Taking a "Big History" Perspective

Are you interested in the natural forces and human activities that have shaped our unique region? Would you like to know more about how Indigenous people lived on this land for thousands of years before European settlers arrived? Do you wonder how a landscape of towering forests and teeming wildlife was transformed into a domesticated countryside of farms, towns, and suburbs? Are you concerned about what's in store for our land as we look to the future? If so, this course is for you.

In four two-hour sessions, the course will take you on a fast-paced tour through the geological, archaeological, and historical past to reach a deeper appreciation of the land we live on and the people who have left their marks on it. Participants will be invited to share their own stories, insights, and local knowledge. Each session will be led by HFC board member Dr. Ed Wilson, who will be accompanied by regional experts with specialized knowledge about topics of interest. 

Participants can register for individual sessions or sign up for the full course at a discounted cost. 

All sessions will take place at the Susquehanna National Heritage Area's Columbia Crossing River Trails Center (41 Walnut Street, Columbia,PA 17512).

Session 1: Origins of the Landscape

Monday, October 27th, 6-8pm Beginning with a presentation to help participants think in "deep time" like geologists, this session will focus on the landforms of the Lower Susquehanna Valley and the influence of plate tectonics and other geological processes that created them. We'll devote special attention to the ancient river at its heart and the influence of the massive ice sheets which, just moments ago in geological time, approached the region but never quite reached it. We’ll be joined by Dr. Jay Parrish, former State Geologist of Pennsylvania. 

Session 2: The Indigenous Peoples and Their Land

Monday, November 10th, 6-8pm      This session will focus on the local archaeological record and how prehistoric people adapted to changing environmental conditions. We'll review what is known about the Susquehannocks and other tribes who lived in the region during historic times and the traumatic consequences of their contact with Europeans. Finally, we'll consider surviving traces of the Indigenous past. 

Session 3: European Settlement and the Collision of Worlds

Monday, November 24th, 6-8pm    When Europeans "discovered" America it was as if continents collided, and the impacts of this collision were profound, not only for Indigenous people, but for the land and its ecosystems. This session will focus on the rapid influx of German-speaking and Scots-Irish immigrants during the 18th Century and the environmental changes they wrought as they sought to replicate their agrarian and industry lifeways in the New World. We'll discuss the cultural backgrounds of European settlers and consider how their activities—land clearance, deforestation, stream alteration, industrial activities, decimation of wildlife, and the introduction of novel species—radically transformed the region and helped make it what it is today. Joining the session will be David Dietz—historian, farmer, and former Board Chair of the Horn Farm Center.

Session 4: Changes in the Landscape and Seeds of Hope

Monday, December 8th, 6-8pm             In the centuries since European arrival in North America, our landscape has undergone radical transformations. Through a combination of European-style farming, industrial development, and residential sprawl, we’ve seen nutrient loss from soils, altered watercourses, fragmented habitats, and the introduction of species at an unprecedented scale. These compounding challenges underline the importance of building ecological literacy while becoming better caretakers of the land. 

The Horn Farm Center’s story is woven into these modern challenges. Established as a nonprofit in response to pressures from development, the organization serves the community today by demonstrating ways we can rebuild the health of our ecosystems while producing abundant food and promoting community wellbeing. In this session, we will revisit some of the major landscape changes we’ve inherited and the practical pathways that homeowners, farmers, and community members can take to promote a more balanced, resilient landscape. Through topics like agroforestry, riparian buffers, and foraging, we’ll discuss the Horn Farm’s land stewardship work and our efforts to create a learning hub for rethinking how we relate to the environment we depend on.  

We hope to conclude the Land & Peoples Series by planting seeds of hope and inspiring actionable ideas for addressing our most pressing ecological challenges. This session will be co-facilitated by the Horn Farm Center’s Executive Director, Alexis Campbell, and Education & Outreach Specialist, Andrew Leahy. 

Panel image credits (left to right)

• Wrights Ferry on the Susquehanna, Pennsylvania by George Beck, 1809 (courtesy of NYPL Digital Collections).
• Depiction of a Susquehannock village from De nieuwe en onbekende weereld by Arnoldus Montanuses, 1671 (modified from Library of Congress files) 
• Engraving of the Columbia Bridge over the Susquehanna River by William Henry Bartlett, circa. 1850 (courtesy of Ed Wilson).
• Pennsylvania Avenue and Loucks Road (before it became US-30), 1961 (courtesy of the York County History Center).

About the Instructor

Edward Wilson

Dr. Edward Wilson is a native of Wrightsville and Hellam with advanced degrees in anthropology and social systems and a lifelong fascination with interactions between people and their natural environments. He was a leader in efforts to protect the Horn Farm from industrial development in the early 2000s, helping animate a larger movement to conserve farmland and promote sound land use in Hellam Township. He was a member of the Horn Farm’s founding Board of directors and rejoined the board in 2022. 

Thank You to our Venue Sponsor:

Susquehanna National Heritage Area

We're grateful to our friends and partners at the Susquehanna National Heritage Area for allowing us to use their riverfront space as a venue for these programs.

As the Horn Farm Center's farmhouse reconstruction proceeds, we'll soon be offering indoor programing again at the farm. Learn more about ongoing needs and ways you can support at hornfarmcenter.org/rebuild/