Lakeland College's environmental sciences diploma program is expanding with the addition of the renewable resource reclamation major in the 2023-24 academic year.

“Environmental professionals are needed everywhere humans and nature interact with one another.” says Kris Novak, chair and instructor for the School of Environmental Sciences. “Yes, we need to harvest the resources around us, but it can be done in a smart, responsible way. With good science and some extra effort, we can minimize, prevent and even reverse damage. This major gives students the opportunity to explore the growing world of renewable energy alongside our more traditional majors.”

The new major is designed to build science-based reclamation knowledge and skills. Students will learn to recognize and classify soil, water and other disturbances related to building renewable energy infrastructure. They'll master the skills they need to manage soils, vegetation and water on disturbed sites. This major differs from the others offered in environmental sciences at Lakeland, by offering students the opportunity to complete three renewable resource courses, including two of the following:

• Wind energy
• Solar energy
• Geo-energy exchange installation
• Biofuels.

Renewable resource reclamation will be offered in-person on campus, with the renewable resources courses offered online. Students will also have the option to do a practicum between their first and second year to take advantage of work-integrated learning opportunities that enable them to develop in-demand skills

This new major is only one step the School of Environmental Sciences has taken towards ensuring they align with evolving industry standards. The following program major name changes also came into effect this fall to reflect these changes:

• The conservation and restoration ecology diploma major is now land stewardship and conservation.
• The applied environmental sciences diploma major is now general environmental sciences major.
• The applied environmental sciences certificate is now the environmental sciences certificate.

“Ensuring our programs reflect the latest needs of industry is an important part of Lakeland's academic offerings. This new program responds to the need for more professionals trained in the installation, maintenance and reclamation of renewable energy sources,” says Todd Sumner, Lakeland's vice president of academic and research. “It's an exciting, innovative addition to Lakeland's hands-on, award-winning experiential learning model. I look forward to its launch next fall.”

Application for the environmental sciences diploma renewable resource reclamation major opened Thursday, Sept. 29.