Delivery

Classes

The timetable for ENVS362 can be found at: https://timetables.mq.edu.au/ A detailed class schedule with lecture and practical topics will be made available to all enrolled students through iLearn.

ENVS362 is taught via lectures, practicals, field trips, readings and assessment tasks. Students should make use of iLearn to access teaching and learning materials, to submit assignments, to stay in touch with the unit, to contact lecturers, and to discuss issues and concepts with classmates.

Workload

ENVE362 earns 3 credit points towards your degree. University guidelines state that this will involve at least 3 hours per week, per credit point. Therefore, for a 3 credit point unit you are expected to put in at least 9 hours of study per week on average over the semester; around 135 hours in total. This requires planning on your part to do all the work required in lectures, practicals, assignments, and the readings.

Resources

iLearn

The ENVS362 iLearn page can be found at: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MQ/

Information about how students can access iLearn can be found at: http://www.mq.edu.au/ iLearn/student_info/index.htm

The iLearn page uses Macquarie University’s standard interface and has links, discussion threads and access to lectures (as audio files through Echo360, and as downloadable PDF presentations) and practical material. Important announcements will be made through iLearn, so please check the ENVE362 page regularly.

Echo360

Information about how to access lecture recordings through the Echo360 EchoCenter page in iLearn can be found at: http://mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/lecture_recordings.htm

Turnitin

Macquarie University promotes student awareness of information management and information ethics. As well as training and the provision of information, the University tackles the issue of academic honesty through the use of the online program Turnitin.

Information about how to submit assignments to Turnitin in iLearn can be found at: http://mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/assignments.htm

As well as being a key tool for assignment submission, marking and feedback, Turnitin compares your work with the work of your classmates, with previous students from Macquarie and other universities, with material available on the Internet, and with freely available and subscription based electronic journals. The results are sent only to your lecturers, who will analyse them in reference to the University's Academic Honesty Policy.

You will be able to access the results of the Turnitin academic honesty scan for your own assignments, known as your ‘originality report’. In ENVE362, we will allow you to overwrite the initial submission file with a second submission if you choose to do so, but only up until the final due date and time for the assignment. We consider this opportunity to fine-tune your academic honesty a considerable resource, and we hope that you will use this review process constructively to ensure you are referencing other material correctly and effectively.

Recommended Texts

There is no prescribed textbook for ENVS362, however, you are expected to complete the weekly readings and the following books may be of particular interest:

• Allan, C. and Stankey, G.H. (Eds.) 2009. Adaptive Environmental Management: A Practitioner's Guide. Springer, New York, and CSIRO Publishing.
• Conacher, A. and Conacher, J. 2000. Environmental Planning and Management in Australia. Oxford University Press, U.K.
• Dovers, S. and Wild River, S. (Eds.) 2003. Managing Australia’s Environment. The Federation Press, Leichhardt, New South Wales.
• Burns, E., D. Lindenmayer, A. Lowe and N. Thurgate (Eds). 2014. Biodiversity and Environmental Change: Monitoring, Challenges and Direction, CSIRO Publishing.
• Hay, I. 2012. Communicating in Geography and the Environmental Sciences (Fourth Edition). Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
• Keen, M., V. A. Brown and R. Dyball. 2005. Social learning in environmental management: towards a sustainable future, Routledge.

The following journals may also be particularly useful:

• Journal of Environmental Management 
• Australasian Journal of Environmental Management
• Environment International
• Ecological Management and Restoration 
• Air Quality and Climate Change

Also check out the following websites for the latest information on global and Australian environments and their management:

• Australia State of the Environment 2016. Available online at http://www.environment.gov.au/soe/index.html
• Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services http://www.ipbes.net/about-us
• United Nations Environment Program http://www.unep.org

ENVS362 relies on a structured program that links lectures to practicals, field work and assessment asks to facilitate your learning, skill development and critical thinking. The Unit schedule is provided in the table below. Full details will be provided on iLearn.

Students must attend two lectures and one practical per week (Note: there are no practicals in Weeks 1).

In four of the practical classes students will meet at the northern end of Vimiera Road to visit the ENVS362 Study Site "Browns Waterhole Track". Throughout the semester we will build up knowledge about management of this site based on a hypothetical upgrade to the Browns Waterhole Track crossings. The four assessment tasks are based on requirements of the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) for a Review of Environmental Factors (REF) for "activities" on land under the NSW Parks and Wildlife Act (1974). Use of a mock proposed "activity" (ie the crossing upgrades) will require you to understand contemporary Environmental Law and Planning, the socio-economics of environmental management, the importance of biophysical monitoring and reporting, and how this can work to ensure Integrated and Adaptive Management of a site. 

For external students all practical classes (and field work) will be run over 2 on-campus sessions.