ENV309: Sustainability & Ecological Restoration

Identifying NonNative Invasive Honeysuckles

This course examines the meaning, importance, associated controversies, and empirical applicability of sustainability concepts. Concepts include the greenhouse effect; ecological, economic and equity-based sustainability (the 3 Es of sustainability); the land ethic; shifting baselines syndrome; host plant; biomimicry; renewable & non-renewable energy; native, non-native, and invasive species; and “eat food, not too much, mostly plants”. We analyze the sustainability of human activities with particular reference to geographical scales from local to global. The course also has a hands-on experiential and practically-focused component associated with ecological restoration, whereby students propagate Maine native plants from seed (American Chestnut trees) in the UNE greenhouse, and do outdoor ecological restoration work near the end of the semester.

In sustainability and Eco-restoration we grew American Chestnut trees from seeds. This class also went over native and invasive plants and ways to garden using natives.

Being able to watch the growth of the American Chestnut trees was an amazing hand in experience. The hands-on experience did stop there, getting down and dirty with the native garden on campus next to the beehive. Gave appreciation to plants we call “weeds” when really it’s just our mindset that we have. This class opened my mind to how others can view plants they think are “weeds” and taught me the names of many new plant friends.