Architecture Commons^™

Rethinking Human-Local Wildlife Relations, Yin Chan

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

The plight of suburban wildlife receives considerably less attention than that of exotic or endangered species despite facing similar threats due to the decline of their natural habitats as humans expand upon them. From the perspective of a reflective practitioner, this paper provides new avenues to rethink current views on human-local wildlife relations and answer some of the difficult questions surrounding the topic. The methodology of Action Research is employed to explore concepts relevant to human-local wildlife relations. A synthesized practical framework integrating Action Research with Permaculture Design is proposed to create models for mutually beneficial coexistence between local wildlife …

Land Rich, Cash Poor: Hispanic Subsistence Agri-Culture On Acequia Farms Of Northern New Mexico, 1880-1950s, José A. Rivera Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Acequia-based agriculture in Hispanic northern New Mexico originated with the arrival of settlers from the central valley of Mexico in the late sixteenth century and later following the Camino Real into the upper Río Grande and its tributaries. The high desert environment required irrigation for food production and survival. Land parcels in the rural villages of northern New Mexico were small, and crop yields were limited to home consumption on a subsistence basis, an economy that lasted well into the territorial period and statehood of New Mexico. Despite a wage economy introduced with the arrival of the railroad around 1880 …

Restoring Dignity In The Gardens Of Ekhenana, Jordan Buser

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This case study investigates the lived experiences of eKhenana, a shack settlement under the leadership of Abahlali baseMjondolo, as they attempt to navigate the increasingly unequal urban landscape. The research presented is focused on theories of urban marginality, food sovereignty, and dignity. I advocate that, in the margins, dignity can be restored through the implementation of a communal garden. Presented as a case study, this research centers the voices and experiences of the commune. The paper first depicts a brief timeline of eKhenana, and explains how they have created not just a place to live, but a community and a …

The Design Of An Agricultural Youth-Centered Rural Development Program In Rwanda, Laetitia Igiraneza Sinyigenga

Honors Theses

Rwanda is primarily a rural, young, and agriculture-based country. The referred variables- agriculture, rural population, and youth- can be creatively merged to engage and empower youth for rural development. This paper indicates the utilization of cross-disciplinary knowledge to design an agricultural youth-centered rural development program in Rwanda. The program uses the interdependence of economic sectors (agriculture and education) with resources (environmental & natural resources and human resources) to boost rural community development. The program’s main activities- mentorship, agribusiness training, tutoring, exposure visits, and community work- highly reflect the requirement for advancing the selected main economic sectors and resources. There is …

A Call For The Library Community To Deploy Best Practices Toward A Database For Biocultural Knowledge Relating To Climate Change, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Abstract

Purpose – In this paper, a call to the library and information science community to support documentation and conservation of cultural and biocultural heritage has been presented.

Design/methodology/approach – Based in existing Literature, this proposal is generative and descriptive— rather than prescriptive—regarding precisely how libraries should collaborate to employ technical and ethical best practices to provide access to vital data, research and cultural narratives relating to climate.

Findings – COVID-19 and climate destruction signal urgent global challenges. Library best practices are positioned to respond to climate change. Literature indicates how libraries preserve, share and cross-link cultural and scientific knowledge. …

Regenerating Agroecosystems By Overcoming Human Exceptionalism In Designing For Increased Equity Of Benefits From Ecoservices, Ali Loker, Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Our commentary explores three critical issues related to ecosystem services. First is how ecoservices are currently designed and implemented primarily for human benefit without concern for how these impact other species. We conclude that awareness of this imbalance is the first step toward meaningful change. Second we observe that human exceptionalism guides most decisions, and ask whether we can overcome this mind-set to embrace ecoregeneration and design of resilient and mutually beneficial agroecosystems. Our attitude toward the challenge and moving toward greater humility about human roles that guide management decisions in the ecosystem is a requisite for change. Third we …

The Impacts Of Tourism On Subak, Sawah, And The Environment, Reiley Adelson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In this paper I wish to explore the topic of Sawah, Subak, and the impact tourism has on both of these important parts of Balinese culture. By starting with the history of subak, moving into the Green Revolution, then into the start of mass tourism, and coming all the way up until today, I would like to see how subak has changed and developed or how it hasn’t. I would also like to get a sense of what people see for the future of farming in Bali. To go about this, I talked with rice farmers, who are being directly …

Ua1c2/85 Taylor Agricultural Center Photos, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Images of Taylor Agricultural Center.

Ua1c2/26 Agricultural Pavilion & Farm Building Photos, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Images of the Agricultural Pavilion and WKU Farm buildings.

Ua1c2/12 Unidentified Building Photos, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Images of unidentified buildings and structures on WKU campus.

