ENG 4110: Senior Capstone, Fall 2024, 12:30-1:50 PM
This course examines how the American conception of “wilderness” has evolved over time and the consequences of this changing idea for nature preservation and the scientific and aesthetic appreciation of the wild. Major figures, events, trends and controversies in nature conservation and preservation are explored, along with actual designated wilderness spaces (such as National Parks and Forests, nature preserves, etc.). Through readings, discussions, and writing assignments, we will investigate the connections between wilderness concepts, environmental history, ecology, and literature. We will also examine how wilderness is entangled with issues of race, gender, colonialism, and indigenous land rights. Students will explore these topics through interdisciplinary perspectives while engaging with multiple writing genres, including nature writing. We will also engage with the Campus Woods as an important site of ecological, historical, and communal importance for the university, and students will have opportunities to learn from guest speakers in the fields of ecology, conservation, and communication studies. Throughout the semester, students will design and update their own individual websites, where they will post completed assignments and other course-related materials. Assigned readings will be in fiction and non-fiction, with all readings available in Pilot (see class calendar for reading schedule and assignment deadlines)
