Ecological Restoration Honours B.Sc. - Joint Trent-Fleming Degree/Diploma
Location:
Program Status:
Program Code:
Co-ordinator:
Credential:
Classes Start:
Tuition/ Fees:
Lindsay
Accepting applications
ERJ
Ontario College Diploma
September 8, 2009
$2,539.00 per semester *
* Tuition and fees subject to change.
- Program Information
- Program Curriculum
- Course Descriptions
- Is It For Me?
Become a leader in the Science of Hope. Make your stand in the green revolution by helping to restore our natural environment for present and future generations. Ecological Restoration is an emerging discipline that focuses on assisting the recovery of degraded, damaged or destroyed ecosystems at specific project sites.
Program Highlights
This new, collaborative program developed by Trent University and Fleming College provides a bold and innovative solution to this challenge. The program:
- Is interdisciplinary with a foundation of science-based curriculum.
- Broad-based so that you will develop an understanding of the big picture - and comprehend ecological principles that can be transferred to any ecosystem and adapted to any project.
- Designed to improve traditional college students' access to a university degree.
- Integrated to combine applied learning, field skills and experience with theoretical and scientific knowledge and principles from day one.
- Provides opportunities for field camps, field courses and a capstone course.
- Encourages and supports students who seek out internships and international opportunities.
- Offers a unique combination of college and university cultures - the best of both worlds.
Advantages of the Joint Diploma/Degree
Through the collaboration between Trent and Fleming, faculty, teaching, field study courses, applied projects and resources will be shared over the four years of the program.
- This integrated introduction to both academic cultures will prepare you for the transition from Fleming to Trent.
- The program is carefully designed so that you will truly understand the connections, relevance and fit between courses in the program of study.
- Both institutions are renowned for their environmental focus and commitment to providing support for students to achieve success.
You will begin this adventure by spending two years at Fleming College’s School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences in Lindsay. This School has a 40-year history of preparing graduates for employment in the environmental sector. Here, you will build on your science, math and communications skills while also practicing ecological restoration through field courses and project work.
Your next two years will be at Trent University in Peterborough, home to one of the first environmental programs to be established in Canada. At Trent, you can choose to either build towards a specialization, or continue to balance theory and practice in a more broad-based degree program.
Since this is an innovative diploma/degree model that infuses elements of both the college and university experience throughout the four-year years, you will not obtain your college diploma at the completion of your two years at Fleming College. Instead, you will graduate at the end of four years with both your college diploma and university degree in Ecological Restoration. (If you choose not to continue in the Ecological Restoration B.Sc. program, you can apply credits from this program to enter one of the Ontario College Diploma programs within the School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences.)
The distance between Fleming College's campus in Lindsay and Trent University in Peterborough is 45 kilometres, or about a 45-minute drive.
What it Takes to Succeed
The program is challenging and sets a high standard of academic rigour. Our goal is to provide the support you need to achieve these standards but you must be prepared to:
- Dedicate study time necessary to achieve grade requirements in University Level courses - you must achieve a 65% average overall in the Environmental Science I course in Semester 1 in order to progress to Semester 2
- Achieve a 65% average overall in University Level courses across Year 1 and Year 2 in order to progress to Year 3
- Participate fully in field course activities and team-based projects (which may extend beyond regular class time)
- Take control of your learning by recognizing if you need help and taking advantage of opportunities to access assistance
.
Career Opportunities
The environmental sector is experiencing a sustained boom as global awareness of environmental issues is now top-of-mind. Since 2001, growth in the environmental workforce has consistently outpaced overall growth of the Canadian workforce and is projected to continue to do so (ELM Profile of Canadian Environmental Employment - Environmental Labour Market Research, 2007). There's a significant shortage of environmental employees with the required science background, technical and soft skills mix to meet the demand. Employment opportunities are diverse and new career prospects are emerging - especially in the private sector - as corporations discover that green corporate citizenship initiatives contribute to both long-term sustainability and market share. Entry-level job titles include:
- Landscape Restoration Technician
- Shoreline Naturalization or Restoration Technician
- Watershed Planning Technician
- Wetland Habitat Technician, Habitat Restoration Technician
Positions requiring more experience include:
- Project Manager, Field and Stream Rescue Team
- Watershed Restorationist
- Stewardship Assistant
- Remediation Specialist
- Ecologist
- Biodiversity Conservation Biologist
Whether you choose to work in the public or private sector, you will be well-equipped with the comprehensive science foundation, plus the technical and field skills that the Honours B.Sc. in Ecological Restoration provides. You also have the flexibility to pursue graduate studies if you choose to do so.
