A unit of Lasting Forests
Sustained forests; sustained profits
evolving since March 30, 1999

of Wildlife Resource Management

an under-graduate course equivalent

Introduction

Welcome to the Essentials of Wildlife Resource Management. I'm glad that you're visiting this site and I'll do whatever I can to make our time together useful, pleasant, and efficient for you. This is a text and multi-media work area with materials equivalent to a one-semester senior level university course or graduate refresher course. You may be able to get credit for it through your personal negotiations with a university. There may be a cost for taking and grading the exam, but only if you decide to take the exam.

Essentials, is a distance-learning course for working wildlife managers, for natural resource specialists who want to learn how to talk wildlife, for people who have been out of school a few years (a kind of review), and for people preparing to take my course called Modern Wild Faunal Resource System Management, available through the Virginia Tech wildlife department (e-mail for information to Trauger at vt dot edu.). It is not a prerequesite for that course but having its equivalent knowledge-base is recommended. It is also for people preparing for a career move. Some will find scholarship support or encouragement in one file.

I hope you will find the site useful, stimulating, and that it might result -- through you -- in major improvements in the way the wildlife resource of the world (or even your backyard) is managed. (Hard to believe, I guess, but that is the real reason for offering the content of this course and its supportive documents.)

It's difficult to know whom to trust these days.Check out my entire out my entire Curriculum Vitae if you want to, or ask around.

The opportunity for you: Read and study at your own pace. "Any time; Any place" is the operating phrase. People read about four times faster than they talk (or listen to a lecture). There is no charge; no hidden costs for doing so. Use the course loaded into your computer from the CD and operate it without building on-line use Internet charges. If you decide to take the course for credit, you correspond with me during the period of a semester. You become a registered student. You complete assignments; I evaluate and comment on them. When you have completed the materials and feel ready and willing, then you take the final exam. You make local arrangements to have it supervised by a reputable person or persons and get my approval. If you pass the exam, you receive a letter that you may use with your employment dossier, resumé, or in negotiations with some colleges and universities as gaving gained equivalent work for a course by this title. If your score is very high (and with your permission) it will be posted at this website. You will have to make any and all arrangements with a school on your own. Their policies vary widely. Start early; do not be disappointed by delays. Understand though, you do not have to go through a school. The course is available to you for your interest, enjoyment, and the pleasure of learning something. Promise: As a non-registered student you do not have to take the exam. Just study and think along with me. However if you work toward a letter from me certifying your competence (the exam), you must have completed all assignments to take the exam on a scheduled date (no "incomplete" grade is awarded).

I'd like to learn a little about you so that I can send e-mail that may be useful and respond in special ways to your personal conditions, needs, and questions. I'm trying to become customer/student obsessed. I must allocate most time to my registered students. I regret not being able to respond to all participants. Do not hesitate to write in the space below. I read it all and enjoy hearing from people. My replies may be short, but they may be frequent until you get the ones that you need. Enter your name and e-mail address. (There is more space than is shown in the box. The words "wrap around.") Comments on your past resource-related experience and/or reasons for working with the Essentials will be welcomed.

Don't hesitate to write to me questions about The Essentials. Email me as RHGiles at RuralSystem dot com. -->

There is a person at the other end of this thing. I'll tell you a little about myself later.

I hope you'll read the Introduction to this web unit, this "hypermedium thing", and take a look at the Contents. The typical questions about a course are at:

• Major Topics or Course Outline
• Contents
• Syllabus
• Introduction

Go to the top.

Last revision February 27, 2008.