Conservation Biology is one of my favorite classes I’ve taken at Swarthmore. Professor Itzue Caviedes Solis devoted each week of class to a different topic: biodiversity, climate change, art and conservation, overconsumption, sustainable development, community based conservation, etc. We approached the topics with a great deal of intersectionality, so I came away from the class with a nuanced understanding of the relevant issues. Over the course of the semester we were exposed to a wide variety of readings – from scientific literature, to book chapters, to first hand accounts of what it is like to be a conservation biologist. One thing that sets this class apart from other biology classes I’ve taken is that Professor Itzue sets aside time for class discussion. One of our goals was to have awareness and empathy for all stakeholders involved. We also talked a lot about the inequalities that are exacerbated by environmental issues and the inequalities within the field of conservation biology work. Professor Itzue cares a lot about effective scientific communication, so we also talked about scientists’ challenge of sharing their findings with their communities in a way that will inspire people to work towards positive change. In lab, we developed our skills in writing accessible science communication by conducting our own, semester-long research projects on an invasive plant species and then producing a lab report detailing our results.
One fun memory from the course was our field trip to a local alpaca farm. During our three hour lab block after our sustainability-focused week, we rode the Swarthmore vans out to Trotter Hill Alpaca farms to learn about the owner’s real-world application of sustainable practices. First, we got to feed and pet the alpacas, then the owner gave a short talk about her experiences running a small business focused on sustainability. We learned that alpacas require less land than horses and cattle. Also, the owner has come up with ways to use every bit of wool they produce – turning the most desirable wool into yarn and then using the scraps to host felt crafting workshops and to make products like felted dryer balls and soap bars to sell at local farmers markets.
It was inspiring to hear the story of this businesswoman who is making a conscious effort to follow a lifestyle that prioritizes conservation. I’m also grateful to have the opportunity for off-campus experiential learning that parallels and enhances in-class learning.