Minimum Admission Requirements
OSSD with the majority of credits at the College (C) and Open (O) level, including:
- 2 College (C) English courses
- 2 College (C) Math courses
- 1 College (C) Science (Grade 11 or Grade 12)*
* The following courses would meet the one (1) College Science requirement:- All grade 11 and 12 SEN (Environmental Science) and SES (Earth and Space Science) and SGE (Science - Geology) . These courses are all under Electives but are science based.
- Science, Grade 11, University/College Preparation (SNC3M)
- Science, Grade 12, University/College Preparation (SNC4M)
- Grade 12, University/College Environmental & Resource Management (CGR4M)
When College (C) is the minimum course level for admission, (U) or (U/C) courses are also accepted.
Recommended:
- College (C), University/College (U/C) or University (U/M) level courses in Chemistry, English and Biology (Although recommended courses are not required for admission, you will be better prepared for this program.)
You apply to this program through the Ontario College Application Service: www.ontariocolleges.ca
For more information about the program please email Fleming College at: ecologicalrestoration@flemingc.on.ca
Selection Process
| Course | Hours |
| Semester 1 | |
| Applied Mathematics in Natural Resource Sciences | 45.00 |
| Communications for Ecological Restoration | 60.00 |
| Ecosystem Skills | 60.00 |
| Environmental Leadership | 45.00 |
| Environmental Science I | 45.00 |
| Geospatial Techniques | 45.00 |
| Semester 2 | |
| Environmental Science II | 45.00 |
| Environmental Techniques | 90.00 |
| GIS Principles | 45.00 |
| Introduction to Ecology | 45.00 |
| Introductory Chemistry I | 60.00 |
| Readings in Environment and Restoration | 45.00 |
| Semester 3 | |
| Geomatics in Surveying | 45.00 |
| Indigenous Environmental Studies I | 45.00 |
| Introduction to Plant Community Systematics | 45.00 |
| Introductory Chemistry II | 60.00 |
| Math I | 45.00 |
| Principles of Hydrogeology | 60.00 |
| Restoration Ecology Field Camp | 40.00 |
| Semester 4 | |
| Ecosystem Monitoring and Assessment | 45.00 |
| Environmental Laboratory Techniques | 45.00 |
| Indigenous Environmental Studies II | 45.00 |
| Introduction to Ecological Design | 45.00 |
| Math II | 45.00 |
| Remote Sensing and Ecological Land Classification | 45.00 |
| Year 3: at Trent University |
| Essential Courses: |
| Environmental Ethics |
| Environment & Communications |
| Wild Plants of Ontario |
| Field Course/Study |
| Optional Courses: |
| Ecology & Management of Wetlands |
| Soil Management & Conservation |
| Environmental Risk Assessment |
| Waste Management |
| Environmental Impact Assessment |
| Ecological Risk Assessment |
| Fluvial Geomorphology |
| Plant Ecology |
| Erosion Control & Ecological Engineering |
| Year 4: at Trent University |
| Essential Courses: |
| Restoration Ecology |
| Research Design & Data Analysis |
| Natural Resource Economics & Project Planning |
| Field Course/Study |
| Optional Courses: |
| Thesis |
| Community – Based Research Project |
| Environmental Law & Regulation |
| Greening the Campus |
| Hydrochemical Fluxes in the Hydrosphere |
| Fisheries Assessment & Management |
| Alternative Water Treatment & Pollution Control |
| Land Reclamation & Restoration of Stressed Sites |
Semester 1
Applied Mathematics in Natural Resource Sciences
Course Number: MATH063
This course will enable students to apply specific mathematical concepts and acquire foundation skills important in the Natural Resource and Environmental Sciences. It is designed to complement and reinforce learning within other first semester courses and program areas.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Communications for Ecological Restoration
Course Number: COMM131
Communication is an exciting and rewarding part of any career. Successful professional communication requires an understanding of both individual and organizational audiences and the ability to create effective messages for them. Communications for Ecological Restoration will introduce students to the critical-thinking, problem-solving and professional communication and writing skills that are required in order to be successful advocates for ecological restoration, technical writers, and academic researchers and authors. Course content will develop skill in writing lab and field reports, academic essays and managing positive and negative messages.
In this course students will learn to "see communication, understand it, and manage it." They will learn to recognise and analyse the rich examples of written and nonverbal communication found in personal and work experiences and in current ecological restoration issues as they appear in both popular and academic media. Students make an important contribution to this course in the study and experience of professional communication.
