ESPM 3001/5001

Check this page frequently for news, modifications of assignments, and notes about special events related to the course. It is a good idea to look in on this page a day or two before our class meeting, just to be sure that you are apprised of any changes planned for the week. Please note that the dates on this page occur with the most recent at the top of the page. Earlier postings will be found farther down the page.

      April 14, 2008 -- The article on property rights by Eric Freyfogle  is a thoughtful reflection on how the definition of land ownership has changed since the American Revolution, and, how it might change again in order to enhance the opportunities for environmental protection.

      March 6, 2008 --

Further to Robert Gilmer's comment yesterday that a "State of Sequoia" had been suggested as an American Indian state, including representation in the U. S. Congress, you may be interested in a biting commentary on tribal sovereignty at:  http://www.yvwiiusdinvnohii.net/News2000/1000/CCamp001031Symposium.htm 

      March 3, 2008    The spelling of Paul Shepard's name is as I have it here. If you are interested in some compelling non-fiction reading to put in your beach bag for spring break, I recommend "Coming Home to the Pleistocene" ($20 new, $14 used through Amazon), some of Shepard's best essays, put together by his wife, Florence, after his death in 1996. In fewer than 200 pages, this book encapsulates Shepard's examination of what it means to "become civilized" and how we can regain a priceless perspective, beaten out of all but a few of us in our audacious rush to modernity. This is wonderful prose in an easy-reading style with layers of meaning that will urge readers to go to Shepard's earlier writing for even greater depth of analysis. Two such books, "The Others: how Animals made us Human" and "The Tender Carnivore and the Sacred Game" should be required reading for anyone seeking to understand the role of humans in evolution of the biosphere.

March 3, 2008  -- 

Today we discuss the Great Lakes fishery. In addition to the Lake Huron paper that I handed out in class, you may be interested in seeing a PowerPoint slide show that I prepared some time ago to briefly review the history of the Great Lakes fishery. This is not mandatory, just some background material that describes the fishery since European contact.

February 18, 2008

Here's an additional internet source for information about Bartolome de Las Casas: http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/delascasas.html

February 15, 2008 Here's a bit of immigration humor:

February 11, 2008 -- A student last year located a source for the Satz volume on the internet. The URL is: http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/WI/WI-idx?type=header&id=WI.WT199101&isize=M     This is copyrighted material, but it is clear that you can use it directly from the website.