Antony Berger | 25 seats available
Fridays, 10:00am — 11:30am
January 26 — February 23 (5 sessions)

This course explores the physical and chemical processes that, despite the heavy human hand, still shape landscapes, modify ecosystems and affect communities. Topics include: 1) a global view of the many ways landscapes can change within a normal human lifespan, but without human influence; 2) distinguishing human from natural drivers of environmental change; 3) impacts of climate and other natural changes on past societies; 4) the autonomy of nature; and 5) implications of rapid landscape change for sustainability in the Anthropocene.  Discussion with students encouraged.

PLEASE NOTE: A few of the course details changed after our calendar was printed. The price/dates/times listed here are correct.

Antony Berger

A retired earth scientist, I now oscillate between Wolfville and Woody Point NL, where I have a close association with Gros Morne National Park. I taught geology at universities in Canada, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia, worked for government and international organizations, and was an independent consultant. I helped to establish several international NGOs, building science in developing countries, strengthening small-scale mining, and increasing global access to scientific literature. My international experience led to two major global projects, one developing tools for tracking rapid landscape change, and a second researching past human responses to natural change. I have written or edited scientific books on subjects ranging from granites of Donegal, Eire, to geology and human health, rapid natural landscape change, and most recently a history of Bonne Bay, NL. Like other academics, I have to take responsibility for adding many papers and articles to the overwhelmingly voluminous scientific literature, much of which has now past its “expiry date”.