Units: 60.00
Hours: 60.00
Ecosystem Skills
Course Number: ECOS013
This course will focus on three areas of study: identification, field and lab skills. Students will identify and classify the living and non-living components of the specific ecosystems described in the Ecology and Environment (ENVR 20) course. Field skills to be developed include the ability to navigate through the natural environment and use a variety of ecosystem inventory techniques. Special emphasis will be placed on safe work habits in lab and field.
Units: 60.00
Hours: 60.00
Environmental Leadership
Course Number: NATR008
This course will enable students to develop a personal position and direct their career path within the context of the environmental and natural resource industry. A dynamic, interactive case study approach will be used to examine issues arising from environmental disputes and conflicts, and to develop an understanding of ecological sustainability.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Environmental Science I
Course Number: SCIE118
Environmental Science is a university level foundation course introducing the scientific principles required for an understanding of environmental problems and solutions in our highly technological society. Emphasis will be placed upon developing scientific literacy for students in key areas of concern such as energy use and sustainability, globalisation, human population dynamics and waste management.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Geospatial Techniques
Course Number: GEOM036
This course is designed around the four pillars of Geomatics: Remote Sensing, Cartography, Surveying and GIS. Students will develop entry-level skills in data capture, surveying, (computer) drafting, principles of remote sensing, air photo interpretation, and in usage of representative Geomatics-related software.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Semester 2
Environmental Science II
Course Number: SCIE119
Environmental Science is a university level foundation course introducing the scientific principles required for an understanding of environmental problems and solutions in our highly technological society. Emphasis will be placed upon developing scientific literacy for students in key areas of concern such as energy use and sustainability, globalisation, human population dynamics and waste management.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Environmental Techniques
Course Number: ENVR011
This is a lab course that provides the fundamentals and skills required for working in the environmental field. Laboratory work will include hands-on measurement and identification of soil and rock using standard testing procedures. Plant relationships with earth materials will be examined and evaluated. Basic properties of water, introductory hydrogeology and groundwater sampling/monitoring techniques will also be introduced.
Units: 90.00
Hours: 90.00
GIS Principles
Course Number: GEOM021
Pre-requisites
As one of the pillars of Geomatics, GIS is the science of deriving, determining, and communicating spatial relationships between and within geographic features. This course will provide the student with the fundamental principles supporting the two main spatial data models, vector and raster, and will introduce concepts of spatial relationships and preliminary spatial analysis.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Introduction to Ecology
Course Number: ECOS027
Introduction to Ecology offers an examination of the interactions between organisms and their environment at the individual, population and community level. The course will cover basic concepts, theories and methods used in ecology and the application of these to ecological and environmental problems.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Introductory Chemistry I
Course Number: SCIE120
This course introduces the fundamental theories, measurements, calculations and laboratory methods required to apply chemistry principles to applications in organic and inorganic chemistry. The course also provides an introduction to biochemistry. The integrated course concept and its relevance to environmental science is illustrated below.
Units: 60.00
Hours: 60.00
Readings in Environment and Restoration
Course Number: COMM137
Readings in Environment and Restoration will introduce students to literature that illuminates and serves as the foundation of the disciplines of restoration ecology and environmental studies. It will provide students with an opportunity to study and contextualize the major themes of these disciplines as they are expressed through poetry, narrative and discursive prose. It will begin with a brief overview of the European religious views of nature represented in literature from the Middle Ages to Renaissance and contrast these with the scientific world-view of the 18th Century. We will then consider the significant redefinition of the environment and human nature in the 19th Century through the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and Jack London. Finally, we will examine the emergence of the modern ecological restoration movement in seminal texts by Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson, Edward Abbey, and native novelist Leslie Marmon Silko. As well, we will examine various selected readings, including poets Robert Frost, Wallace Stevens, William Carlos Williams, Robinson Jeffers, and Gary Snyder.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Semester 3
Geomatics in Surveying
Course Number: SURV018
This course places the emphasis on the fundamental principles of Geomatics as they apply to Surveying. Electronic instruments will be used with emphasis on data loggers to obtain field positions with features and attribute data. These field locations and attributes will be used to create GIS related survey plans. Coordinate Geometry will be used in the computation of boundaries areas and volumes. The GIS features will be implemented using practical field projects and the projects will be related to land information systems.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Indigenous Environmental Studies I
Course Number: ECOS031
In this course students will be given the opportunity to explore Indigenous worldviews, environmental philosophies, values and ways-of-life through exposure to the perspectives of traditional Indigenous Teachings, lectures, and guest speakers. This course will cover such topics as approaches to studying the environment, the impact of colonization and colonialism on Indigenous Peoples and their environment. Students will also investigate Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives on Indigenous Environmental Knowledge and its use and application in environmental management with special attention being paid to interactions between Indigenous knowledge and western science. This course is designed to encourage students to use Indigenous Knowledge and western science, as well as knowledge from the social sciences, to develop sustainable resolutions to specific environmental issues currently facing Indigenous communities.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Introduction to Plant Community Systematics
Course Number: FSTY075
Introduction to Plant Community Systematics introduces students to concepts in systematic classification with an emphasis on local flora. The course is fundamental to the understanding of relationships, both evolutionary and ecological, among plant and animal communities; their roles in the ecosystem, and the underlying reasons for their geographical distributions. The importance of plant taxonomy in ecological restoration will be explored in terms of rebuilding viable communities based on the historical data, current conditions and the appropriate plant associations that can be reconstructed.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Introductory Chemistry II
Course Number: SCIE121
This course introduces the fundamental theories, measurements, calculations and laboratory methods required to apply chemistry principles to applications in organic and inorganic chemistry. The course also provides an introduction to biochemistry. The integrated course concept and its relevance to environmental science is illustrated below.
