Full course description
Course summary:
Preserving natural lightscapes is one of many management actions that helps protect cultural traditions, visitor experiences, and the physiological and ecological processes of wildlife in wilderness. This course will discuss the fundamentals of lightscape resource management, including threats to the night sky in wilderness and relevant principles of management.
Course objectives:
After completing this course, learners should be able to:
- Explain the principles of night sky management in wilderness as provided by the Wilderness Act and agency policy.
- Recognize potential threats to the night sky in wilderness and describe strategies for addressing those threats.
- Identify several principles for managing night skies in wilderness.
Recommended background:
It is strongly recommended that you complete the free The Wilderness Act of 1964 course before beginning this course. Without foundational knowledge of the Wilderness Act, you will not be able to get the most out of this course and could find the content confusing. The Minimum Requirements Analysis courses are also strongly recommended.
Course creators:
This course was designed and developed jointly by the Arthur Carhart Wilderness Training Center and the Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands at Indiana University.
Course topics include:
- Key Terms
- Law and Policy
- Wilderness Character
- Stewardship Goal
- Stewardship Model
- Step 1: Identify Goal
- Step 2: Inventory
- Step 3: Is Action Necessary?
- Step 4: Action Alternatives
- Step 5: Evaluate Actions
- Step 6: Monitor and Adapt
Elements of the course:
- Informational text
- Interactive practice activities
- Supplemental reference materials
- Final assessment
This course is self-paced, allowing learners the flexibility to complete the course as quickly or slowly as they need.
After completing all course content and activities, you will complete a final quiz to demonstrate your understanding of key course concepts. Upon successful completion of the quiz, you will be awarded a certificate of completion.
How to access:
Upon enrolling, you will receive instructions and the link to the Canvas course. Note: When you register, you will receive an email invitation. Be sure to accept that invitation, or Canvas will not allow you to open the course modules.
Enrollees can move through content modules at their own pace within the course timeframe.