Environmental Studies Commons^™

From Mounds To Monasteries: A Look At Spiro And Other Centers Through The Use Of Metaphor, Robert L. Brooks

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

Previous study of the extensive and elaborate funerary offerings at the Spiro site have explained their presence by an exchange system with Spiro functioning as a gateway center. More recently, Schambach has argued extensively and passionately for Spiro’s role as an entrepôt redistributive center. However, this argument fails to account for much of the accumulation of funerary items present at Spiro. As an alternative, I propose that some ceremonial centers such as Spiro functioned solely as religious centers, much like the monasteries of medieval Europe with parallels in the use of architecture, economic support, relics, and the treatment of individuals …

Archeological Investigations At The Hudnall-Pirtle Site (41rk4) An Early Caddo Mound Center In Northeast Texas, James E. Bruseth, Timothy K. Perttula, Gayle J. Fritz, Bonnie C. Yates

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

The Hudnall-Pirtle site (41RK4) is situated on a large T-1 alluvial terrace of the Sabine River in northern Rusk County in Texas. This area of the state, commonly called Northeast Texas, is part of the Southern Gulf Coastal Plain, a relatively level, sloping plain formed by the pre-Pleistocene embayment of the Gulf of Mexico.

From a biogeographical perspective, the site is located in the Oak-Hickory-Pine forest of eastern Texas, otherwise known as the Pineywoods. This area represents the western extension of the southern coniferous forests and is dominated by shortleaf and loblolly pine trees. Hardwood trees, including various oaks, hickory, …

Archaeological Testing At 41bp679, Bastrop County, Texas, Cynthia Moore Munoz

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

During the spring of 2006 (May 11 through May 18, 2006), the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted testing at 41BP679, a site formally listed as a State Archaeological Landmark. Site 41BP679 is located in Bastrop County at the confluence of the Colorado River and Spring Branch Creek, one of its tributaries. The site is on land that is the proposed location for the City of Bastrop Wastewater Treatment Plant. The installation of outflow pipes will impact the northern portion of 41BP679. The testing was conducted under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 4117, …

Archaeological Testing Associated With The Stabilization Of Room 4 At Mission San Juan Capistrano, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, Jennifer L. Thompson

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

In May 2006, The Center for Archaeological Research excavated one test unit at the exterior north wall of Room 4, west of the chimney at Mission San Juan Capistrano. The excavation occurred to assess the condition of the foundation and the dimensions of a more recent concrete footing before restoration of the collapsed north wall. The excavation found disturbed deposits throughout the test unit, but was able to locate and record the architectural features for Ford, Powell, and Carson, Architects and Planners, Inc., the project sponsors. A composite map of all excavations conducted at the mission since 1931 is included …

Archaeological Testing For The Walker Ranch Park Bridge Project (41bx1271), San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, Barbara A. Meissner

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

In April 2006 the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) of the University of Texas at San Antonio was contracted by the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of San Antonio to perform subsurface investigations within the boundaries of site 41BX1251, in north-central San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. The purpose of the testing was to learn if the concrete abutment of a planned pedestrian bridge over Salado Creek would impact significant archaeological deposits in this site, which is a part of the Walker Ranch National Historic District.

Five shovel tests and one backhoe trench were excavated. The shovel tests were …

Archaeological Testing At 41bp678, Bastrop County, Texas, Antonia L. Figueroa

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

During the spring of 2006 (April 27 through May 4, 2006), the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted testing at 41BP678, a site formally listed as a State Archaeological Landmark. Site 41BP678 is located in Bastrop County at the confluence of the Colorado River and Spring Branch Creek, one of its tributaries. The site is on land that is the proposed location for the City of Bastrop Wastewater Treatment Plant. The installation of outflow pipes and the excavation of a 500-foot deep water well and associated utilities installations will impact the central …

Testing Of A Portion Of Site 41wn104 In Advance Of Proposed Improvements To Jackson Nature Park, Stockdale, Wilson County, Texas, Antonia L. Figueroa

