Spring 2027

Conservation and Climate Change - Local to International Strategies

Geographical study of conservation and climate change, analyzing physical/social dimensions, values, and institutions from local to international scales.

offering recorded3–4 credits

Recorded instructors · Spring 2027 Lisa Naughton3.9/5

Summary

1 / 6

Past student reviews · Lisa Naughton

The course included three exams, three papers, and weekly quizzes based on online readings and videos for each module.

What you’ll be able to do

Describe the role of values, ecology, and institutions in shaping environmental threats and conservation strategies.
Analyze the history of conservation thought and action in the United States.
Examine the uneven distribution of environmental harms both globally and within the U.S. and how this is affected by race, class, and geography.
Evaluate the strengths and limits of rule-based and incentive-based conservation programs.
Recognize the key challenges and opportunities for biodiversity conservation in the tropics.
Summarize the evolution of domestic and international policy to address climate change.
Evaluate local efforts to adapt to climate change.
Produce an actionable analysis of an environmental issue of interest to the graduate student that integrates the social and biophysical dimensions of the issue.

Source: UW Guide 1 UW Guide 2

Grade history

↗

average GPA
letter grades

All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Professors

Spring 2027

Lisa Naughton

Adjusted rating

RMP difficulty

captured reviews

About this rating

Raw average: 4.11/5 from 36 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

For this course: 4.0/5 raw quality · 2.7/5 difficulty · 21 reviews

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Past student reviews · Lisa Naughton

Lisa Naughton taught a course with three exams, three papers, and weekly quizzes based on online readings and videos. Students found the material moderately interesting and projects fun, but frequently described lectures as dry or boring. Exams were detailed and drew on readings, lectures, and videos, with some students reporting difficulty studying for small details despite completing study guides.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2023: 3.17 GPA, 48.1% A/AB (n=79 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.31 GPA, 58.8% A/AB (n=80 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.11 GPA, 50.7% A/AB (n=73 letter grades).

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

Past student reviews · Travis Tennessen, Matt Turner

Past students found Travis Tennessen’s lectures inspiring and his grading fair, though exams focused heavily on dates and specific events, requiring timeline preparation. Matt Turner was described as very knowledgeable and focused on key environmental issues, hosting exam reviews, though some students found his direct eye contact distracting during lectures.

ANDREW NATHAN CASE is recorded teaching in Spring 2011. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

LISA NAUGHTON is recorded teaching in Fall 2006, Fall 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2017, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2025, Fall 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

MATTHEW TURNER is recorded teaching in Spring 2007, Fall 2008, Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2022, Spring 2024, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

TRAVIS PETER TENNESSEN is recorded teaching in Fall 2006, Spring 2007, Fall 2007, Spring 2008, Fall 2008, Spring 2009. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Calendar & sections

Spring 2027

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

Section	Mode	Enrolled / capacity
LEC 001	Classroom Instruction	0 / 88
DIS 301	Classroom Instruction	0 / 22
DIS 302	Classroom Instruction	0 / 22
DIS 304	Classroom Instruction	0 / 22
DIS 303	Classroom Instruction	0 / 22
LEC 001	Classroom Instruction	0 / 88
DIS 301	Classroom Instruction	0 / 22
DIS 302	Classroom Instruction	0 / 22
DIS 303	Classroom Instruction	0 / 22
DIS 304	Classroom Instruction	0 / 22

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records

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Student experience

the class

Past student reviews · Lisa Naughton

Students appreciated Lisa Naughton's enthusiasm and clarity, noting that her field experience aided her teaching and made the class interesting.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.31 GPA, 58.8% A/AB (n=80 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.11 GPA, 50.7% A/AB (n=73 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.35 GPA, 58.6% A/AB (n=58 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

Past student reviews · Lisa Naughton

The course included three exams, three papers, and weekly quizzes based on online readings and videos for each module.

Past student reviews · Lisa Naughton

Some students found the lectures dry and criticized the instructor for being opinionated and pushing a specific agenda.

Topics

Biodiversity loss and climate change
Environmental justice and case studies
History of conservation thought and action in the U.S.
Tropical biodiversity conservation

Skills

Analyze how values, ecology, and institutions shape environmental threats and conservation strategies.
Examine the uneven distribution of environmental harms influenced by race, class, and geography.
Evaluate the strengths and limits of rule-based and incentive-based conservation programs.
Summarize the evolution of domestic and international climate change policy.

Grades

Spring 2027 · Projected

Before grades are released

– average GPA

Approximate 80% prediction interval

About this estimate

The course’s semester-average GPA, not an individual student’s grade. The center uses 5 same-season terms, weighted toward recent results.

The range uses the finite-sample 80th-percentile rank of absolute errors from earlier same-season forecasts. Each forecast uses only records from earlier terms. At least four forecasts are required; bounds are rounded outward and limited to 0–4. This is an empirical estimate: changing instructors or grading policies can reduce its coverage.

8 earlier forecasts · 0.12 GPA average error.

Grades over time

Through Spring 2027

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Where this course fits relative to

Latest available grades · Spring 2026 · all course levels

GPA

Higher than % of other courses in this group.

Course GPAs · red marks this course’s range

letter grades

More recorded grades than % of other courses in this group.

Typical course in this group: letter grades.

About this comparison

1280 courses over the same term, each with at least 30 recorded letter grades. Cross-listed courses count once. GPA is not a measure of difficulty or teaching quality. The typical course is the median by recorded grade count; tied values are not counted as lower. Grade counts describe course scale, not unique students or typical section size.

Descriptions compare GPA with this group’s average: at least 0.20 higher or lower; otherwise close to average. Section size uses median recorded enrollment: small up to 30, mid-sized 31–99, large 100+. Lectures and discussion/lab sections are described separately.

Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.

Catalog observation history

Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.

Download part 1

Selected offering source records

ENVIRST/GEOG 339 · Spring 2027

Conservation and Climate Change - Local to International Strategies

Recorded 2026-10-14

ENVIRST/GEOG 339 · Spring 2027

Conservation and Climate Change - Local to International Strategies

Recorded 2026-10-14

Raw records

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    "course_id": "ENVIRST/GEOG 339",
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    "title": "Conservation and Climate Change - Local to International Strategies",
    "credits_min": 3,
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    "typically_offered": "Fall, Spring, Summer"
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    "source_course_id": "008242",
    "source_subject_id": "416",
    "title": "Conservation and Climate Change - Local to International Strategies",
    "credits_min": 3,
    "credits_max": 4,
    "typically_offered": "Fall, Spring, Summer"
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]

Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

Read original reviews

Download part 1

Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

Explore recorded grades

Model outputs & technical records

Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B

LLM outputs across runs

Download part 1

Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1 Download part 2

Model & dataset provenance

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  "model": "Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B",
  "model_revision": "1d4bf0f2ff6012fd82039f2fa52739d0dd7c60c0",
  "task_version": "17",
  "output_id": "5e437789eeaa0d6604b0b7cc2d8c818cf82b70ac1cc849ca022e9bb334192283",
  "requirements_status": "valid",
  "dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
  "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
}

Conservation and Climate Change - Local to International Strategies

Summary

What you’ll be able to do

Grade history

Prerequisites

Professors

Lisa Naughton

Calendar & sections

Student experience

the class

difficulty & workload

Topics

Skills

Grades

Spring 2027 · Projected

Grades over time

Where this course fits relative to UW–Madison

Sources & history

Catalog & offerings

Student reviews

Grade history

Where this course fits relative to