Our faculty members are not only excellent teachers, they are also practitioners actively involved in watershed management and restoration efforts throughout North America. In addition, six principles of education articulated by David Orr in his book Earth in Mind , are central to our methods. Two of the principles are worth emphasizing in this context of watershed management. By what is included or excluded students are taught that they are part of or apart from the natural world. Watershed management is by its very nature interdisciplinary and MPP instructors presentations reflect this principle.
Process is important for learning.
Courses taught as lecture courses then to induce passivity. Indoor classes create the illusion that learning only occurs inside four walls, isolated from what the students call, without apparent irony, 'the real world'. Reflecting this principle the Watershed Management Professional Program core courses include a mix of discussion, music, film, lecture presentation, field work, small group exercises, and watershed case studies. Our faculty are professionals with extensive experience in public policy, law, social change, biology, geomorphology, ecology, landscape restoration, and education. All of our faculty consistently receive the highest ratings for both their ability to communicate and the power and practicality of the material they present.