This Marvelous, Terrible Place: The Natural History and Culture of Newfoundland and Labrador
An Interdisciplinary Course Team-Taught by
Dr. Sean Todd and Dr. Davis Taylor
The province of Newfoundland and Labrador has become a crucible for complex ecological, cultural and environmental issues. This setting provides case studies that offer students the opportunity to develop critical thinking and analytical skills as they examine how reliance on natural resources affects culture, economy and sense of place in a rapidly-changing region with a long history of human settlement. Students will explore the human ecology of Newfoundland and Labrador through readings, discussion, and a two-week trip to the province at the end of the class to examine the issues firsthand. Key topics include the collapse of the cod fishery, the cultural and economic disparity between residents of urban areas and remote coastal villages, the decision to join Canada, the promises and pitfalls of ecotourism, and pressures from mining and oil exploration. Some of challenges of this region reveal lessons that can be applied to other parts of the world. This course is co-taught by Sean Todd, Davis Taylor, and Natalie Springuel.