Writing about Nature and Environmental Issues
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this writing seminar on traditional nature writing and the contemporary environmentalist essay. Students read from a tradition that includes writers observing landscapes and wildlife closely, then produce their own essays modeled on those forms. A required component is a weblog kept as an ongoing journal, used to develop observational writing habits between formal assignments. The course pairs assigned readings with regular workshop-style writing practice, aiming to build both descriptive skill and argumentative clarity about environmental issues. Materials include the syllabus, reading lists, and assignment sheets from MIT's Comparative Media Studies/Writing program, free to access with no certificate offered. It suits students wanting structured practice in nonfiction nature writing rather than a survey of environmental science or policy.