ENVS1020A-W11
Vermont Waters
Vermont Waters: Maritime History and Aquatic Culture of the Champlain Valley
Vermont has a rich maritime history and a diversity of aquatic cultural traditions. Lake Champlain was once a watery superhighway between New York and Montreal. The state fossil is a Beluga whale skeleton from the Pleistocene. The first American woman to be licensed as a master mariner was Philomena Daniels of Vergennes. The “Flatiron skiffs” of Lake Dunmore attest to the region’s lively recreational history. In this course we will read works of environmental, cultural, and material history, as well as works of fiction by environmental novelists, that focus on the waters of Vermont. We will also collaborate with local community partners in studying material artifacts, oral history, and photographs that document Vermont’s aquatic culture. We will also contribute to its material culture by building a canoe and a skiff with local craftsmen. The reward for the students is a deeper understanding of the history and complexity of their environment and the chance to work with neighbors.
Vermont has a rich maritime history and a diversity of aquatic cultural traditions. Lake Champlain was once a watery superhighway between New York and Montreal. The state fossil is a Beluga whale skeleton from the Pleistocene. The first American woman to be licensed as a master mariner was Philomena Daniels of Vergennes. The “Flatiron skiffs” of Lake Dunmore attest to the region’s lively recreational history. In this course we will read works of environmental, cultural, and material history, as well as works of fiction by environmental novelists, that focus on the waters of Vermont. We will also collaborate with local community partners in studying material artifacts, oral history, and photographs that document Vermont’s aquatic culture. We will also contribute to its material culture by building a canoe and a skiff with local craftsmen. The reward for the students is a deeper understanding of the history and complexity of their environment and the chance to work with neighbors.
- Term:
- Winter 2011
- Location:
- Axinn Center 229(AXN 229)
- Schedule:
- 10:30am-12:30pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (Jan 3, 2011 to Jan 28, 2011)
- Type:
- Lecture
- Instructors:
- Daniel Brayton
- Subject:
- Environmental Studies
- Department:
- Prog in Environmental Studies
- Division:
- Interdisciplinary
- Requirements Fulfilled:
- HIS NOR WTR
- Levels:
- Undergraduate
- Availability:
- View availability, prerequisites, and other requirements.
- Course Reference Number (CRN):
- 11244
- Subject Code:
- ENVS
- Course Number:
- 1020
- Section Identifier:
- A