Each year, the Center offers a series of living laboratory courses on current applications in regenerative studies (RS 414/414L). These courses emphasize "hands on" application of regenerative principles and practices, and topics will change quarterly. RS 414/414L course numbers can be repeated for a total of 12 units. Contact the program advisor for more information.
Living laboratory courses for 2008-09 include:
RS 414/414L: Current Applications in Regenerative Studies: Regenerative Landscape Construction Processes. 4 units. (Class Nbr 73420/73421)
Sat 10 am – 12:50 pm/Sat 2:00 – 4:50 pm, Room 209-217. Doug Kent, Instructor
This course is intended specifically for students planning to work with built landscapes. It covers the basics of Regenerative landscape construction, including defining a Regenerative landscape, properly protecting a site, alternative materials, ecological cost estimation, low-impact construction techniques, constructing water capture systems, such as greywater and wetlands, maintenance, and deconstruction.
RS 414/414L: Current Applications in Regenerative Studies: Phytoremediation and Bioremediation of Degraded Sites. 4 units. Dr. Hossein Ahmadzadeh and Dr. Stephen Lyon, Instructors
This “living lab” course provides an understanding of the processes involved in phytoremediation and bioremediation, i.e. the use of plants and their associated microbes and bacterial/fungal communities in soils to remediate environmental pollution in brownfields and other degraded sites. Students will know which technologies are used in which cases, and why. They will be given an overview of basic environmental chemistry, soil science and the biological mechanisms involved in pollutant uptake, accumulation and transformation and degradation.
RS 414/414L: Current Applications in Regenerative Studies: Solar Energy Systems. 4 units
Dr. Charles Ritz, Instructor
The course covers the fundamentals of solar energy generation. Students will examine a variety of solar technologies to better understand their operation, feasibility, cost effectiveness and maintenance. The course includes a "hands on" lab component.
RS 400. Directed Study in Regenerative Practices. 2-4 units.
Individual study by the student on a subject agreed upon by student and advisor. Total credit limited to 4 units, with a maximum of 2 units per quarter. Prerequisites: RS 301 and 302 or permission of instructor. Approval of study proposal must be granted before enrollment. Contact the program advisor for more information.
RS 465. Ecological Patterns and Processes. 4 units.
This course introduces students to principles in the emerging field of landscape ecology, and their relationship to planning and design decisions upon the land. Students will learn about the intellectual roots of this approach to understanding landscape patterns and processes, the fundamental vocabulary and key concepts within the field, and their relationship towards the goal of increased environmental sustainability.
RS 499/499L. Special Topics in Regenerative Practices. 2-4 units.
Exploration of topics of current interest related to regenerative practices or technologies or their roles in society. May include lectures, seminars and/or laboratories on a schedule to be determined by the instructor. Total credit limited to 8 units, with a maximum of 4 units per quarter. Prerequisite RS 301 or RS 311 or permission of instructor.
