Brian Schultz

Recent and Upcoming Courses

• Agriculture, Ecology, and Society

  This course looks at agriculture as a set of ecological systems and issues. It refers to ecology in both the sense of interactions between organisms (e.g., crops, pests, and predators) and their environment, and in the larger-scale sense of environmental impacts and related social and political issues. A broad range of topics will be covered, including pesticides and alternatives, soil fertility and erosion, the role of animals, genetically modified crops, biofuels, global vs. local trade and more. The course work will consist of readings, discussion, written assignments (with revisions as needed), work at the Hampshire farm, group and independent projects, guest lectures and films, and field trips. Given the fieldwork, students should always be prepared to walk and be outside (e.g., sun screen, rain gear, sensible shoes). Some fieldwork may include other times and days to be arranged in class.

• Terrestrial Ecology and Natural History

  This course will examine terrestrial ecology and natural history with an emphasis on our area and studies of the Hampshire fields and forests, as well as visits to other local points of interest (e.g., Mount Holyoke, the Conn. River flood plain, the William Cullen Bryant forest, local collections, and more); focusing on arthropods, herps, birds, and plants, but with attention to mammals, geology, etc. We will spend as much time as possible outside, weather permitting, and combine walking, seeing, learning, and experimenting with the local flora and fauna, with scientific sampling studies of such features as life under logs (e.g., millipedes and red-backed salamanders) or in the canopy (using the Hampshire canopy walkway), or the biodiversity of the Hampshire campus (including quantitative inventories, trail cameras, and museum-type collections for display in Cole Science), or the Hampshire college farm (e.g., bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, and predators too, as well as pests).

• Field Study Semester

• Terrestrial Ecology

  This course is primarily for a relatively small group of more advanced students to do field studies in terrestrial ecology, field trips, and readings from primary literature. We will use the Hampshire College forests and fields, the canopy walkway, farm center, and off-campus sites as our study areas. We'll be outside as much as possible early on, and visit several habitats and locations of interest. We'll also carry out several field problems or small sampling projects, focusing on studies of vegetation, birds, insects and other invertebrates, and salamanders, among others, also depending upon the weather, results of our work as they develop, and the interests of the participants in the course. Prerequisite: some previous biology.

• Field Study

• Introduction to Statistics and Experimental Design

  This course develops skills for designing experiments and analyzing data using standard statistical methods. Work will include the use of some common computer packages, mainly Excel or Open Office, Minitab and R. We will use a standard textbook and also design and carry out data collection in class, with some data collected and analyzed by students on their own. We will also discuss examples of published research and relevant aspects of the philosophy of science. The emphasis in this course will be on problem solving and interpretation and being able to choose and use common statistical methods and tests for data analysis -- actually using statistics.

• Sustainable Agriculture, Organic Farming and Agroecology

  This course is a broad introduction to the theories and practices of sustainable agriculture, organic farming, and agroecology. It includes some experience in the field, combined with study of the underlying science and technology of several key agricultural topics and methods, as well as some more economic/political aspects. We will focus on sustainable and/or organic methods that minimize the use of nonrenewable resources and the associated pros and cons. We will also look beyond organic to more profound ecological and social changes sometimes considered under the term agroecology, such as agroforestry and food sovereignty. Coursework may include activities and assignments at the Hampshire College farm and nearby farms/groups, as well as short papers, problems, and options for independent work in particular areas. In-class topics also include readings, discussions, and assignments aimed at understanding sustainable practices in general. For example, we will study problems with pest control and how to manage pests sustainably/organically, given their life cycles and ecology; basic aspects of soil and fertility management; how animals fit into sustainable schemes of production; winter greenhouses; maple sugaring; crop and farm diversification, including combining perennial crops and animals; the concerns about buying local vs. imported and/or organic food; labor and energy issues; and more.