Hi Researchers,

I'm currently studying at Berkeley towards a degree in Environmental
Resource Management.  Due to scheduling conflicts, I plan to propose
an independent study class next semester, and am having trouble
locating background material.  When I graduate I'd like to work for
the National Parks Service, and I'm particularly interested in how
people interact with the natural environment.  For example, how are
decisions made about excavation and preservation of buildings within
the Parks?  When Chaco Canyon in New Mexico was discovered and
excavated, some of the walls were actually rebuilt - making them
aesthetically pleasing for the visitor, but wreaking havoc with the
natural deterioration of such structures.  I thought I might ask
questions like "What is acceptable preservation?"  "When should we
attempt to arrest decay and when should we actively rebuild?"  "Is the
disturbance of the habitat of some endangered species a worthwhile
price to pay to understand a bit more about our history?"  "Should we
excavate or leave things as they are when we find them?"  This last
question occurred to me as I was walking around Stirling Castle in
Scotland; a room had been filled in with rubble in order to support a
new structure on top of it, and modern archaeologists had dug out the
rubble to reveal the old room.  Should we have left the building as it
was when we found it, or do we have a duty to understand how things
worked even longer ago?  I am considering picking up a basic
archaeology textbook but am also having trouble locating one of those
- are there any resources on the web that answer any of these
questions or can just help me develop my thoughts further?

---

Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 01 Aug 2005 16:52 PDT

Hello statestraveller-ga,

What level class are you proposing, undergrad or graduate? What kind
of information do you need? Are you interested in exploring the
current state of the world as it relates to the questions you're
thinking about? Are you formulating a research project? Can you find a
link to a sample of the kind of independent study project that you're
talking about? I think there's lots of material available I just don't
know how to filter and organize it in response to your question. I
look forward to your clarification.

~ czh ~

---

Clarification of Question by statestraveller-ga on 01 Aug 2005 17:11 PDT

hi czh,

It's an undergraduate degree.  I'm transferring in as a junior so I
have absolutely no experience in how the system works, which is why
I'm exploring ideas now.  Yes, I am interested in exploring how
different agencies (parks, blm, forest service and maybe their
equivalents in other countries) respond to these issues.  Yes, it will
be a research project.  Archaeology seemed like a good starting point
to me, but I'm open to ideas:-)  I don't have a link to a similar
project, but it's equivalent to a four-unit class so should involve a
substantial amount of learning.  Another thought just occurred to me -
whether we should build new structures in parks - for example, the
mass of buildings in Yosemite Valley that cater to visitors.  Do they
not degrade the wilderness experience?

Let me know if you need further clarification.