Spinks, Martha (Fa 1179), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only of Folklife Archives Project 1179. Student paper titled “The Lucas Homestead: A Study ofTraditional Farm Structures” in which Martha Spinks investigatesthe origins and functions of a Sand Hill farm owned by HerschelLucas in Warren County, Kentucky. The structure, which was constructed by Luther Parrish in 1820, began as a single-pen log cabin; however, additional units, such as a smoke house, storage rooms, bedrooms, and a chimney, were built by succeeding owners. Spinks also describes materials used during the construction of the main building and other outlying structures, describes the purpose of several locations on the property, and …

Cavin, Debbie And Sharman Mullins (Fa 1119), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 1119. Student paper titled “The Stewart Farm” in which Debbie Cavin and Sharman Mulls provide an expansive look at the homestead of Garrett Graham Stewart, a native of Warren County, Kentucky. The log house, which was built by Stewart in 1850, was originally part of a 400-acre farmstead. Cavin and Mullins collected their historical data from Bill and Bell Muth, a couple who were in the process of renovating and restoring the Stewart home. In addition to a history of the land, Cavin and Mullins also provide commentary on the home’s various architectural …

Sutherland, David And Linda C. White (Fa 1044), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 1044. Paper titled “From Mountain to Flatland: A Study of Two Homesteads” written by David Sutherland and Linda White. The authors attempt to compare two homesteads—one found in Pickett County, Tennessee, and the other in Simpson County, Kentucky—by exploring the family histories, topographical influences, and architectural styles of each location. The paper also includes photographs of informants, their farms, grave markers, aerial maps, and other personal ephemera.

A Framework For Assessing Alternative Agro-Ecosystems: Finding Multi-Functional Solutions For Sustainable Urban Landscapes., Thais H. Thiesen Ms.

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Creating sustainable urban landscapes in light of growing population pressures requires interdisciplinary multi-functional solutions. Alternative agro-ecosystems described as food forests, permaculture gardens, and/or edible landscapes among others could offer potential ways to address the social, economic and ecological goals of various stakeholders simultaneously. The present research used a unique rubric, the Permaculture and Agro-ecosystems Sustainability Scorecard (PASS) that combines existing agricultural and landscape sustainability indicators in order to assess alternative agro-ecosystems. The rubric evaluates provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural ecosystem services such as pollinator presence, biodiversity, pesticides and fertilizer use, carbon sequestration and human interactions. The PASS was used to …

Mcmurray, Becky (Fa 988), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 988. Project titled: “Folk Housing: Deatsville and Bardstown, Kentucky.” Project includes survey sheets with brief descriptions of the informant’s beliefs and superstitions as well as information abpit structures in the Deatsville and Bardstown areas of Nelson County, Kentucky. Sheets may include a brief description, informant’s name, motif index number of the belief, and a photo of the structure.

Nunn, Bobby (Fa 977), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 977. Project titled: “The Dairy Barns of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Century of Western Metcalfe County.” Project includes descriptions of two dairy barns and agricultural structures in Metcalfe County, Kentucky. Survey sheets include a brief description, informant’s name, and a photo or illustration of the barn or structure.

Bostic, Patti (Fa 966), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 966. Paper titled: “The Function of Various Barns Located in Jefferson County, Outside Jeffersontown.” Includes survey sheets with brief descriptions of barns in Jefferson County, Kentucky. Sheets include a brief description, owner’s name, terms, and a photo of the barn.

Transforming The Wku Office Of Sustainability's Front Yard Into An Edible Landscape, Alexandra Hezik

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Since moving to 503 Regents Avenue in Fall 2013, the WKU Office of Sustainability has served as a sustainable best practices demonstration home for the WKU and Bowling Green communities. Not only does the house in which the Office of Sustainability is located serve as an educational tool for people, but also the landscape. In May 2014, the WKU Community Garden was established in the backyard. The transformation of the Office of Sustainability’s front lawn into an edible landscape began on April 1, 2015. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate an alternative to conventional lawns.

Automated Cropping Intensity Extraction From Isolines Of Wavelet Spectra, Bingwen Qiu, Zhuangzhuang Wang, Zhenghong Tang, Chongcheng Chen, Zhanling Fan, Weijiao Li

Community and Regional Planning Program: Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activity

Timely and accurate monitoring of cropping intensity (CI) is essential to help us understand changes in food production. This paper aims to develop an automatic Cropping Intensity extraction method based on the Isolines of Wavelet Spectra (CIIWS) with consideration of intra- class variability. The CIIWS method involves the following procedures: (1) characterizing vegetation dynamics from time–frequency dimensions through a continuous wavelet transform performed on vegetation index temporal profiles; (2) deriving three main features, the skeleton width, maximum number of strong brightness centers and the intersection of their scale intervals, through computing a series of wavelet isolines from the wavelet spectra; …

Wiggins, Otis Lee, B. 1905 (Sc 2949), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 2949. Two cassette tapes which include an interview conducted by Robert H. McGaughey with Otis Lee Wiggins about the resettlement program undertaken by the Resettlement Administration Project 14 in Christian County, Kentucky. Wiggins was an administrator for the U.S. Resettlement Administration and discusses the Christian County program in great detail.