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

On July 25, 2006 the Center for Archaeological Research at The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted archaeological testing on portions of 41WN104 located in the Jackson Nature Park in Wilson County, Texas. The archaeological work, performed for the Office of the Wilson County Judge, was conducted on portions of 41WN104 that will be impacted by park improvements. The proposed improvements for the Jackson Nature Park will consist of the construction of a pavilion, a headquarters building and the addition of a septic tank. The three planned facilities will be connected with water and utilities lines. The construction of …

Archeological Survey Report Of Fm 536 Improvements Project Near Floresville, Wilson County, Texas, Karla J. Córdova

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

The Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) of the University of Texas at San Antonio was contracted by Civil Engineering Consultants, Inc. (CEC) of San Antonio to conduct an archeological survey of the proposed improvements within the right-of-way (ROW) of FM 536 near Floresville, Wilson County, Texas. The archeological work was necessary to address the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Antiquities Code of 1966, as amended. The archeological services were performed on behalf of CEC and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to identify any archeological properties that may be eligible for listing on the National Register …

Archaeological Survey Of The North Salado Greenway Belt, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, Antonia L. Figueroa, Kristi M. Ulrich

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

A pedestrian survey was conducted in March and May of 2006 along a portion of Salado Creek located between Blanco Road and Huebner Road in the northern part of San Antonio. The Center for Archaeological Research of The University of Texas at San Antonio, in conjunction with volunteers from the South Texas Archeological Association, carried out the survey to fulfill the requirements of the contract with Rehler Vaughn and Koone, Inc., of San Antonio. The work was conducted in advanced of construction of hike and bike trails proposed by the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of San Antonio. …

Intensive Pedestrian Survey Along The Banks Of The San Antonio River: Museum “Urban” Reach Section Of The San Antonio River Improvements Project, Bexar County, Texas, Antonia L. Figueroa, Kristi M. Ulrich, Christopher Caran, Charles A. Speer

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

In the spring and fall of 2005, the Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio carried out reconnaissance and intensive pedestrian survey of the Museum “Urban” Reach portion of the San Antonio River Improvements Project in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. The excavation of eight backhoe trenches and the stratigraphy of 17 auger boreholes revealed the San Antonio River and adjacent properties have been modified extensively since Spanish Colonial settlement. Due to the extensive modifications, the likelihood of encountering prehistoric and early historic sites along the Museum Reach portion of the San Antonio River is …

Data Recovery Excavations At 41pr44, Fort Wolters, Parker County, Texas, Raymond P. Mauldin, Antonia L. Figueroa

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

During the spring of 2004, the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) of The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted data recovery excavations at site 41PR44 on Fort Wolters. The site had been surveyed and tested by the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (Brownlow 2001; Brownlow et al. 1999). The results of that testing suggested that the site contained a high density of burned rock features, chipped stone, and bone that dated to the Late Prehistoric period, with additional material possibly dating to the Late Archaic. Based on the testing, site 41PR44 was recommended as eligible for inclusion on the National …

Data Recovery Excavations At The J. B. White Site (41mm341), Milam County, Texas, E. Frances Gadus, Ross C. Fields, Karl W. Kibler

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

In summer and fall 2002, personnel with Prewitt and Associates, Inc., undertook data recovery excavations at prehistoric site 41MM341 for the Texas Department of Transportation, Environmental Affairs Division, to address the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and the Texas Antiquities Code. Site 41MM341 is in central Milam County, Texas, just southeast of the town of Cameron, on a low rise in the modern floodplain of the Little River. The excavations were necessitated by the planned replacement of the State Highway 36 bridge spanning the Little River floodplain, which will directly affect the archeological deposits at …

National Register Testing At 41sv153, Somervell County, Texas, Timothy B. Griffith, Douglas K. Boyd

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

Archeological test excavations at 41SV153 were completed by Prewitt and Associates, Inc., in 2004 in conjunction with Texas Department of Transportation road improvements on State Highway 144 in eastern Somervell County. The site is situated in Holocene alluvial deposits adjacent to Squaw Creek, a tributary of the Brazos River. Excavations revealed sparse lithic artifacts, scattered burned rocks, and displaced burned rock features. No organic remains were recovered, and the age of the cultural occupations is not known. The portion of 41SV153 within the proposed construction easement is considered not eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places or …

