THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SUDBURY VALLEY

# Semester Course: 2 Credits

TO BE ADDED TO THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES:

The town of Sudbury was settled in 1638, the nineteenth town founded by the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Originally bound in the west by Watertown(now Weston), to the north by Concord, and to the south and west by wilderness, the Sudbury community thrived and flourished in a valley Native Americans called "Musketaquid" - referring to grassy meadows along the river. Until 1637, no white man's trail traversed this land. The Natural History of the Sudbury Valley provides for the student a historical view of this remarkable valley, along with developing a contemporary awareness of the nature and wildlife we currently share the land with. The student will not only become familiar with local birds, plants, trees and river systems, but also gain insight into how the valley has changed since it was first settled along with what its future might be.

RATIONALE:

As we approach the twenty-first century we have increasingly alienated ourselves from the world we live in. This course seeks to provideawareness along with understanding of the natural history of theSudbury Valley. By becoming aware of what is around us, we will become better informed for the decsions that we must make for tommorrow. Hopefully, we will see that what we do to the aldn and our rivers, we actually do to ourselves.

Readings for this course include:

Wildlife in America by Peter Matthiesen The Naturalist's Path by Cathy Johnson

Biophilia by E.O. Wilson The Immortal Wilderness by John Hay

The Practice of the Wild by Gary Snyder The Nature of Nature ed. by W. H. Shore

Writing Natural History by Edward Lueders Nature in Winter by Donald Stokes

The Natural Year by Scott Weidensaul Ceremonial Time by John Mitchell

How Birds Migrate by Paul Kerlinger Field Guide of Wildlife Habitats by J.M. Benyus

Sierra Club Naturalist's Guide (S. New Eng.)

Building Your own Nature Museum by V. Brown

Birds of the Sudbury River Valley - An Historical Perspective by Richard K. Walton

Changes in the land, Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England by William Cronon

Henry David Thoreau: An America Landscape, Selected Writings by Robert L. Rothwell

The Forgotten Nature of New England by Dean B. Bennett

COURSE OUTLINE:

I. The Sudbury River-Valley 1635-1990's

Early Accounts

A Wilderness Revealed

River Meadows

Henry David Thoreau

Woodlands and Railroads

Urbanization of the Valley

Islands of Wilderness

The 1990's: Promise and Peril

II. Birds of the Valley

The Reasons Birds Migrate

The Travel Seasons

Barriers to Migration

Migratory Rest Stops

Flocking Behavior during Migration

Flight Strategies

The Calls of Migrating Birds

Constructing and Placement of a Birdhouse

III. Valley Habitats

What is Habitat?

Lake and Ponds

River and Streams

Sedge Meadows

Floodplain Forests

IV. Winter in the Valley

Winter Weeds

Winter Mushrooms

Winter's Birds and Abandoned Nests

Animal Tracks

METHODS:

This course is designed to investigate, explore and experience the natural history outside the classroom door. With the school sharing a boundary with the Great Meadows Wildlife Refuge Area opportunities abound for thoughtful and practical experiences

LABS AND ACTIVITIES:

This course if field-based. Many of the labs and activities are based upon what we discover in the woods.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:

Each student is expected to be an active learner and to take responsibility for their education. Required work (homework, lab reports, projects, etc.) is expected to be completed on time. Participation in classroom activities is necessary to be successfull

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS:

Weekly journal writings

Field based labs

Bi-weekly class presentations on local topics

Each quarter, a self-initiated project

Quizzes

Short papers

Exam