Environmental Studies
Bachelor of Arts Major
Though rocky at times, humans and our environment are locked into a symbiotic relationship. We must understand how society affects our environment, and vice versa. Far from a purely analytical exercise, this hands-on, experiential program puts you deep in the middle of complex, amazing environments within and around our campus, exploring our past and figuring out how to ensure a future where nature and mankind thrive together.
We’ll focus on how our current social and political systems affect the natural world around us and how we can work within those systems to combat the harm being done. Partnering with our local community, you will complete hands-on projects to make our area more sustainable. In doing so you will learn how to uplift people to uplift the planet, skills that you will use in your future career.
Why Environmental Studies at Warren Wilson?
- Making Real Change: You’ll conduct environmental research and apply your findings alongside grassroots community groups from this area and beyond.
- A Classroom without Walls: Our 1100-acre campus serves as the perfect classroom for you to develop practical and transferable skills.
- Interdisciplinary Strength: this interdisciplinary major starts with foundational courses in Environmental Science, Environmental Policy and Justice, Environmental Education, and Math. Then you’ll select from a wide range of courses based on your interests.
- Graduate with a Standout Resumé: through our environmentally focused work crews, internship placements, and community-engaged courses, you’ll graduate with a stacked resumé that sets you apart from other recent graduates and gives you well-earned skills and confidence.
Every student will complete community-engaged coursework, an internship and original research as part of their major
A Sample of Our Partnerships
- Dr. John Wilson Community Garden
- Asheville Greenworks Urban Forestry program
- Eliada Homes
- WNC Nature Center
- Verner Center for Early Learning
- Riverlink
- National Park Service
- Bounty and Soul
Concentration in Environmental Education
If your interest is in communication, education, and advocacy for environmental issues, you can choose to narrow your studies with the Environmental Education concentration.
Building on the core of your major, you’ll focus on learning how to engage with diverse stakeholders for conservation. You’ll learn how to educate, communicate, and advocate for environmental solutions with diverse audiences from youth to adults.
Honors Program
Environmental studies majors can opt to participate in the honors program, which grants honors recognition on your degree. To graduate with honors, you must earn a 3.5 GPA, complete an independent research project or internship, and present your work to the faculty.
See how Environment Studies students put our education into action
Internship
Lakyla Hodges (she/her) completed her internship as an educator at the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC). After graduation, the organization offered her a full-time position as an Inclusive Environmental Educator. As a student, she also completed an internship based in the public schools as a garden educator with Bountiful Cities, delivering their FEAST program.
Community Engaged Course
As a first year student, Everybody’s Environment provides an unbeatable introduction to our southern Appalachian region for a classroom. Working with faculty and community partners from many different specialties, you will build the skills necessary to understand and tackle environmental challenges and solutions.
Work
You can work on any crew as a student but many Environmental Studies majors choose to be on crews such as:
- CORE (Community Oriented Regeneration Efforts)
- Biology/Environmental Studies, Swannanoa River Stewards Sub-Crew
- Fiber Arts
- Garden, Herb Sub-Crew
Study Away
Everybody Lives Downstream: The French Broad and Colorado Rivers
Rivers are extraordinarily abundant and dynamic ecosystems that have nurtured wild biotic communities for millenia. Human societies, too, have long relied upon rivers – for water, food, transport, energy, and more. But modern human uses and climate change threaten rivers. This course centers on immersive inquiry into two ancient watersheds: the French Broad River in Southern Appalachia, and the Colorado River in the West. You’ll travel to the Colorado River Basin for 10 days of camping, with site visits along the Colorado hosted by scientists, policy makers, and community stakeholders.
Senior Capstone
The Senior Capstone course for the Environmental Studies major is called Environmental Leadership in Community. This is a watershed-scoped, project-based, community engaged capstone. Students work in teams, with community partners, to “move the needle” on a just and sustainable Swannanoa River Watershed.
Popular Courses
Everybody’s Environment! People, Place and Planet
21st-century environmental work is personal and political; scientific and poetic; local, regional, and global! And maybe most of all: terrifying and hopeful. With our southern Appalachian ecoregion for a classroom, you’ll deepen your understanding of today’s intersectional environmental problems and solutions in the classroom and the community.