An Assessment Of The Impact Of Sand Mining: Unguja, Zanzibar, Caroline Ladlow

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Resource consumption is one of the most crucial environmental problems facing the world today. Therefore nonrenewable resources need to be sustainably used to ensure the survival of both future generations and the resources at stake. The goal of this study was to investigate the impacts of sand mining on the environment, economy, and communities of Zanzibar. The environmental, economic, and social impacts of sand mining activities were studied at various sites on the island of Unguja. The effects on vegetation, coastal erosion, communities, and local economies were researched based on field observations and interviews with local people and officials at …

Syllabus: Introduction To Permaculture, Lisa Depiano

Sustainability Education Resources

The Permaculture Design Course is a three-credit course that offers students a foundation in permaculture history, ethics, principles, design process, and practical applications. The framework behind the theory and practice of permaculture is rooted in the observation of natural systems. By observing key ecological relationships, we can mimic and apply these beneficial relationships in the design of systems that serve humans while helping to restore the natural world. This course trains students as critical thinkers, observers, and analysts of the world(s) around them, and then goes on to provide students with the tools needed to design for inspired and positive …

Ua1c2/3 Agricultural Exposition Center Photos, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Images of the Agricultural Exposition Center.

Ua3/2/1 President's Office-Garrett Correspondence/Subject File, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

General correspondence and subject files regarding Western Kentucky University.

Jeffrey, Jonathan David, B. 1960 (Sc 2847), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 2847. Historic Farms Certificate Application, Kentucky Historic Resources Abbreviated Survey Form and supporting material, prepared by Jonathan D. Jeffrey to designate the Paschal Howell Farm, Warren County, Kentucky, a centennial farm. This designation is bestowed on farms that have been owned by the same family for one hundred years or more. Includes compact disc with 13 photographs.

The Cost Of Green Infrastructure: Worth The Investment?, Martha Sheils

Green Infrastructure

Is GI worth the investment?

• LID techniques often lead to cost savings when we look at WHOLE PROJECT COSTS

• Natural Infrastructure investments for flood control, drinking water protection and wildlife habitat can yield SIGNIFICANT AVOIDED COSTS and additional co-benefits to communitites

Loleta Creamery Research Notes, Susie Van Kirk

Susie Van Kirk Papers

Susie Van Kirks research materials related to the Loleta Creamery. Includes descriptions of site visits, deed chronology and newspaper references; primarily from the Ferndale Enterprise and Humboldt Times from the early 20th Century.

Prelude To A Master Plan: Ware, Massachusetts, Belen Alfaro, Bruno Carneiro, Margaret Engesser, Kathryn E. Fox, Evadne R. Friedman, Timothy Inacio, Anita Lockesmith, Christina Mills, Stephanie Molden, Meagen Mulherin, Russell Pandres, Vinicius Pereira, Brian Reid, Pedro Soto, Jennifer Stromsten

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Studio and Student Research and Creative Activity

Prelude to a Master Plan offers ideas, recommendations, and a toolkit to help the town chart its own path towards that future. While the teams and individual students worked to ‘drill down’ into specific topic areas, the Studio defined three basic areas in order to think about how the various assets, challenges and ideas undermine or reinforce one another. The report is loosely organized in those terms: addressing the outlying rural areas and issues specific to these places, considering one of the key growth areas that has extended from town and the conflicts that arise from the many uses occurring …

Executive Summary, Cumberland County Foodshed Assessment, Report 1, Barbara Ives

Local Food Systems

Like everyone else in these troubled economic times, Mainers are looking for ways to create jobs that will remain relevant and vital in a global economy, that cannot be outsourced, and that will regenerate rather than exploit our natural resources.

A growing number of people believe that a food system rooted in local farms, fisheries, and food production and distribution enterprises can strengthen Maine’s economy and its communities’ health, thereby increasing revenue and decreasing an expense that is crippling government agencies and individuals alike – healthcare. Business people who want to make a living related to food, and public and …

Landscape Of The Past: The 1815 Log House At Western Kentucky University, Elizabeth Alewine

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The 1815 Log House is located on the campus of Western Kentucky University. Built in the early 1800's by Archibald Felts, the house was occupied by his descendants until 1968. The dogtrot floor plan, V-notched logs, and stone chimneys are some of the historical architectural features that can be viewed. It was donated to the Kentucky Library & Museum at WKU in 1980, and now serves as an on-site exhibit of early frontier life in Kentucky. The new landscape design for the log house includes a kitchen garden with period-appropriate plants and outdoor demonstration areas. The inventories and journals of …