Fall 2022

The Wild & the Cultivated

Listed in: Environmental Studies, as ENST-207  |  History, as HIST-207

Faculty

Edward D. Melillo (Section 01)

Description

(Offered as HIST 207 [TR/C] and ENST 207) For thousands of years, wild and domesticated plants have played crucial roles in the development of cultures and societies. Students in this course will consider human relationships with plants from a global-historical perspective, comparing trends in various regions and time periods. We will focus on the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution, seed-saving practices, medicinal plants, religious rites, food traditions, biopiracy, agribusiness, and biofuels. Two class meetings per week.

Limited to 30 students. Fall semester. Professor Melillo.

How to handle overenrollment: Priority given to HIST and ENST majors, by seniority if necessary

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Oral presentations, field trips, and independent research.

HIST 207 - LEC

Section 01
Tu 10:00 AM - 11:20 AM SCCE E208
Th 10:00 AM - 11:20 AM SCCE E208

ISBN Title Publisher Author(s) Comment Book Store Price
The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s Eye View of the World New York: Random House, 2001 Michael Pollan Amherst Books TBD
The Hidden Life of Trees Berkeley, California: Greystone Books, 2018 Peter Wohlleben Amherst Books TBD
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants Minneapolis, Minn.: Milkweed Editions, 2013 Robin Wall Kimmerer Amherst Books TBD

These books are available locally at Amherst Books.

Offerings

2023-24: Not offered