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Hunting has a long history in the U.S. that has evolved as the country has progressed. In a way, each hunter also has their own history that evolves as they age. This collection of essays is a look into my history with hunting and some of the ways it has evolved. On initial read these essays have an obvious common thread of hunting and they follow me as I rediscover moments in my life that have influenced my journey to where I am today as a hunter. But the essays also go beyond the act of hunting and delve into my relationships with influential people, places, and landscapes in my life. One of the goals in crafting these essays was to explore various reasons why I choose to be a hunter and to examine why I made an unconscious decision to stop killing animals in 2007a reprieve that would end while writing this collection. Another goal was to make these essays relatable to a wide audiencehunters, non-hunters, and anyone considering hunting. Hunters, perhaps, will recognize some of the struggles, questions, joys and heartbreaks addressed here. For non-hunters, my hope is that I have offered a honest look into hunting that may lessen some stereotypes. For someone considering hunting these essays provide candid fodder for what it is like to hunt and some insight into the potential internal struggles that hunters carry. I knew the core of writing these essays would be to explore my connectionpast, present, and futureto hunting. But like many things in life, what begins as perceived simplicity quickly becomes a much greater task. The more consideration I gave this topic, the more I realized that this journey would not be as simple as trying to find out answers to "this is why I hunt" or "this is why I no longer hunted." As I have discovered these essays do not provide a concrete answer to my many questions. Instead, they have established a foundation for my continued exploration into why I desireor desire notto call myself a hunter.

<p> The goal of this study is to share real stories and perspectives about integrating permaculture design in a residential setting, from those with in-depth experience. This study begins with a brief look at the convergence of pertinent contexts, including climate change, the sustainability movement, and the importance of the residential scale. Then it moves into reviewing theoretical literature about permaculture theory and design, particularly the definition, development, ethics, and design principles. The study uses a case study methodology. Seven interviews on residential permaculture sites in the Northwest region were gathered and thematically analyzed. The research results are a collection of narratives and a presentation of themes. The narrative stories are not utopic; they are a realistic view into what a developing permaculture system looks like around the home setting. The research confirms important points of permaculture theory and design, and offers an inspiring set of stories and advice relevant to the permaculture movement at large, to the Northwest region, and to those working towards a more sustainable way of life.</p>

As theoretical and practical explorations of design in the past century have broadened to integrate myriad disciplines, its ubiquity and pertinence across diverse ways of knowing grows more apparent and complex. However, in education, design often remains institutionally and intellectually contained to pre-professional programs and trade schools. I contend in this thesis that liberal arts campuses warrant their own critical design-oriented discourse. As a tangible way of addressing this assertion, I coordinated the publishing of a printed design magazine entitled Edge of Town. To support my rationale for my project I present in this written supplement a set of academic literature demonstrating how current political and economic forces shaping design practice justifies a critical evaluation of the discipline. I also illustrate how the growing body of research between rhetoric and design provides a theoretical template for this re-evaluation of contemporary design practice. In the second half, I outline the components of Edge of Town and how the community that worked to produce it came together.

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Despite increased recognition of wetland functions and values, wetland loss and degradation continues in the United States. Digital wetlands and uplands coverages were analyzed to compare the cumulative impacts of humans and beaver (Castor canadensis) on wetland types in the Chickahominy River watershed (Virginia, USA) from 1953 to 1994. A vector-based approach was used for data manipulation, and a raster-based approach was chosen to analyze geographic change over time. Study findings indicated that anthropogenic activities were responsible for both wetland loss and gain in the watershed, and beavers substantially influenced shifting between wetland types. Wetland area increased 4% over 41 years.

The Little Traverse Conservancy (LTC) of Michigan is a contemporary land trust organization. A case study of LTC identified the accomplishments and challenges of LTC as well as criteria for successful land conservation. Research emphasizes knowledge gaps in effective conservation efforts. An applied research protocol to improve ecological and socio-political knowledge about the workings of LTC and, by corollary, other similar land trusts is recommended. Key informant interviews (n=33) were conducted with LTC stakeholders. The objective of these interviews was to understand the perceptions and motivations of LTC stakeholders and more broadly, of small-scale land conservation. Findings show that social motivators including a sense of environmental ethic and responsibility for future generations were among the most highly discussed topics among stakeholders. The study provides a case for the importance of social science research in land conservation and land use analyses.

The organizations that make up the environmental movement have a great opportunity and challenge before them. These organizations could lead our nation in a time of great change. They could challenge the public to align personal consumer habits with positive environmental beliefs. However, the environmental movement has failed to market and communicate effectively. Due to this failure, companies such as Chevron and Wal-Mart have taken the moral high ground away from environmental organizations. The movement as a whole, with a few exceptions, has not successfully promoted key themes that could motivate change. There are rare examples of successful marketing and communication tactics from environmental groups. Effective fundraising techniques and an over dependence on public relations is often used in place of reliable advertising tactics. The majority of environmental organizations on the national, regional and state level have squandered opportunities to galvanize a broader audience base in the United States. Most environmental organizations have not kept up with the change in the overall populations attitude towards environmental dangers threatening the earth. The populace has the potential to become more aware and would be willing to act, if the NGOs, foundations and governmental bodies directed what type of action to take. With the ominous threat of global warming, people have not been moved to demand change from the government, private industry or particularly themselves. Environmental organizations must adopt a new marketing strategy in order to successfully lead the American public in this time of great change.

Agriculture in North America has tended toward consolidation and industrialization in the past century. Responding to the narrowing of market advantage for small-scale organic farmers and the plight of farm workers, as well as to both the failures and potentials of international fair trade and organic initiatives, members of the nascent Domestic Fair Trade Association (DFTA) seek to insert social justice into the North American food system using a market-based initiative mediated by independent that conform to stringent criteria. This study examines the meaning of fair trade in a North American context; the challenges facing domestic fair trade initiatives, and the ways the DFTA confronts them; and the ways those involved with the DFTA intend to move ahead with a domestic fair trade initiative. I argue that through a strong collaborative approach both structurally and in its vision for a transformed food system, the DFTA may bring a new and productive element to the discussion of alternative agro-food initiatives in North America. Central to DFTA members understanding of their goals is the formation of a coalition representing all the stakeholders in the food system, the creation of alternative economic models which embody social justice, the education and empowerment of the consumer as a political actor, and the role of policy in a complete transformation of the food system.

To be added later.