The Great Works Committee has approved the Spring 2001 University Great Works Symposium: YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK. This course will be taught by a multidisciplinary team of professors as listed below. A tentative syllabus is shown on this web page. Additions and corrections will occur as course development proceeds. In addition, a limited number of best qualified students will visit Yosemite National Park during the eighth week of the quarter. You can access additional information and an application for this trip by going to the Yosemite Trip Web Page. If you have further questions regarding this course not answered by these web pages, please contact Dr. Brulle at brullerj@drexel.edu.  

This course will focus on the "Great Work" of Yosemite National Park. This uniquely American idea has served as an example for worldwide efforts to preserve natural ecosystems. Yosemite National Park was selected as an exemplar of the idea of the National Park due to its unique history, extraordinary scenic beauty, range of ecosystems, and its role in inspiring literary and artistic works on nature. The course encompasses a range of disciplines, including geology, ecology, wildlife biology, art history, literature, history, and politics. It will start with an examination of the geology, climate, and ecosystems of Yosemite National Park. It will then review the aesthetics of nature through a review of the paintings and photographic works of several artists, including Albert Bierstadt and Ansel Adams, and the writings of John Muir. The history of the development of the park, including its initial settlement by the Ahwahneechee Indians, the events leading up to its development of first U.S. wilderness park in 1864, and the struggle over the Hetch Hetchy Dam will be covered. The course will conclude with a survey of current issues regarding the park's management, including the problems of air pollution, overuse and traffic congestion, and human/animal conflicts within the park. Several guest speakers are planned as part of the course.

This course has three requirements as follows:

1. Class Participation: This will count for 25% of the final grade. Students are expected to come to class having completed the assigned readings, and prepared to discuss the topics in class. There will be unannounced quizzes given in class on the assigned readings and lectures throughout the course of the quarter. There will be no makeup quizzes given. In addition, throughout the semester, a number of videos will be presented. Attendance at these videos is required. Short exercises relating the video to the course readings will be assigned. Class recitations will be held periodically throughout the quarter. Students are expected to fully participate in these sessions.

2. Environmental Issue Paper: Each student will prepare and present a 12-15 page written research paper on one issue focusing on Yosemite National Park. Paper topics will be based on student preferences. A topic definition (240-260 words) is due in class at the end of the third week. An optional draft of the paper for review by the writing tutors will be due in class at the end of the seventh week. Papers are due on the day of the scheduled class presentation. This paper and presentation will count for 25% of the final grade.

3. Exams: This course will have one final examination. The final exam will constitute 50% of the course grade.

This course has three required texts and a package of readings. The required texts are:

Muir, John. 1914 [1988]. The Yosemite. Sierra Club Books: San Francisco CA

Olmsted, Frederick Law, 1865 [1995]. Yosemite and the Mariposa Grove: A Preliminary Report, Yosemite Association, Yosemite National Park California

Wuerthner, George, 1994. Yosemite: A Visitors Companion, Mechanicsburg PA: Stackpole Books

The required reserve readings will be posted online in the electronic reserves of Hagerty Library.

March 27 Course Overview

Web Links:

Virtual Yosemite Page http://www.yosemite.org/vryos/index.htm

National Park Service Site for Yosemite National Park http://www.nps.gov/yose/home.htm

Yosemite Web Links http://yosemite.ca.us/

March 29 Origins of Yosemite Park - Dr. Robert Brulle

Readings:

Wuerthner 12-46

Huth, Hans, 1948. "Yosemite: The Story of an Idea", Sierra Club Bulletin, March 1948, 46-78

Johnston, Hank, 1995, The Yosemite Grant, 1865-1906: A Pictorial History, Yosemite Association, Yosemite National Park California 1-90

Web Links

General Yosemite History http://yosemite.ca.us/history/

Library of Congress History of Conservation Site: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amrvhtml/conshome.html

April 3 Native Americans and first European Contact (Guest Speaker - Christina Roper)

Readings:

To be determined

Web Links:

Miwok Indians

http://mariposa.yosemite.net/woodland/miwok.htm

www.scanet.org

April 5 Section Recitations - The Idea of the National Park

Readings

Olmstead - Yosemite and the Mariposa Grove

April 10 Climate of Yosemite ( Guest Speaker - Dr. Carl Kreitzberg)

Readings:

Wuerthner 8-12

Schornherr D. 1995 A Natural History of California, pp. 33-45 & 69-73

Web Links:

April 12 Geology of Yosemite (Guest Speaker - Dr. Mary Jo Hall)

Readings:

Wuerthner 47-76

Schornherr D. 1995 A Natural History of California, pp. 48-68 & 73-93

Web Links:

April 17 Reseach Paper Process - Judy Donovan

April 19 Photography of Yosemite (Guest Speaker Stephan Perloff)

