Exploration of the many career opportunities in the environmental field will also be featured. This course will help sophomore students to acquire the basic skills used by field biologists and ecologist for conducting experiments and tests, which will aid them in developing models for better understanding of local wetlands, plant communities and wildlife habitats. Studies will include the surrounding forests and geology of New England. 1 Freshwater Ecology students will study the workings of lakes, rivers, wetlands, vernal pools and groundwater, their hydrology, and the associated flora and fauna. The proper management of these ecosystems is critical for insuring thatwe have reliable sources of water for consumption and recreational opportunities.
Maps are one of the most important tools of the land use planner and natural resources manager.
GIS allows the user to look at several sets of map related information at the same time During this course students will have the opportunity to make GIS maps of areas in their own towns. The Global Positioning System is the newest tool currently in use for navigation. A hand held GPS unit works in coordination with satellites that are continuously orbiting around the earth. It will give the user their location on the earth. When the GPS unit is used in conjunction with maps and compasses it becomes a power navigational tool.