An Oral History Of Camp Swift: 2004 Interviews, Martha Doty Freeman, David L. Nickels, Thad Sitton

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

The Adjutant General’s Department of Texas contracted with the Center for Archaeological Studies, Texas State University-San Marcos (CAS) to conduct an oral history project at Camp Swift in Bastrop County. The oral history project could provide information useful in determining National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility assessments of archaeological sites. The facility’s use by the Texas Army National Guard for military training began during World War II, and the Adjutant General’s Department has overseen management of cultural resources for the camp since the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act in 1965. Archaeological inventory of the area began as …

Sandyland Farmers: Life In The Countryside Before Camp Swift, 1920–1942, Thad Sitton

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

This Center for Archaeological Studies report uses oral history to explore the lost countryside through the words and memories of the Bastrop County sandyland farms that predated Camp Swift.

Archaeological Investigations At The Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site, Brazoria County, Texas, Carole Leezer

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

At the request of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), the Center for Archaeological Studies (CAS) at Texas State University-San Marcos conducted limited test excavations at the Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site (41BO165). The Levi Jordan Plantation was established by Levi Jordan in 1848. At its height, this antebellum sugar and cotton plantation sat on more than 2,000 acres of rich river bottomlands in the Gulf Coastal Plains of Brazoria County, Texas. Limited test excavations focused on areas around and within the main house, in addition to areas to be developed for interpretation and public access to the …

National Register Evaluation Of Eight Sites At Camp Swift Army National Guard Training Center, Bastrop County, Texas: Swift V, Jon C. Lohse, C. Britt Bousman

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

The Texas Army National Guard (TXARNG) conducts military training on Camp Swift, an approximately 11,500-acre tract in northern Bastrop County, Texas. The TXARNG is responsible for complying with federal legislation regarding the assessment and management of environmental and cultural resources. An earlier cultural resources assessment by the Center for Archaeological Studies (CAS), Texas State University-San Marcos, conducted under compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NRHP), identifi ed 11 sites deemed potentially capable of contributing meaningful information on the record of prehistoric human occupation at Camp Swift. In particular, Criterion D of National Park Service Rule 36 …

Bridging The Digital Divide In Public Participation: The Roles Ofinfrastructure, Hardware, Software And Social Networks In Helsinki’S Arabianranta Andmaunula, C. J. Gabbe

Environmental Studies and Sciences

Information and communications technology (ICT) itself does not provide communities with a more effective voice in the planning process. However, when ICT is used as a tool to build stronger neighborhood social networks, it can catalyze public participation in planning. The use of ICT as a community-building tool requires a combination of network infrastructure, hardware and software, according to the literature. Additionally, it requires the utilization of human social networks. Based on my study of Helsinki’s Arabianranta and Maunula neighborhoods, I found that catalyzing collaborative planning in Helsinki using ICT requires a combination of infrastructure, hardware, software, and, most importantly, …

An Elementary Habitat Curriculum For The Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve, Linda Jan Matthews

Theses Digitization Project

This place-based curriculum, developed to address the alienation that children often feel from the natural environment around them, is an inquiry-based, hands-on teaching module for third and fourth grade children. It is designed around a one-day field trip to vernal pool habitat at the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve. Three pre-visit and three post-visit lessons are included. The lessons enable students to acquire required California academic content standards, and also incorporate education principles stated in California's Education and the Environment Initiative.

Development Of A Strategic Plan For The Highland Environmental Learning Center, Jessica Ann Sutorus

Theses Digitization Project

The project focuses on the development of a strategic plan for the Highland Environmental Learning Center (HELC), the completely integrated environmental learning center located in the Highland Branch Library of the San Bernardino County Library system. The plan was developed through the investigation of other nature centers, interpretive centers, and environmental learning centers to help define the purpose and mission for environmental education in a non-formal setting. It is also meant to serve as a guideline for future programming, budgeting, promotion, and staffing of HELC. The plan supports HELC's goal to foster environmental sensitivity and environmentally responsible citizenship.

