Urban Ecology in New York City
Urban Ecology and Urban Planning will be explored hand in hand in this 45 hour P-credit course. Through this course we will dig into the historical design and long-lasting impacts of urban planning within New York City, examine urban development decisions from colonial to modern times and discuss the equity issues that can arise from urban planning and decision making. In addition to classroom and zoo grounds explorations covering topics including woodlands ecosystem ecology, water cycles, carbon cycles, and species adaptation to urbanization, one full day of our course will be a walking and learning tour of Lower Manhattan (total walking distance approximately 1.1 miles). During this walking exploration we will examine ecological systems management in NYC including storm water runoff, coastal planning, urban biodiversity, urban population growth, and greenhouse gas emission. Teachers can bring all this new knowledge back to their classrooms, supported by our exploration of inquiry teaching and learning methodologies and constructivism, in the design of a lesson or unit for their classrooms that allows students to explore issues of urban ecology.
Location: New York Aquarium
Dates: Monday, August 17 - Saturday, August 22
Times: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm per session
Price: $250
Course is eligible for: 45 CTLE Hours & 3 P-Credits or A+ Credits
Please note that this course includes 1-2 miles of walking outside. All paths are wheelchair accessible, see our webpage for NY Aquarium Accessibility. If you have any concerns, please contact your instructor. For more information see the NY Aquarium's Know Before You Go page.
For more information about Professional Development courses, please contact: teacherinfo@wcs.org or (718) 220-5136.
Meet Your Instructor
Chris MacKay (he/him)
Christopher MacKay is a Coordinator of Professional Development at the WCS. Chris first joined WCS in 2004 as a member of the Bronx Zoo Education Dept and has been working in informal science education ever since! He has a BS in Environmental Forest Biology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and an MS in Secondary Science Education from CUNY Queens College. Chris is always excited to share with teachers how they can utilize zoos and aquariums as a resource to make learning come alive for their students!