Environmental Studies

Studying Environmental Studies at Kenyon

Guided by faculty with expertise in such wide-ranging fields as climate change, wetlands preservation, macroecology and microbiology, students study the complex systems that lie at the heart of humans’ interaction with the natural world. The landscape surrounding Kenyon provides a unique living laboratory, giving students the opportunity to conduct field research in the riparian habitats of the Kokosing River and the pastures, prairies, wetlands and woodlands of the Kenyon Farm, Kokosing Nature Preserve and the 500-acre Brown Family Environmental Center.

Featured Courses

Solar Power Systems

How can humanity harness the power of the sun to eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels? In this electrifying course, you’ll study the physics of energy before putting knowledge into practice by designing, installing and flipping the switch on a functioning photovoltaic system on Kenyon’s campus.

More about ENVS 104

Geographic Information Science

We’ll survey various online applications and use them to produce informative maps, then explore the nature of GPS and data collection in the field. Learn how to use GIS software and how this powerful suite of tools can be used to analyze geographic data, model spatial processes and make informed decisions.

More about ENVS 261

Permaculture and Homestead Winter Farming

Our world faces a future of food insecurity and must be brought into balance with nature. This interdisciplinary course explores principles of permaculture that link biology, ecology, sociology, sustainability and community to farming. Get your hands dirty by assisting with planting and harvesting on the Kenyon Farm.

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The Science of Climate Change

Climate change is the defining environmental issue for our time, permeating conversations about economics, human rights and international relations. In order to engage in these conversations, it is critical to have a solid understanding of Earth’s climate system and how humans are altering it.

More about ENVS 341

Reading the Ohio Landscape

Equipped with yellow field notebooks, students spent a semester connecting scientific concepts with personal narratives to tell the story of a place near Kenyon's campus in this special topics course. Here are a few of their observations.

"I observed a little rock beach at a bend in the Kokosing River, just ten feet from a steep cliff. When it comes to bending rivers and meandering streams, there are two forces at work: erosion and deposition. The river is removing earth, but it is also depositing earth. As erosion and deposition continue, the bends in the river becomes more defined." - Lucy Gibbs '23

"I picked this site in September because I loved the soft stream and the old bridge, but mostly because it was a place I could sit not on the ground near my dorm. I took field notes on a wide variety of topics this month, but I feel like what I learned most was how to look closely and respectfully at nature." - Caroline Schmale '24

"As I approached the bridge crossing Wolf Run, I knew I wanted to return to the spot. I felt this perfect isolation where I couldn't hear any anthropomorphic sounds, only the sound of the trees swaying, the crickets chirping, and the river flowing." - Liz Navratil '24

"A particular element caught my eye during exploration of the environment. Radiant orange fungi aggregate around the trunk of a tree, spanning from the roots to the upper bark of the trunk. It is gathered in layers with golden undersides that are flat with wavy edges. Its striking visual element inspired my interest in the growth. Known as Laetiporus sulphureus, it is a type of mushroom that is common in North American hardwood forests." - Olivia Wieland '24

Lake Ecosystem Restoration

In her "Applied Environmental Analysis" course, Eva Brazer '21 of San Francisco proposed a policy to improve the ecosystem of California's Mono Lake, which has been severely damaged due to excessive diversions of water to Los Angeles. Here is a model from her research.