Topics in Environmental Governance
In this challenging mid-level course, you’ll tackle questions like whether democracy is ready for environmental challenges; why reasonable people disagree about how best to make collective decisions on the environment; how problems and solutions look different from different historical and cultural points of view; whether economic growth and environmental protection are compatible; and more.
Environmental Ethics
Taught by Philosophy faculty, you’ll learn how to ask and think through fundamental questions, such as whether non-human animals or plants have rights, how environmental protection and social justice conflict and converge, what climate change demands of nations, and more.
Liesl Peterson Erb, Ph.D.
Research Interests
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Conservation biology
- Wildlife ecology
“I am more guide than teacher; I love guiding intelligent, passionate students as they help change the world not just after they graduate, but as part of their educational experience.”
Eric Griffin, Ph.D
Research Interests
- Forest Ecology
- Plant-microbe interactions
- Community ecology
“Warren Wilson has some of the most accessible experiential learning opportunities of any college campus in the country. It is one of the primary reasons why I wanted to be here as a faculty member, particularly when the forest is a stone’s throw away from the classroom! ”
Amy L. Knisley, Ph.D.
Research Interests
- Community-based engagement with hazardous waste remediation
- Environmental justice, particularly issues impacting people of color in eastern NC
- The law of water rights, especially in the context of Rocky Mountain west
“Teaching and learning at Warren Wilson is not for the faint of heart! And some days I wake up tired. But the strong-hearted, active-minded students and educators, busy together in this beautiful valley and beyond, send me home energized every day.”
Mallory McDuff, Ph.D.
Research Interests
- Involving faith communities in climate action
- Integrating local communities into environmental education
“The best part of the job is watching students graduate with a strong portfolio of experiences and find meaningful work connecting people to places.”
Liz Benavides, Ph.D.
Research Interests
- Animal Science/Animal Physiology
- Plant-based anthelmintics (de-wormers)
- Animal Endocrinology
“At Warren Wilson, I have most enjoyed learning from my students as much as I am teaching them. Their wealth of experiences has not only been valuable in my lessons, but I have learned so much from them as well!”
David Abernathy, Ph.D.
Research Interests
- Geographic Information Systems
- Environment-society relations
- Geography of Panama
“Warren Wilson students crave a challenge. I am continually amazed at the enthusiasm with which our students throw themselves into an endeavor, whether it be a physically exhausting service trip or an intellectually stimulating research question. Wilson students tend to say “bring it.””
Jack Igelman, MS
Research Interests
- Climate change
- The economics of public land and forests
- The economics of less developed nations
“The commitment by Warren Wilson staff and faculty to provide our students with meaningful, hands-on learning is unmatched in higher education. Our approach provides students an opportunity to explore, create, and think critically about the world and to become well-rounded thinkers, problem-solvers, and innovators. ”
Mark Brenner, Ph.D.
Research Interests
- Aquatic Ecology
- Nutrient cycling in ecosystems
- Mycoremediation
“As a field biologist, I always say our best laboratories are right out the back door of the science building. Within a 5 minute walk we have 3 ponds, a trout stream and 600 acres of Forest.”
“I remember a specific moment when I was visiting elders to teach a workshop in medicinal teas for an Environmental Education class project. I ended up doing more listening than teaching. They had actually spent a lot more time with these plants than I had. I try to incorporate this open-mindedness into my botanical research.
Sophia Winitsky, Ph.D.
(she/her)
Botanist, Taxonomist, Evolutionary Biologist
- Environmental Studies Major
- Concentration in Environmental Education
- Crews: Cowpie and Fiber Arts
“I have so many great memories from my time at Warren Wilson! My Environmental Education classes, Peace & Justice studies with Inside out, Ecology with Mark Brenner, and all of the study away courses I did were some highlights. I also deeply loved my time on the Farm crew working with the cows and sheep, calving and lambing really changed my scope of animal husbandry as a student which helped to round out my farming experience.”
Kelly Applegate
(she/they)
Interim Garden Manager at Warren Wilson College and The Asheville Edibles Coordinator & Social Media Manager at Bountiful Cities
- Environmental Studies Major
- Concentration in Environmental Education
- Double Minor in Biology and Peace & Justice Studies
- Crew: Farm
Where Our Environmental Studies Graduates Go
- Duke Nicholas School of the Environment
- Yale University School of the Environment
- American University Kogod School of Business
- National Forest Service
- American Civil Liberties Union
- Asheville Greenworks
