Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/California State University Long Beach/Landscape Restoration (Spring 2025)

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Course name
Landscape Restoration
Institution
California State University Long Beach
Instructor
Mystyn Mills
Wikipedia Expert
Ian (Wiki Ed)
Subject
Ecology
Course dates
2025-01-22 00:00:00 UTC – 2025-05-09 23:59:59 UTC
Approximate number of student editors
15


Restoring degraded natural landscapes is critical to maintaining California's rich biodiversity, but restoration is more than simply an ecological practice. Restoration involves shifting our perspective on our relationship with the natural world. This course explores the philosophical, political, and ecological issues associated with restoring degraded landscapes. Through the analysis of theoretical works, scientific research, planning documents and case studies, students will examine the potential for, and pitfalls of, restoring natural landscapes. GOALS: The goal of the course is to challenge students to think about our relationship with nature from a multitude of perspectives and to gain some practical knowledge for restoring degraded landscapes. The objectives are to discuss and debate a variety of ecological, ethical and philosophical issues associated with restoring degraded landscapes, to understand the causes of environmental degradation and to gain some knowledge of past vegetation patterns, particularly in California and the American West. For the Wikipedia project, students are asked to use current research findings to update/create pages on topics pertinent to restoration. This is vital, because many restoration groups have limited time and access to the results of research trapped behind paywalls. It is also important to be able to communicate this important research in plain language as well as to be sure what is being presented to the public is accurate and up-to-date. Many students go on to find careers where communicating these concepts and findings may be critical to their work and projects (i.e. working for environmental consulting agencies).