Location: Clark Hall Room 206, 11130 Bellflower Road, Cleveland, OH 44106
Wetlands are often virtually invisible in the historical record right up to the moment that thoughts turn to drainage. They typically appear–swampy, dark, malarial–only when they inhibit movement, pose a threat to human health, or present an obstacle to agriculture. This has created a sense of a fundamental antagonism between humans and wetlands, and of inevitability around attempts to drain them, but this is quite misleading. In this talk, Davis Allen, a PhD candidate in the Department of History, explores the long history of the commodification of American wetlands, and explains how our relationship with wetlands has been shaped by a particular view of natural resources and private property.
Pre-lecture receptions begins at 4:15 pm.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration requested.