ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE oceanography, including aspects of geology and sedimentology, chemical, dynamic and biological oceanography. The course concludes with an introduction to marine ecosystems examined at various trophic levels, including phyto/zooplankton, fish and other macrofauna. Fieldwork (weather dependent) includes trips on RV Osprey, trips to intertidal and estuarine ecosystems, and possible visits to the college’s islands, Mount Desert Rock and Great Duck Island. Evaluation will be by lab, quizzes and a final paper.
█ ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I Don Cass Cost: $20 This course explores the physical, chemical, and environmental properties of carbon containing materials such as plastics, solvents, dyes, as well as all living things, and once living materials. The lab exposes students to the common techniques of studying and manipulating such materials. Evaluations are based on midterm and final exam. The equivalent of this course is a prerequisite for biochemistry. Prerequisites: a previous chemistry course. Offered every other year.
█ ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II Don Cass Cost: $50 This class continues to discuss the occurrence and behavior of additional functional groups not covered in Organic Chemistry I. Meeting twice a week, we work our way through the remainder of the fall text and apply the material by reading articles from the current literature of environmental organic chemistry. Assessment is based on keeping up with the reading, class participation, and three take home problem sets. Prerequisites: Organic Chemistry I. Offered every other year.
█ ORGANIC PRODUCTION ON A FARMING SCALE Suzanne Morse Course limit: 8 Cost: $50 Through on farm and classroom work, this course will examine the ecological principles upon which current organic agricultural practices are based. The goal of this course is to understand how the principals and practices of organic agriculture are implemented within the constraints of production scale and goals, which may include economic and labor efficiencies, certification requirements, environmental ethics, marketing, and the changing complexity of the farming system. The application of these ideas culminates in two projects, one group project implemented on farm and a farm
plan for a specific location of choice. Evaluations will be based on quizzes, project implementation, personal farm/garden design, and lab effort and competence. Prerequisites: prior farm work experience, introductory biology, and permission of instructor.
█ ORNITHOLOGY Scott Swann & Matt Drennan Course limit: 24 Cost: $75 The study of ornithology is as old as human society itself. Birds are particularly conspicuous elements of our world, and figure prominently in our art, religious symbolism, mythology, scientific endeavors, and even sport. Birds appear in European paleolithic cave paintings from 14,000 years ago, domesticated fowl are known from India circa 3000 bc, and ancient scholars such as Aristotle and Pliny the Elder devoted considerable time to ornithological observations. In this century great strides have been made in the study of population biology and ecology, navigation and migration, and human induced ecological change (sometimes called human ecology), all through the study of birds. This class introduces the student to the ornithological world by using both scientific literature and direct field observation. Systematics and physiology will be reviewed, but much of our effort will concentrate on reproductive ecology, behavior and the environment, and population dynamics. There will be a strong emphasis on field observation — learning how to look at birds and their behavior in order to perhaps make larger observations about their environment.
DAILY BREAD: FOLLOWING GRAINS █ OUR THROUGH THE FOOD SYSTEMS Suzanne Morse & Molly Anderson Cost: TBA The aim of the course is to use wheat, oats and rye as a lens to explore how a wide range of factors including history, changing land use patterns, crop development, human nutrition, food processing, sensory evaluation, and socio-economic factors shape how grains are grown, harvested and ultimately transformed into our daily bread. This field based course seeks to provide students with deep insights into the past and current production of grains in the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States. Extensive readings complement the summer fieldwork at farms, mills, bakeries, and research sites in Europe, and provides students with the agronomic background necessary for a historical view of grain production and the possibility of localized grain within the current global economy. Students lead discussions, interview
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