Prerequisite: BSCI160 and BSCI161.

Urban Ecology is an interdisciplinary subject at the intersection of social, environmental, and economic systems. This course will examine ecology in the city (i.e. why do certain species live in certain greenspaces?), ecology of the city (e.g. how do urban ecological processes influence the health and safety of human residents?), and ecology for the city (i.e. how do we plan and restore greenspaces in a just way so that all residents have equitable access to nature?). This course will have a strong focus on natural systems within urban ecosystems. Each topic willfocus on key urban ecological concepts and then explore how these topicsapply to urban planning and design. The course will be a mix of traditional lectures and a few field trips to see urban ecology in action in Washington, D.C.

The course is designed to help students that are interested in environmental disciplines understand how the latest generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI) technologies, like Chat GPT-x and othernatural language learning models, can be used to protect and improve ourenvironment and help them discover roles they can pursue as aperson concerned about the environment and as an environmental professional. Through this course, you will gain an appreciation for thepower of gen-AI to make a real difference for our planet. You will explore how the latest gen-AI tools can be applied to tackle environmental topics, like climate change, green cities, ecological restoration, environmentalcompliance and wildlife conservation. This course is perfect for freshmen and sophomores, but is open to all, especially students lookingto explore application for gen-AI.

Contact department for information to regsiter for this course.