The University of Idaho College of Natural Resources is hosting a Semester in the Wild at two UI research stations during fall 2012.
Brian Kennedy, a professor of fish ecology, and Steve Hollenhorst, a professor of conservation social sciences, helped develop the program.
Kennedy said the program will take advantage of Idaho’s varied resources, like the Taylor Wilderness Research Station and the McCall Field Campus.
“Think of it as a semester at sea, or a semester abroad,” Hollenhorst said.
Students can earn 15 to 17 credits by taking part in the program.
Kennedy said he hopes 15 to 18 students will participate in this field-based experience.
The first part of the semester will be at the Taylor station in the Frank
Church River-of-No-Return Wilderness, about 70 miles northeast of Cascade, Idaho.
Hollenhorst said the station has labs, meeting areas and housing — including bathrooms. It also has electricity from solar power and a small hydroelectric facility.
The second part of the semester will be at the McCall Field Campus, according to the course’s website.
Students will live together, take classes together and go camping and hiking together, Hollenhorst said.
The semester will include classes on basic ecology and geology, as well as western literature and environmental writing, Kennedy said.
He said the program is aimed at sophomores, and includes credits they would have to earn anyway.
Classes have the same objectives as on-campus classes, but they will be field-based. Hollenhorst said students will take classes one at a time that last a few weeks before moving on to another class.
The program also incorporates outdoor leadership skills such as navigation, safety and survival.
Kennedy said the program follows the National Outdoor Leadership School’s model.
For example, Hollenhorst said students in the geology class might take a three- or four-day hike to geological sites in the area.
Kennedy said in the future, the program may include more classes and opportunities for juniors and seniors from a variety of majors.
Kennedy said the program is designed to cost about the same as a semester on campus, including tuition, room and board.
Students interested in Semester in the Wild can visit uiweb.uidaho.edu/wild for more information or contact Brian Kennedy at [email protected].
Kasen Christensen can be reached at [email protected]