Department of Environmental Sciences
College of the Environment
Western Washington University

Fall 2023
Tue, Thur 12-2pm
Locations: mostly local field sites; some virtual meetings via Zoom;
see schedule for details

Instructor: John McLaughlin
Office: ES 434
Phone: 650-7617
E-mail:
( Please do not send attachments in proprietary formats.)
Office Hours: after class in-person and by appt. via zoom
Course Web Site: https://wwu.edu/faculty/jmcl/Conservation/syl_2023.htm

Readings from primary sources, as assigned and cited below.

Prerequisite: Ecology (ESCI 325 or BIOL 325), or instructor permission.

Course Description

This course will immerse you in the science and practice of conserving biological diversity. It will help you to understand the causes and consequences of declines in biodiversity due to human activities, and to evaluate policies directed at preventing biodiversity declines. Although topics will be illustrated with case studies from around the world, special emphasis will be given to the wealth of examples in the Pacific Northwest.

Conservation draws on diverse fields of knowledge and practice to address an applied mission. Accordingly, this course will emphasize applications and it will integrate science with concepts and approaches beyond narrowly defined environmental sciences. To provide you a more genuine conservation experience, class meetings and assignments will emphasize solving conservation problems. Class sessions will consist of a blend of presentations, discussions, small group design meetings, and field trips. For ESCI 539, One hour per week in addition to scheduled class meetings will be devoted to discussing journal articles and topics beyond the scope or depth of the 400-level course. If graduate enrollment is not sufficient to support a seminar, an alternative graduate component will be arranged by student-instructor consensus.

To maintain safety and learning opportunities during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, most course meetings will occur at local field sites, complemented by some online presentations, discussions, and activities. If you would find accessing and hiking on trails in or near Bellingham for up to two hours to be an unreasonable logistical or physical challenge, please contact the instructor by the second course meeting. Although the schedule may change according to the weather, you should come to class prepared to be outside regardless of weather conditions.

Upon successfully completing the course, you should be able to do the following.
(1) Critically analyze and evaluate approaches to conservation issues.
(2) Design solutions to conservation problems.
(3) Integrate multiple perspectives and kinds of information in conservation programs.
(4) Write effectively about conservation designs and other topics.
(5) Present ideas effectively using visual and spoken modalities.

Policies and Resources

COVID-19 Policies:
Please make your health and the health of others in your sphere your highest priority.
If you feel sick, stay home, take care of yourself, and do not attend course field trips. No penalty will be applied for classes missed for health reasons, even if your illness turns out to be a mild cold.
Seek medical attention if your symptoms become severe, particularly high fever or difficulty breathing.
If you have had close contact with someone known to have COVID-19, self-quarantine for at least 10 days. If you had close contact with someone known to have COVID-19 and you manifest symptoms, self-isolate for at least 10 days and get tested.
Please contact the instructor to arrange accommodations if you must miss multiple classes due to illness or self-isolation.

We will practice COVID-19 safety throughout the course, particularly during field trips.
(1) All in-person meetings will occur outside, at field sites. There will be no meetings indoors.
(2) All course participants must be fully vaccinated for COVID, as per WWU policy.
Vaccine boosters are recommended.
(3) Wearing face masks during in-person course meetings and field trips is encouraged. Masks should cover nose and mouth.
(4) Maintain at least 2 meters interpersonal physical spacing at all times.
(5) Please travel to field sites independently of others. Exceptions can be made for people from the same household.
(6) Refrain from hand-shaking, hugging, high-fiveing, elbow-bumping, or other interpersonal contact. Save those activities for the post-pandemic world.
(7) Please wash your hands before and after all field trips.

Information about COVID-19 symptoms, treatment, prevention, and safety are at the following.
WWU
COVID-19 exposure FAQ, WA DOH
WA Department of Health

WWU Course Policies: We will observe all university policies regarding academic honesty, disability accommodation, religious accommodation, and equal opportunity. Please review those policies at the following site. https://syllabi.wwu.edu/

In particular, reasonable accommodation for students with documented disabilities should be established within the first week of class and arranged through the Disability Access Center: https://disability.wwu.edu/
Students seeking religious accommodation should provide written notice to the instructor within the first two weeks of the course.

WWU provides resources for additional student needs.
Students with medical needs may find help at the Student Health Center.
Students with emotional or psychological concerns may find help at the Counseling Center.
The Office of Student Life can help with difficult personal or family issues and in navigating the university bureaucracy.

Students with challenging personal circumstances are encouraged to contact the instructor before those issues impact work in the course, or as soon as possible. I will not consider this as weakness or requests for special favors. We will have better opportunities to develop strategies to help you succeed if we begin early.

Course Evaluation

Course Schedule

Zavaleta E, C Aslan, W Palen, T Sisk, ME Ryan, BG Dickson. 2017. Expanding career pathways in conservation science. Cons.Biol. 32:246-248. doi: 10.1111/cobi.12987

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