Instructor: Dr. Susan R. Van Patten Class: Tuesdays & Thursdays 9:30 to 10:45 a.m.
Office: 141 Waldron Hall Classroom: 200 Waldron Hall
Office Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays 10:00 to 11:30 or by appointment Phone: 831-7644 (direct) 831-7720 (department)
E-mail: svanpatt@radford.edu Web Page: svanpatt.asp.radford.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION: 
Broad overview of the field of outdoor recreation.  Emphasis is placed on land management agencies and strategies used by resource managers. Social and environmental issues that impact on land management policy are discussed. (3 credits)

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

  1. Identify and describe the interrelationship between leisure behavior and the natural environment (8.04).

  2. Understand environmental ethics and its relationship to leisure behavior (8.05).

  3. Describe current issues and/or problems that impact the provision of outdoor recreation areas (8.06:03).

  4. Utilize the tools of professional communication

  5. Identify and describe agencies that manage outdoor resources.

  6. Describe the wilderness movement in the United States.

REQUIRED READINGS: 
There is no textbook for this class.  Readings will be given out in class or available on the online syllabus.  You will most likely need to be on the university system to download the articles but let me know if you are having difficulties.

GRADING PROCEDURES:
  1. Scholastic integrity and the honor code will be enforced. No cheating, copying, or plagiarism will be tolerated. If such an act occurs, it will be handled in accordance with Radford University governing policies. Depending upon the severity of the offense, you will receive an F for the assignment/exam or an F in the class.
  2. Students are responsible for all material included in reading assignments, handouts, and lectures. Each student must make their own arrangements to secure notes and information from classes they miss. Do not come to the instructor for class notes.
  3. Please be respectful or your classmates and instructor. This includes arriving to class on time and refraining from disruptive behavior. You will be asked to leave the class if this becomes an issue.
  4. Students are expected to read assigned material before the class it is to be covered. You will not be able to effectively participate in group discussions if you have not read the material.
  5. No make-up tests will be granted except for authorized excuses (e.g., doctor’s waiver, funeral notice, academic waivers, etc.). You must contact the instructor before the next class period to re-schedule.
  6. Five points will be deducted from assignments every day they are late. An assignment is considered late if it is not turned in at the beginning of class. This late policy applies to everyone regardless of the reason. Assignments may be turned in my email or left in the instructor’s box in case of emergency.
  7. There is no specific attendance policy for class. Participation points will be given out randomly throughout the semester (usually once a week). There will be 12 opportunities to receive 5 participation points. Only 10 of these will be counted toward the final grade. That means if you have perfect attendance and participation, you will receive 10 bonus points. Participation points cannot be made up for any reason, so use them wisely.
  8. Final grades will be based on the following point system.

    Assignment Points
    Environmental Ethics Paper    50 points
    Oral Presentation                  50 points
    Outdoor Activity                    50 points
    Participation                         50 points
    Exam 1                               100 points
    Exam 2                                50 points
    Exam 3                               100 points

    TOTAL 450 points                Grading Scale:  A 90-100%; B 80-89%; C 70-79%; D 60-69%; F 59% or below

Environmental Ethics Paper: This assignment is designed to expose you to different environmental ethics and some of the key people in the U.S. environmental movement and federal land management. Read the articles [Link] by Henry David Thoreau ("Walking"), John Muir ("The Birds"), Aldo Leopold ("Thinking Like a Mountain"), and Edward Abbey ("Serpents in Paradise"). Write a 4-5 page paper, double-spaced, comparing and contrasting the writings. Do not summarize the articles! Points to consider: Do you see any kind of progression in how we value nature through the different authors? Which author do you think has the most ethical relationship with nature and why? Whose environmental philosophy do you most agree/disagree with and why? Which reading did you enjoy the most/least? You can also consider the discussion questions at the end of each article.

Oral Presentation: Each person has the choice of presenting a special interest group or recreation activity to the class. Suggestions and specific criteria for the assignment are provided here. [Link] Your presentation must last 5-7 minutes (no more & no less). You must use some type of visual aid (e.g., PowerPoint, overheads, pictures, equipment) and creativity to present your material. Prepare a one-page summary (about 500 words) and bring enough copies to distribute to your classmates and instructor. Do not use the outline of your PowerPoint presentation. You must have at least five sources of information for this presentation listed at the bottom of your handout. You must also use speaker notes that will be handed in as part of the assignment.

Outdoor Recreation Activity. I am well aware that as a core class, individual students will have different expectations and enjoyment levels associated with outdoor experiences. Rather than require a specific class trip, I am asking you to participate in an outdoor recreation activity that you have never done before and write a paper about the experience. The experience minimally must be one hour in duration and can be done alone or with a group. RU Outdoors offers a variety of excursions that will work for this assignment (http://www.radford.edu/ruoutdoors/schedule.html). The paper should be 3-5 pages, double-spaced, and include details about what, where, when, how, and why. Include your reflections on the experience including any challenges you faced.

