Ithaca College

On Wednesday, April 22nd at 7:00PM (Earth Day), The History Center in Tompkins County will present the work of Ithaca College environmental history students. With news of human-induced environmental change increasingly in the news, the latest installment of this history project offers insights into the historical relationship between people and the local environment.

Michael Smith, Associate Professor of History and Environmental Studies at Ithaca College, developed a course in environmental history requiring students to use local historical resources to study an event in the greater Ithaca area. It is his hope that students will develop a sense of “ecological citizenship” -- according to Professor Smith, an understanding of "community in the broader sense -- beyond the human connection."

 As in past semesters, Professor Smith's students utilized the The History Center’s archival collection for primary source material. Students have been working in teams on topics ranging from the environmental history of the historic flood of 1935, the role of the ice and coal industries in Ithaca, and the ways local urban planning following World War II emphasized automobility.

Five groups will present a synopsis of their findings followed by time for questions and answers on Wednesday, April 22nd at 7:00 PM at The History Center

For more information please contact Donna Eschenbrenner, 273.8284 x 4, or Michael Smith, 274-1290.

FREE and OPEN to the public.