INSTRUCTOR
David Baker
COURSE FEE: $3999
ESTIMATED OUT-OF-POCKET COST: $325
INTERVIEW: Yes
MAX CLASS SIZE: 13
PREREQs: No
**Please note that the JanTerm scholarship cannot apply to this course.**
DESTINATION
US national parks
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Our environment is changing. Nowhere is this more evident than in our western United States national parks. In this May Term course, we will investigate pressing environmental issues facing our national parks. We will interact with national park experts to get behind-the-scenes views of current conservation efforts, and we will assess potential solutions that can have meaningful, long-term impacts.
Our classroom is nature itself. This course will take us on a journey to Yosemite National Park, home of glacier carved valleys, dramatic waterfalls, and the most massive trees on Earth – the giant sequoias. We will hike into the Grand Canyon and observe multiple climate zones as we descend millions of years back in geological time. In Monument Valley, we will stay overnight in a Navajo hogan to learn from their ancestral views of nature. On Lake Powell, we will explore the delicate balance of water in the region as we kayak to the famous Antelope Canyon. We will camp among the stars in Bryce Canyon, a designated International Dark Sky site. Finally, we will hike and wade through Zion National Park’s The Narrows slot canyon, often listed among the top 10 hiking adventures in the world. At every step, climb, and paddle along the way, we will observe and analyze the environmental state of our public lands.
This experience will challenge you. This course has a significant active adventure component and will place unique demands on participants. We will be camping in tents on most nights. You must be able to hike 8-10 hours per day and be able to swim. A positive team-oriented attitude will be essential for a successful experience. In addition, your preconceived notions of wilderness and nature will be challenged. Every day, you will learn more about yourself and your own personal relationship with nature.
You may never look at the natural world, and your place in it, in the same way again.
EMAIL FACULTY: David Baker