding of the concept and real spaces that constitute wilderness.   Starting with a week-long canoe trip down Maine's Allagash Wilderness Waterway, we look at historical and contemporary accounts of the value of wilderness, biological, and cultural arguments for wilderness, and the legal and policy difficulties of "protecting" wilderness.  Considerable time is spent evaluating current criticisms of the wilderness idea and practice.  Students are involved in a term-long project involving potential wilderness protection in Maine.  This involves some weekend travel and work in the Maine Woods.  Classwork emphasizes hands-on projects as well as theoretical discussions.

Level: Intermediate.  Prerequisite: Introduction to the Legal Process, Signature of instructor.  Class
limit: 14.  Lab fee: $200.  *HS*