Units: 60.00
Hours: 60.00
Math I
Course Number: MATH086
This course is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of descriptive and inferential statistics with an emphasis on inference. The major topics include methods of analysing sets of data, probability, probability distributions, estimation, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, simple linear regression and correlation. Course concepts are applied to the natural sciences.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Principles of Hydrogeology
Course Number: GEOL021
This course introduces the fundamental theories and applications of groundwater studies. Lecture topics will include basic principles of groundwater, aquifer investigation, wells, groundwater management, and groundwater geotechniques. Lab efforts will be directed to hydraulic conductivity determinations, flow nets, pump tests, piezometric tests, and uses of test data.
Units: 60.00
Hours: 60.00
Restoration Ecology Field Camp
Course Number: APST083
This field course provides students with exposure to the principles and practices in ecosystem restoration. Ongoing or completed projects addressing both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems will be visited thus exposing students to current techniques in the field. Students will get the opportunity to further develop their skills in taxonomical classification, ecosystem monitoring, and ecosystem assessment.
Units: 40.00
Hours: 40.00
Semester 4
Ecosystem Monitoring and Assessment
Course Number: ECOS007
This course provides students with technical skills and knowledge related to monitoring and assessing ecosystem health and change in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. An emphasis will be placed on scientific methodology, report-writing skills, and experimental design principles. Students will also become familiar with the federal and provincial Environmental Assessment acts.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Environmental Laboratory Techniques
Course Number: ENVR007
This course gives students experience in analytical laboratory techniques and instrumentation associated with the environmental workplace. Laboratory work will include hands-on experience in sample collection, preparation, and analysis for both organic and inorganic contaminants as well as exposure to standard laboratory procedures. The theory and practical applications of a variety of standard laboratory methods and instrumentation will also be examined.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Indigenous Environmental Studies II
Course Number: ECOS030
This course will be an extension of Indigenous Environmental Studies I and will continue to explore the relationship between Indigenous communities and their environment and the connections between western science and Indigenous and local knowledge systems.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Introduction to Ecological Design
Course Number: ENVR044
The discipline of Ecological Design provides a framework for combining conventional perspectives on landscape and architectural design with environmental ones by incorporating the consideration of ecological concerns at relevant spatial and temporal scales. The ultimate goal of any project in Ecological Design is to increase economic and environmental sustainability. This course will explore the principles, methods, and techniques that are applied in ecological design towards shaping land use, landscape and natural resources. It will also explore the history of the discipline through a case studies approach, providing examples of both environmentally sustainable and destructive projects
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Math II
Course Number: MATH087
A continuation of Math I, this course is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of descriptive and inferential statistics with an emphasis on inference. The major topics include methods of analysing sets of data, probability, probability distributions, estimation, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, simple linear regression and correlation.
This is the equivalency of a full credit course and outcomes are realised over two semesters
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00
Remote Sensing and Ecological Land Classification
Course Number: GEOM100
This course provides an introduction to the basic interpretation and measurement of physical, biological, and cultural features on remotely sensed imagery. Basic photogrammetry concepts will be examined and practiced in scale determination, height, and measurement. These skills will be developed in combination with an understanding of the Ecological Land Classification (ELC) framework. Together, these two disciplines will help the student develop a strong foundation in the elements required for reading the landscape. Such information could then be applied towards the appropriate selection of reference sites to act as models in a restoration project.
Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00