Environmental Explorations of the Hudson Fall Semester Marist College Honors Program Professor: J. Theodore Fink, AICP j.fink@marist.edu
The River Valley National Heritage Area is the focus of an extended classroom aboard Marist’s research boat. The River is considered one of the richest ecosystems on Earth and is widely recognized for its significant role in American culture, commerce, and politics. In 1996, the US Congress declared the Hudson Valley to be the “Landscape that Defined America.” Students will have an opportunity to directly observe and interact with the River’s multifaceted environment. Marist’s boat becomes a water-based classroom, opening new doors to experiential learning including a new appreciation of the processes that have shaped the River and how humans impact and manage those natural processes.
significant influence on the nation’s understanding and appreciation of America’s natural environment. Then, environmental battles involving the Hudson in the 1960‘s and 1970‘s led to many of today’s Federal, State and local laws affecting the environment. The “Storm King” and other landmark court decisions for the first time connected seemingly unrelated topics such as aesthetics, fisheries, and energy generation and began an era in which environmental issues were viewed as they should be, in an interdisciplinary manner. The course is designed for learners with a sense of adventure and a desire to delve into subjects that may be outside your main area of study.
The Hudson River Valley is considered the place where the environmental movement began in America. The history of this movement can be traced back to the Hudson River School of artists in the early 19th Century. This art movement is credited with having a
Marist’s ENSC 101 is a prerequisite. Students must be in good health, able to study outdoors on a boat under varied and sometimes demanding physical conditions, and must take all necessary precautions.