Nature, Travel &EnvironmentalWriting

WRA/FW 341

Summer 2015 | Kellogg Biological Station MTuWThF | 9:00AM - 5:00PMDonnie Johnson Sackey

donniejsackey @gmail

Environment is (merely) an idea that is created through discourse. This is, of course, not to suggest that mountains, rivers, oceans, and trees do not actually exist. Such a suggestion would be pointless and unarguable. What we are suggesting, though, is that our only access to such things is through discourse, and that it is through language that we give these things or places meaning: historical, material, political, personal, natural, spiritual. (Dobrin & Weisser, 2002, Natural Discourse, p. 11)

Yet, beyond purely formal considerations, the naming, facilitating and enacting of tours implicates much broader social patterns and trajectories. Tours negotiate power relations between the people, places, and values involved [...] Although the exploitative possibilities of tourism remain important to consider, tourism also suggests opportunities for embodied engagement, counterexperiences of everyday life, education, interpretation, and advocacy. (Phaedra Pezzullo, 2007, Toxic Tourism, pp. 26 & 50)

What is the relationship between writing, environment, travel, and justice? This is the question that will frame our investigation of writing practices. This course examines nature, travel, and environment through the exploration of writing moments that center on social, environmental, and ecological justice. Well not only engage in classroom-based learning, but will enhance our experience by speaking with Michigan-based environmental justice activists and using the entire Kellogg Biological Station facility as our classroom. The end goal is to use our experiences to create, play and experiment with different genres that range from travel journaling to podcasting.

Course Description

Photo credit: Lauren Marek | My Road Map | 2009

There is no required textbook for this course. All course readings will be available as PDFs through our class Desire2Learn site, and are indicated on the course schedule. Whether you choose to print the readings or access them via computer, you should make sure that you bring a copy of the days readings with you to class. You will need to purchase a durable notebook, coloring pencils, and crayons.

Readings & Course Materials

Assignments & GradingYour course grade is composed of one major project (45%), reading responses/daily writing activities (35%), participation (20%). Details of the major project will be provided at the introduction of the project. Reading Responses/Daily Writing Activities In order to facilitate your understanding of the readings and our discussions in class, Im requiring you to write reading responses. First, I want to emphasize that reading responses are LOWSTAKES writing moments. I neither expect you to have a perfect understanding of the readings nor do I want you to feel as if you have to overperform. Just think about your reading responses as being movements for your to collect your thoughts/opinions of the readings.

Typically readings responses are assessments of the academic texts that analyze, disagree, agree, or evaluate their merit. They, however, are not summaries of what was said in the article. My advice is to use a highlighter and a pen (or the notation tools in your PDF reader) to make notes as your read. For example, not places where your strongly disagree (or agree) and why you hold that position. In addition, feel free to note places where youre confused.. Chances are well all be confused and thats great, because we can talk about this as a class. As you read, feel free to compare and contrast authors were reading for that day and folks we will have read throughout the course. Use these readings to synthesize questions that you can pose to the class. I have a lot of questions, but I am also eager to see you pose questions to your classmates and me.

I asked that you to purchase a durable notebook that can serve as a field journal. I want you to use this journal throughout the course for your reading responses and other writing activities. Field journals are technically not like a diary that youd keep at home or something that youd keep for school exercises.

Field journals are a collection of writings kept by scientists who work in the field. In it they record everything they find, observe, and collect. No matter what kind of science they are doing--whether they are studying plants or arthropods, mammals or fish, individual organisms or interactions between organisms--their journals contain the evidence on which all of their work is based. They usually contain writing and drawings based upon their observation. This is why I asked you to purchase pencils, coloring pencils, and crayons. As you write your responses, feel free to draw pictures (or even cut out pictures from magazines and glue them to the page). Be as creative as possible!

PERCENTAGE GRADE

100 - 96 = A+95 - 91 = A-90 - 86 = B+85 - 81 = B-80 - 76 = C+75 - 71 = C-

4.0 - 3.7 = A+3.6 - 3.1 = A-3.0 - 2.7 = B+2.6 - 2.1 = B-2.0 - 1.7 = C+1.6 - 1.1 = C-

Because the course format depends upon the active contributions of all participants, your attendance is expected. If you miss more than three class periods, your final grade for the course will be lowered .25 for each additional absence. Please see your student handbook or the university Ombudsmans web page (http://www.msu.edu/~ombud/) for procedures for obtaining an excused absence at MSU.

Excessive tardiness is disruptive to the class and is, therefore, not supportive of teaching and learning. Three late arrivals to class will count as an absence and will affect your final grade as outlined above. If you will be absent from class, please let me know ASAP.

Participation is important for the functioning of class. You should come to class prepared to discuss the readings. Discussion encompasses your questions, frustrations and ideas. There is no such thing as a stupid question or comment. Therefore, you should never be afraid to say what you feel or think about a reading or collection of readings.