Web Links:

Ansel Adams http://www.adamsgallery.com/

Carleton E. Watkins http://yosemite.ca.us/history/watkins/thumbnails.html

April 24 Literature and Wilderness Philosophy (Guest Speaker )

Readings:

Muir, John. 1914 The Yosemite, Sierra Club Books: San Francisco CA

Web Links:

Writings of John Muir: http://yosemite.ca.us/john_muir_exhibit/writings/

April 26 Wilderness Painting and Yosemite (Guest Speaker Dr. John Wilmerding)

Web Links:

Albert Bierstadt http://sandrarichar.users.50megs.com/page56.html

May 1 Basic Ecological Principles (Guest Speaker - Dr. Jim Spotila)

Readings:

Schornherr D. 1995 A Natural History of California, pp. 18-33

Muir, John, 1901, "Among the Animals of Yosemite", from Our National Parks

Web Links:

http://www.ceres.ca.gov/snep/

www.r5.fed.us/

www.sonnet.com/usr/ostrander/grazing_and_yosemite.htm

May 3 Natural History of Yosemite - Dr. Walt Bien

Readings:

Wuerthner 77-115

Schornherr D. 1995 A Natural History of California, pp. 46-49 & 94-166

Web Links:

Plants

www.endeavor.des.ucdavis.edu/cnps/thums.asp

www.ice.ucdavis.edu/nps/sbypark.html

www.calacademy.org/research/botany/wildflow/index.html

www.calflora.org

Animals

www.elib.cs.berkeley.edu/photos/fauna/

www.ice.ucdavis.edu/nps/sbypark.html

www.Rachel.des.ucdavis.edu/Toads/wwfrog2.html

May 8 Hetch Hetchy and the Battle over the Idea of a National Park - Dr. Robert Brulle

Readings:

Modesto Bee, 1990. Yosemite National Park Centennial 1890-1990, A History: The Hetch Hetchy Fight, 1910-1930, McClatchy Newspapers Inc.

Vilas, Martin S. 1915. Water and Power for San Francisco from Hetch-Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park, Free Press Association, Burlington VT.

Muir, John, 1909. Let Everyone Help to Save the Famous Hetch-Hetchy Valley and Stop the Commercial Destruction Which Threatens Our National Parks, Sierra Club, San Francisco

Brower, David, 2000. On Losing the National Park Idea, unpublished letter to Greg Adair, March 29, 2000

Web Links:

Hetch Hetchy Power and Water Company http://www.ci.sf.ca.us/puc/html/hetchy.htm

Literature on the Raker Bill http://www.sfmuseum.org/hetch/hetchy.html

Sierra Club Site on Hetch Hetchy http://www.sierraclub.org/chapters/ca/hetchhetchy/index.html

May 10 National Park Management Policy: Alternative Approaches and Solutions - Dr. Christian Hunold

Readings:

NPS Introduction to Yosemite Valley Final Plan http://www.nps.gov/yose/planning/yvp/about.html

Anderson, Terry L. and Jane S Shaw. 2000. Is free-market environmentalism 'mainstream'? Social Studies (Sep/Oct).

Buccino, Sharon, Charles Clusen, Ed Norton, and Johanna Wald. 1997. Reclaiming Our Heritage: What We Need to Do to Preserve America's National Parks. Natural Resources Defense Council

The Comments of David R. Brower on the Draft Yosemite Valley Plan (7/7/2000).

http://www.yosemitevalley.org/html/david_brower.html

Sellars, Richard W. 1998. Science or Tradition? National Parks 72: 39-40.

Recommended Reading:

Yosemite Valley Final Plan http://www.nps.gov/yose/planning/yvp/

Web Links:

May 15 The Politics of National Park Management - Dr. Christian Hunold

Readings:

John Dryzek. 1996. Political Inclusion and the Dynamics of Democratization. American Political Science Review 90: 475-87.

Web Links:

The following are links to environmental organizations that have commented on the Yosemite Valley Plan. Students should familiarize themselves with each organization's position.

National Parks Conservation Association (in favor) http://www.npca.org/flash.html

National Resources Defense Council (in favor) http://www.nrdc.org/

The Wilderness Society (in favor) http://www.wilderness.org/

Yosemite Restoration Fund (in favor) http://www.yosemitetrust.org/

Friends of Yosemite Valley (opposed) http://www.yosemitevalley.org/

Sierra Club (opposed) http://www.sierraclub.org/

May 17 Management of the National Parks - (Guest Lecturer - Sharon Buccino, Natural Resources Defense Council)

May 22 No Class

May 24 Current Problems in Yosemite

Movie: Yosemite: The Fate of Heaven

May 29 Trip Report - Dr. Walt Bien

May 31 Course Wrap-up

- Course Evaluation

- Final Exam Overview