The Godfather of Hood Coastal Studies

Dr. Drew Ferrier has directed the Hood Coastal Studies semester since it's inception in 2001.

Coastal and Watershed Program at Hood

Program

Coastal Studies Program

Department

Biology

Title

Professor of Biology CoChair, Biology Department Director, Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies Director, Sustainability Studies

Faculty

Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies

By Michelle Burnett, editor, 08/01/2024

For nearly a quarter century, Dr. Drew Ferrier has been teaching and shepherding Hood students through the Coastal Studies semester, and the results of his and Hood's investment appear to be a growing cadre of alumni ecologists, scientists, and advocates who are making a difference in the broader environmental struggle. We asked him how he sees the program now and his thoughts about the future.

What is the Coastal Studies Program at Hood, how long has it been around. What in your opinion makes it unique?

The Coastal Studies Semester has been offered since 2001. It is currently offered during the fall semester of odd-numbered years. Some unique features:
It is a full complement of courses (15-16 credits total) that are offered as a block so that students are free to travel on extended field trips during the program to sites throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.
It emphasizes aspects of the natural sciences and sustainability, but also integrates the humanities and social sciences in its classes.
It is oriented to hands-on learners who want to explore their environment first-hand, talk with professionals in the field, and make their own observations -not just get them secondhand from reading articles and books.
It provides opportunities for collaborative learning, public speaking, and practicing leadership skills.

Is there a "typical" student that you see drawn to Coastal Studies? How do you seeing students use their experiences from the coastal studies semester as they move forward in their degree path, and after graduation?

Coastal Studies is open to students from any major and is offered as a minor to all Hood students. It is most often taken by students who have an interest in the environment (environmental science, biology, sustainability studies). However, over the years, we have had students majoring in the humanities, social sciences, and communications take part in the program.

The program has proved to be a springboard to many types of further education and careers, such as:

Environmental Management and Regulation

Environmental Law

Aquatic Sciences

Conservation Biology

Environmental Sociology and Conflict Resolution

Communications for natural resource and regulation organizations

Environmental Toxicology

Secondary School Teaching

College Professorships

Informal Environmental Education

What is your background, and what brought you to Hood?

I was trained as a zoologist and aquatic scientist with expertise in freshwater biology and marine ecology. My research interests have spanned such topics as stream ecology, coral reef biology, the Cheasapeake Bay, and now aspects of environmental problem-solving through sustainability studies.

I began my own academic journey as a student at a small liberal arts college and knew that I wanted to work in that environment. Hood was a natural fit for me and I have enjoyed over 30 years as a member of the faculty here.

How would you generally describe the Hood community of 2024?

Through the years I have seen the Hood community become more inquisitive about the world around them and more eager to live a sustainable lifestyle. We also have incorporated many new technologies and ways of receiving information into our personal and academic lives. It's becoming increasingly difficult to assess the quality of that information and link disparate threads of information together in a coherent way. That's a challenge we all currently face.

Describe some of the adventures and challenges in the field for these Hood students.

The Coastal Semester program and related field courses offered throughout the years are full of new, once-in-a-lifetime experiences for students. Students might read about the biology of aquatic animals, but Coastal Studies students experience them up-close and in a personal way! They swim with sea turtles, have a sea urchin or brittle star crawl across their hand, watch a manatee feeding on sea grasses, or find a coastal predator (such as an alligator, heron, or venomous snake) stalking its prey.
Similarly, Coastal Studies students don't simply read about environmental problems and controversies. They discuss them with environmental managers and members of the communities affected by these problems. They form personal connections with members of communities confronting challenges like:
- Loss of livelihoods due to over-harvesting or the demise of a species due to environmental degradation - oysters in the Cheasapeake Bay are a good example.
- Managing forests and other habitats to meet the needs of a diverse group of stakeholders.
- Loss of homes and properties to sea level rise in he Eastern Shore of Maryland and coastal Mid-Atlantic.
- Long-term impacts on water quality that occurred from mining operations decades ago.
- The increasing frequency of local droughts and floods.

What are your students' impressions about the state of the natural world today? What are your own environmental concerns and foci in your work as time goes by?

Our students are generally aware of the issues confronting our natural world today and many see that they have a role and responsibility to make things better for their community and future generations. This is a great starting point! However, solutions to these issues require not just technological or regulatory changes. These modifications must make sense from economic, cultural, and social perspectives as well. Addressing all of these aspects of a problem simultaneously requires "Systems Thinking" . This is a way of learning that we try to incorporate in all that we do.

My own environmental concerns primarily focus on the effects of climate change - both globally and locally. Climate change is much more than the increasing of average temperatures. It involves changes in rainfall patterns, droughts, sea level, ocean currents, and much more. Climate change is inescapable and is being felt in many ways in our local communities. Locally, we see these changes being manifest all the time and in many forms. For example:

More prolonged droughts that impact our local water supply and crop production

Health impacts of prolonged elevated temperature - particularly in city environments and low-income neighborhoods

Frequent floods that devastate our built environment (homes, roads, bridges, etc.)

Greater prevalence of toxic algae blooms that impact water quality for drinking and recreation

Greater numbers and types of ticks that can carry a variety of diseases into our communities

Useful Links

https://www.hood.edu/academicsprograms/coastal-studies-program

From summer 2024 e-news:

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