Late assignments will not be accepted.

Accessibility (Adapted from Shelley Lynn Tremain)Your success in this course is important to me. I recognize that there are multiple ways to learn and that this multiplicity should be acknowledged in the structure of university courses and the evaluation of their participants. Thus, I encourage students registered in the course to discuss their learning styles and comprehension requirements with me during my office hours or at another arranged time, if necessary. Every student is entitled to a meaningful and stimulating learning experience.

MSU Writing Center, Ernest Bessey Hall 300 (Phone: 517.432.3610). Take advantage of the free writers resources available to the MSU community: handbooks, style guides, one-on-one writing consultations, computers for research and word processing, etc. While you may not have immediate access to the Writing Center while at KBS, you may consider scheduling an appointment via their online writing center. It is not required that you use the Writing Center, but it's recommended considering that good writers always seek feedback.

Course Policies: Attendance, ADA, WC

According to the Paper Industry Association Council, the average American uses about 700 pounds of paper a year and only half of that amount is recovered for recycling. This means that each of us will end- up through away roughly 350 pounds of paper every year. Collectively, Big 10 universities recycle only 17,000 tons of paper each year; MSU ranks fifth on the list as we recycle an estimated 1700 tons of paper per year (EJ Magazine, Spring 2007). We need to think about the ways in which our paper waste places demands upon our environment (deforestation, chemical waste from bleaching agents). In addition, we also need to reconsider our views on recycling, because it isnt always the best solution. This process also produces chemical waste. In addition, a lot of energy goes into recycling materials, which is something almost no one thinks about. Remember the 3RsReduce, Reuse, Recyclehardly anyone thinks about reusing products.

I want to encourage you to adopt sustainable writing practices that have the ability to transform our environment. So, when you think about printing a document (a rough draft or final paper) consider raiding the universities recycling bin and using that paper for printing. I want you to consider carrying this practice into your other courses by talking to your professors and even your classmates on how they can reduce their consumption of paper and subsequent impact upon the environment.

Environmental Impact Statement

WEEK DAY WORK DUE

1 M 6/15 Defining Nature, Wilderness & OurselvesAM Session

Arnold, The Place of Nature Cronon, Introduction: In Search of Nature & The Trouble with wilderness or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature

PM Session Writing Activity

1

W 6/17 Ways of Seeing, Relating & Being in Nature: Part 1

AM Session Price, Thirteen Ways of Seeing Nature in L.A. Kinkaid, Alien SoilPollan, Weeds Are Us Dillard, Living Like WeaselsBenson, The Urbanization of the Eastern Gray Squirrel in the United States

PM Session This American Life, 146: Urban Nature [Podcast]Writing Activity

1

Th 6/18 Writing Activity

1

F 6/19 Ways of Seeing, Relating & Being in Nature: Part 2

AM Session hooks, Belonging: A Culture of Place Silko, Landscape, History, and the Pueblo Imagination

PM Session This American Life, 495: Hot in My Backyard [Podcast]

2 M 6/22 Perspectives on Environmental Justice: Part 1

AM Session United Church of Christ, Toxic Wastes and Race at Twenty: 1987-2007Taylor, Race, Class, Gender, and American Environmentalism

PM Session The Creek Runs Red (2007) [Film]

Daily Schedule

WEEK DAY WORK DUE2 T 6/23 Perspectives on Environmental Justice: Part 2

AM Session Di Chiro, Nature as Community: The Convergence of Environment and Social Justice Steingarber, The Social Production of Cancer: A Walk Upstream Smith, The Rape of the Land

PM Session This American Life, 440: Game Changer [Podcast]

2

W 6/24 The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago (Field Trip)

2

T 6/25 Perspectives on Environmental Justice: Part 3

AM Session Allen, Uneasy Alchemy: Citizens and Experts in Louisianas Chemical Corridor Disputes

PM Session Blue Vinyl: The Worlds First Toxic Comedy (2002) [Film]

3 M 6/29 Perspectives on Environmental Justice: Tourism (Field Trip in Detroit w/ Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice)

Pezzullo, Toxic Tourism: Rhetorics of Pollution, Travel, and Environmental JusticeKay-Trask, Lovely Hula Hands This American Life, 302: Strangers in a Strange Land [Podcast]

3

T 6/30 Perspectives on Environmental Justice: Toxic Touring & Ruin Porn

AM SessionGreco, The Psychology of Ruin Porn Brook, Photos of Detroit Need to Move Beyond Ruin Porn Millington, Post-Industrial Imaginaries: Nature, Representation and Ruin in Detroit, Michigan

Stark, Living with Industry: Detroit, Michigan [Short Film]

PM Session This American Life, 110: Mapping

3

Th 7/2 Moving Forward

Sharing final projects & reflection