COURSE OUTLINE:
 This course discusses the demand for and purposes of outdoor recreation. The major providers of these services are studied including the National Park Service and the United States Forest Service. The development of the preservation of outdoor recreation areas in the United States is examined as well as the impact of the environmental movement on these areas. Finally, the environmental issues impacting decisions about these areas are discussed.

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE
WEEK TUESDAY THURSDAY
Sep 2/4 Introduction Lecture: Definitions and Benefits of Outdoor Recreation
Sep 9/11 Lecture: Historical Trends in Environmental Perception
Reading: McIntosh, P. (2001). The corps of conservation. National Parks, 75(9/10), 23-27. [Link]		 Video: "Wilderness Idea"
Reading: Weber, S. (2000). Gifford Pinchot: Walrus of the forest. New York State Conservationist, 55(3), 12-14. [Link]
Sep 16/18 Lecture: Battle for Wilderness
Assignment Due: Environmental Ethics Paper (Goal 8.05) 		In-Class Discussion: Leisure Behavior and the Natural Environment (Goal 8.04)
Reading: Whitman, D. (2000). Don't get foolish in the great outdoors: The bison do butt. U.S. News & World Report, 129(1), 48-50. [Link]
Reading: Bryson, B. (2002). A walk in the woods. In L. Gutkind (Ed.), On nature: Great writers on the great outdoors. New York: Penguin Putnam. [Link]
Sep 23/25 Lecture: Federal Agencies (USFS & NPS)
Reading: Mitchell, J. G. (2006). Threatened sanctuaries. National Geographic, 210(4), 88-97. [Link]		 Video: "Wild by Law"
Sep 30/Oct 2 Lecture: Federal Agencies (BLM, ACOE, FWS, BOR, TVA)
Reading: Vanasselt, W., & Layke, C. (2006). Protecting the best of the West: The Bureau of Land Management must start taking its conservation mandate seriously. Issues in Science and Technology, 2, 43-52. [Link]		 In Class Discussion: Current Outdoor Recreation Issues
 
Oct 7/9 VRPS Conference (no class) Review for Exam & Discuss Presentations
Oct 14/16 Exam 1   Lecture: Leave No Trace Environmental Ethics (Goal 8.05)
Oct 21/23 Class Presentations: Special Interest Groups & New Recreation Activities Class Presentations: Special Interest Groups & New Recreation Activities
Oct 28/30 Class Presentations: Special Interest Groups & New Recreation Activities Class Presentations: Special Interest Groups & New Recreation Activities
Nov 4/6 Class Presentations: Special Interest Groups & New Recreation Activities Exam 2
Nov 11/13 Lecture: Social Aspects of Recreation Management (Goal 8:06.03)
Reading: Hardin, G. (1968). Tragedy of the Commons. Science, 162, 1243-1248. [Link]		 Video: "In the Mind of Daredevils"
Nov 18/20 Lecture: Management Issues - High Risk Recreation (Goal 8:06.03)
Reading: Wallach, J. (1994). Cliffhanger: Who should pay for search-and-rescue. Science World, 51(5), 18-19. [Link]
Survival Facts		 Lecture: Management Issues - Recreation Conflict (Goal 8:06.03)
Video: "In the Light of Reverence"
Reading: Dustin, D. L., & Schneider, I. E. (2001). Collaborative conflict resolution at Devils Tower National Monument. Parks & Recreation, 36(7), 80-85. [Link]
Assignment Due: Outdoor Recreation Activity
 
Nov 25/27 Thanksgiving Break Thanksgiving Break
Dec 2/4 Lecture: Management Issues -  Environmental Equity (Goal 8:06.03)
Reading: Allen, D. I. (2003). Ghosts of Africville. & Montague, P. Introducing equity. Alternatives Journal, 29(1), 18-20. [Link]		 Lecture: Management Issues - Sense of Place (Goal 8:06.03)
Dec 9/11 Lecture: Eco-Feminism and Deep Ecology (Goal 8:06.03)
 		  Review for Exam

Final Exam: Tuesday, December 16, 10:15 a.m. to noon


Revised 11/17/2008

Recommended Readings:
Bryson, B. (1998). A walk in the woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail. New York: Broadway Books.
Carson, R. (2002). Silent spring (40th anniversary ed.). New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Gess, D., & Lutz, W. (2002). Firestorm at Peshtigo: A town, its people, and the deadliest fire in American history. New York: Henry Holt and Company.
Hill, J. B. (2000). The legacy of Luna: The story of a tree, a woman, and the struggle to save the redwoods. New York: HarpersCollins Publishers.
Nash, R. F. (2001). Wilderness and the American mind (4th ed.). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Leopold, A. (1949). Sand county almanac. New York: Oxford University Press.