Addressing Second And Third Grade California Science And Social Science Content Standards Through Environmental Literature, Denise Truex Hatfield

Theses Digitization Project

In response to the federal legislation No Child Left Behind, schools across the country implemented required reading programs for classroom instruction. Open Court's Reading program meets this criterion for many schools. The text in Open Court Reading for grades two and three was evaluated for science and social science content standards that would be supportive of environmental education. Supplemental lessons from Project Learning Tree, Project WILD, and Project WET were identified.

A Facilitator's Handbook For Service-Learning Projects At The Center For Land-Based Learning, Lila Higgins

Theses Digitization Project

This project aims to create a facilitator's handbook for use during service-learning projects administered by staff at The Center For Land Based Learning (CLBL). CLBL engages youth in learning experience on the land ensuring that they develop an understanding for the critical interplay of agriculture, nature and community.

Situating The Cetacean: Science And Storytelling In Witi Ihimaera's The Whale Rider, Lee Elton Dionne

Theses Digitization Project

This thesis analyzes two major discourses that intersect and inform one another in Witi Ihimaera's The whale rider: storytelling and modern science.

The San Gorgonio Wilderness: A History Of Human Presence And Implications For Management, Cynthia Jeanne Holman

Theses Digitization Project

The San Gorgonio Wilderness in Southern California is surrounded on three sides by roads, and receives thousands of visitors each year. Its character as a wilderness is threatened by the large populations of people nearby, as well as the humans who venture into its boundaries. This project outlines the history of human presence in the Wilderness, and describes the impact of that presence. There is a discussion of attempts by various organizations to mitigate that impact, and deal with the increasing numbers of visitors. The project concludes with predictions and suggestions for the future of the San Gorgonio Wilderness.

Wildlife All Around Us: A Second Grade Guide To City Wildlife Education, Melanie Anne Pendegraft

Theses Digitization Project

This thesis provides opportunities for second grade students to explore, study, and apply critical thinking skills in reference to the local wildlife and current environmental issues.

Natural History Of Hesperoyucca Whipplei, Lizabeth Ann Hope-King

Theses Digitization Project

Explores many aspects of the Hesperoyucca whipplei (formerly known as Yucca whipplei), a type of chaparral plant that grows in arid regions of Southern California. Five of the subspecies of H. whipplei are individually described and discussed. Its relationship with its pollinator, Tegeticula maculata, is traced and documented throughout the process of a reproductive season. The project examines the historic uses of H. whipplei by the Native Americans as well as its current uses in the modern world. It includes field study lessons and Hesperoyucca recipes.

Survey Of Advice For Beginning Environmental Education Instructors, Scott Charles Rennie

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of the research done in this study was to collect techniques, methods and advice from environmental education professionals and create a concise summary of the results. The study showed the importance of using constructivist techniques in environmental education, essential to be successful in teaching in the outdoors.

San Jacinto Center For Environmental Education, Susanna Catherine Hamilton

Theses Digitization Project

The author sets out to find what the characteristics of a functional and successful nature center includes. In doing so, she helps to create the San Jacinto Center for Environmental Education. The desire behind this is to bring more school-age children and university students to the site as well as to manage and expand the public walks on the San Jacinto Wildlife Area.

Educational Interpretive Programs For Ecotourism Destinations, Rachael Anne Hamilton

Theses Digitization Project

Five interpretive programs designed for use by educators, naturalists, or interpreters working at ecotourism destinations. Topics covered include environmentally responsible behavior, on-site recycling programs, renewable energy systems, and plant and animal species conservation.

Ethnoecology, Paul Faulstich

Pitzer Faculty Publications and Research

Ethnoecology – the study of cultural explications of nature – generates insights into the interface between peoples and the more-than-human world. Ecology is the scientific study of the interrelationships between plants, animals, and the environment, and it has developed into the study of interdependent communities of organisms and their environments. But while most ecologists have been trained to seek knowledge solely from scholarly books or nonhuman nature, tremendous environmental information is stored in the minds, cultures, and arts of indigenous peoples.