Natural History Minor

How can we recognize the plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms with which we share the world? What are their lives like? How do species and whole ecosystems evolve and change through time? What does it mean to “read the landscape?”

These are the questions that naturalists find answers to every day, and through their work as interpreters, naturalists connect people with the natural world and teach others how to find answers to these questions for themselves.

Click here to see the course requirements for the Natural History Minor.

Humans have been naturalists as long as we have been humans

The study and practice of natural history is fundamental to our existence as human beings and is foundational to our relationship with the natural world. Today, naturalists use field methods that emphasize observation, identification, description and interpretation. Natural History coursework blends natural sciences with training in field journaling, keeping species accounts and species lists, and related interpretive skills such as illustration and education.

The Natural History Minor is designed to complement studies in other areas such as Outdoor Education, Environmental Humanities, Sustainable Agriculture and related Self-Designed majors. A Natural History course of study can also be taken as an emphasis area within the Ecology major.

Naturalists find livelihoods as guides, park interpreters, environmental educators, outdoor program instructors, field technicians and conservation consultants.

Organizations Sterling Naturalists have worked for:

EarthWalk
Camp Denali
Teton Science School
Hulbert Outdoor Center
Kroka Expeditions
National Park Service
North Woods Stewardship Center
Natural History Sample Classes:
Natural History of the North Woods
Vertebrate Natural History
Field Botany of Flowering Plants
Field Botany of Mosses, Ferns and Allies
Marine Natural History of the North Atlantic
Natural History Illustration
Nature Mentoring

Organizations Sterling College Graduates have worked for:

The Nature Conservancy
Vermont Land Trust
U.S. Forest Service
National Park Service
American Museum of Natural History
Howard Gardner School
Teton Science School

Open

Sterling is working to bring additional resources to our community that support students of color and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. This work includes equipping white allies with the tools and skills and self-awareness they need as we strive towards a community where all members are thriving.

To this end, Sterling has begun advertising for a Diversity & Inclusion Fellow to do this work with grant support from The Endeavor Foundation and in partnership with College of the Atlantic (COA). Our hope is that this position will be filled and get underway this semester. The job description was written with input from Sterling’s Equity Council and the equivalent at COA.

More info: https://sterlingcollege.edu/more/employment

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From the pandemic to white supremacy, to the climate crisis, to inequality and large-scale economic shifts, it is ever increasingly clear that we require not only new pedagogies but a radical rethinking of institutional forms in higher education. This session features Sterling president, Matthew Derr, and will introduce the seminar’s overall themes and consider the implications of cascading crises on the role of higher education and its relationships to wider society.

Register : https://www.haverford.edu/vcam-center-arts-and-humanities-environmental-studies/news/educating-just-ecological-transition

Presenters
Matthew Derr, President, Sterling College
Dr. Timothy Eatman, Dean of the Honors Living-Learning Community, Rutgers University - Newark
Davydd Greenwood, Goldwin Smith Professor of Anthropology Emeritus, Cornell University
Joan Naviyuk Kane, Poet & Visiting Lecturer on English, Harvard University
Tsion Syoum '21, Haverford College

This portion is part of a Virtual Summit presented by Haverford College. The virtual summit “Educating for a Just Ecological Transition: Building Higher Educational Alliances in a Time of Climate Crisis” engages emerging responses to the climate crisis in higher education—with particular attention to the roles higher education institutions can play in building alliances with social movements, community organizations, artists, intellectuals, and informal educational structures. How can advocacy around climate justice respond to broader questions about inequalities of power? How should institutions of higher education act on their responsibilities to address the climate crisis through curricula, infrastructure, and institutional action? How can higher education institutions learn from, partner with, and provide resources for community organizations and educational programs?

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Students took to the mountains for the first field day of the Avalanche 1 Certification portion of the Introduction to Ice Climbing course.⁣
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#climbing_is_my_passion #outdoors #climbing #iceclimbing #adventure #climbinglife #mountainclimbing #avalanchesafety #snow #mountains #winter #avalanche

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Join Farley Brown tonight at 7pm for Watershed Bioassessment presented by Vermont Coverts Woodlands for Wildlife. Wildlife habitats are interconnected throughout a watershed, especially those habitats associated with riverine systems. For over a decade, Farley Brown, faculty at Sterling College (past VT Coverts Executive Director), and her students have been exploring and assessing aquatic habitats throughout the Black River watershed in Orleans County. Brown will take us through the Black River watershed as she explains the bioassessment techniques used by the Sterling College students and their findings regarding the health of this local watershed.

Register : https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAvf-ypqD0iEtYjxe-ZM9Uu-nkPZiE0q71C

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That's right, we have a gear outfitter and rental center where students learn how to pack out for trips and can rent equipment for personal adventures: backpacking, climbing, snowshoeing, canoeing and more. ⁣
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#explore #camping #outdoorlife #backpacking #hiking #getoutside #campinggear #camp #outdoors #outdoorgear #wilderness #outdooradventures #adventure #outdoorslife #tent

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How many colleges do you know supply their dorms with mending kits and host sock darning parties? ⁣
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#usedisthenewnew #bethechange #wornwear #repairrevolution #mending #reworkedvintage #imendmyclothes #wastenothing #fewerbetter #climatechange #reuse #choosetoreuse #sustainability #zerowasteliving #zerowaste #reuseorrefuse #sustainableliving

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What does it mean to be an environmental humanities major?

It means immersing yourself in the creative process to communicate, express yourself, and effect change while exploring ways in which humanity engages with nature. It means transforming wool into yarn, local clay into pottery, plant pulp into paper, and ideas into poetry and prose. Ultimately, it means fully engaging with the natural world as we interpret, create, and share impressions and ideas with the broader community. ⁣
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#environmentalism #environmentallyconscious #environmentalist #college #studentlife #humanities #poetry #pottery #fiberart #weaving #handmade #environmentalhumanities

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Whether you’re a high school student creating your college list, a student at another college who is thinking of transferring to Sterling, a parent of a prospective student, a sibling, or a friend, you are welcome at Open House, and we can’t wait to meet you.

Virtually see the campus, the farm, our residential halls, and soak in beautiful Craftsbury Common, Vermont.

Visit: https://sterlingcollege.edu/visit-sterling/open-house/

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“Find your place on the planet. Dig in, and take responsibility from there.”
― Gary Snyder

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"In the old Marshall Tucker Band song “I Heard It In A Love Song” the singer professes his love for his long-time partner, “I ain’t never been with a woman long enough for my boots to get old. Now we’ve been together so long my boots need to be resoled.” Well, I’ve (John Zaber) been at Sterling long enough that I’ve not only resoled my boots but I’ve purchased a bunch of new ones as well. It’s now time to turn my attention to new ventures in life. At the conclusion of the spring semester I will be retiring from my full time role as a proud member of the Sterling faculty." Read more from John. Link in bio.

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You teach me, I forget. You show me, I remember. You involve me, I understand. - Edward O. Wilson

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Political activist, artisan, educator, environmentalist, and Sterling College Trustee Elect, Chief Don Stevens welcomes students back for the spring semester tonight via a private online presentation.

Chief Stevens helped lead the fight to obtain legal recognition, acquire land, and federal settlement agreements for the Abenaki People. A gifted storyteller, he speaks about issues of Native American Sovereignty, Spirituality, Racial Disparity, and Abenaki Identity. Chief Stevens has been an educational and food sovereignty partner of Sterling College for many years.

📷: @calebkenna

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Dig In!

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Natural History Minor