Depending on the semester, students experience an intensive introduction to the ecology, society, and culture of their new environment in northern New England. This includes studying local botany, human history, land-use practices of the regional economy, and the local artisan community. Students begin outdoor challenge activities and small group work, learn about establishing norms of social conduct, build community, and initiate conversations about what it means to live sustainably. This course consists of group discussions, tours, orientations to various Sterling College programs, and outdoor activities. Topics and content vary by semester.

This course will provide an understanding of the biogeochemical cycles of major nutrients needed for plant growth both in a natural ecosystem as well as in the agroecosystem. The connection between plant community productivity and the water quality of ground water and surface water will be discussed. Methods used to monitor the fertility and the health of the larger ecosystem will be investigated as well as management strategies to maintain or improve the productivity of agricultural, forested and contaminated soils.

This course is designed to introduce students to a range of topics across the humanities, spanning humankind’s prehistory, history, and histrionics. Seminar format, consisting of investigation, synthesis, and discussion, will be complemented by excursions to various businesses and individuals in the surrounding community. Topics include visual and performing arts, scientific inquiries, business endeavors, and encounters with practicing humanists. Prerequisite: Junior-level standing.

This course allows advanced students in draft horse management to participate fully in the power management of the College’s bioextensive gardens, woodlot, and pastures. Further, students will work closely with the farm, garden and forest managers to plot the power needs of the existing gardens and woodlot and develop a power plan for next year’s rotation requirements. Other responsibilities include the upkeep of the College’s horse drawn equipment, research on emerging technology for horse powered farming and logging and actively engage in the horse powered farming community by developing a solid network of contacts and connections.

This course explores how families serve as a locus of cultural transmission by gathering and studying family stories, particularly around culinary and musical traditions. Focusing on various traditions or a “tradition bearer” in students’ families (or in another family), we collect oral histories and consider how these traditions contribute to our sense of individual, regional, and cultural identity. Students will also be introduced to methods of folklore and ethnography, including interviewing, collecting, and other forms of documentation. Projects will include short reflection papers and a final project for display to the community. This course meets the requirement for two humanities credits emphasizing textual analysis and written critical response.

Through a wide range of literary works including those of Thoreau, Wendell Berry, Michael Pollan, and M. F. K. Fisher, this course will explore the food chain that sustains us and the way the pleasures of eating are so closely connected to the natural world. In two five-week sessions, the topic of food will be examined by first looking at the farmers who produce it, the nature of farms and other food-making enterprises in America today, and finally, the culture of cooking and the rituals around the table. Each session will begin by placing farming in a historical context, tracing the demise of the small family farm after the advent of industrialized agriculture and the federal government’s call for farmers to “get big or get out.” We will then look at the movement toward a more decentralized model, examining instances of individual farmers and food makers—including those local to Vermont—whose philosophies move beyond the mantra of maximum production for minimum profit and instead value health, ecology and community. Finally, we will consider the culture around the table: the way people think about food and eating and the traditions that coincide with this. During the first session, readings and discussions will focus on the meat and dairy industries and the value-added products derived from these, while the second session will explore fruit, vegetable and grain-based foods and beverages and the people who produce them. Weekly writing assignments, reflective in nature and in response to the readings, will be required.

Public presentation of the Senior Project to the Sterling College community. Must include a display, written report, and formal presentation utilizing PowerPoint and other technology. For students enrolled in SARP III or Senior Project II.

Our daily living and work typicaly involve the focus of our labors and mind on the immediate world around us - the physical and the intellectual goals of the person, the community & the Earth. This course however offers an opportunity to look up from our knitting, direct our gaze upward and outward and see the heavens, learn the patterns and cycles and ponder the grand and exotic nature of the Universe. Students will both learn their way around the night sky and learn the basic principles of modern cosmology through reading, written assignments, field observation and guided independent projects.

Gender is a divisive and explosive issue in American society. Exploring and gaining understanding about the role gender plays in our society can enhance ones ability to contribute to society as an involved and responsible citizen. An ability to perceive and correctly analyze gender dynamics around leadership, group dynamics, community involvement, and social change can be crucial to constructive involvement in problem solving. Our society plays out many dramas and conflicts around gender issues, which can be hard to navigate successfully. This course will provide valuable perspectives on gender-related dynamics and a new lens through which to view everyday situations.

This course is a field-based exploration of the flora and vegetation of the North Woods, with an emphasis on the ecological interplay between temperate deciduous and boreal forest biomes. Students build on foundational principles of natural history and ecology through development and practice of observation, identification, and interpretation skills and the keeping of a refined naturalist field journal. Topics include a botanical survey of woody plant families and representative species, natural community composition and structure, biogeographic concepts, ecological succession, identification and classification skills (including an introduction to botanical keys, as well as extensive use of other types of field guides), and the history and philosophy of Natural History. Course format includes lectures, discussions, and a significant field component. PREREQUISITE: NS207: Ecology

Public presentation of the Senior Applied Research Project (SARP) to the Sterling College community. Must include a display, written report, and formal presentation utilizing PowerPoint and other technology. Prerequisite: SS440 or NS440.

Open for topics of special interest to faculty and students in a particular year. A group wishing to initiate a course will draw up a detailed syllabus to keep on file and submit it to the Dean of Academics for approval. A recent example is The Art of Place. Students were introduced to tools for community building such as labyrinths, stone rings, and circle dance.

Open for topics of special interest to faculty and students in a particular year. A group wishing to initiate a course will draw up a detailed syllabus to keep on file and submit it to the Dean of Academics for approval. A recent example is The Art of Place. Students were introduced to tools for community building such as labyrinths, stone rings, and circle dance.

This course will be a hands-on farm management course. Students will be exposed to all seasonal farm skills and be trained to execute the work. Additionally, this course will push students to “think like a farmer” by taking on management responsibilities. Students will do weekly farm walks (vegetable production and pastures) which will guide them in generating a weekly priority list. Additionally, students will engage in “rotations” or areas of the farm that require management and decision making. The rotations include: Propagation, Dining Hall Contract, Pasture Management, Ag Power Management, and Bread Baking for the community. Students will experience the seasonal rhythm of the farm building confidence in overall farm management. Finally, students will create a Personal Learning Plan that will be used to guide their learning for the summer. Weekly check ins with the instructor will provide accountability and assessment.