Gonzaga in the Wilderness

Kayak on the water in the San Juan Islands

Gonzaga in the Wilderness

This three-week, six-credit program gives students the opportunity to explore the natural wonders of the Pacific Northwest through the lenses of science and the humanities. We will follow the salmon in this field-based program, tracking this icon of the northwest from glacial mountain streams to the ocean and studying the northwest's remarkable landscapes while we develop the skills to live in and travel through them. Academic work will focus on marine biology and regional biodiversity and the study of naturalist and eco-critical writing (as readers and writers), all as part of a uniquely integrated study of nature, place, and relationships in this distinctive region.

We'll begin with a backpacking section the North Cascades, traveling on foot with packs through moss-covered old growth forests to learn about ecology and human history and to being developing wilderness skills as well as the skills and habits of writerly observers of nature and place. We'll swap hiking boots and backpacks for paddles and kayaks for the sea kayak section. Our group will navigate in and around the San Juan Islands and camp on remote beaches, actively engaging with course content that integrates marine ecology and biodiversity with expository and narrative accounts of coastal habitats as well as our own responsive writing.

Important Information

Dates of Program

Courses

  • BIOL 159L/473, Studies in Biodiversity or Marine Biology (3 credits)
    This course uses a field experience as a backdrop to learn about evolutionary, ecological, and biogeographical processes that determine the ranges and biodiversity of organisms. This section will focus on marine systems and their connections through rivers to mountain environments. Topics will include climatology, hydrology, physiology, evolution of diversity, and ecology. Economics and environmental justice will also be addressed. Studies in Biodiversity is designed for non-science majors and meets the Scientific Inquiry requirement of the University Core. Marine Biology is an upper division elective for biology students. Classes meet concurrently.

  • ENGL 306, The Naturalist's Lens: Reading & Writing the NW (3 credits)
    Integrated with Marine Biology, this is a course about stories and the ways that narrative and writing can connect us more attentively to nature and to the relationships between humans and nature in the PNW. We will follow the salmon from mountain streams to the Salish Sea coast, using a range of short readings - stories, essays, poems - as guides for our written exploration of diverse environments, the ecologies we observe, and our complicated role as humans in these places. The course starts on campus for two days; in the field, we will read and write daily as naturalist observers. Major assignments: field journal (kept throughout the course; various writing within), concluding group assignment and Naturalist's Portfolio.

Cost

Program Requirements

Gonzaga in the Wilderness is open to all undergraduate students who meet the following admission requirements:

  • Minimum 2.5 GPA
  • Resolution Center for Student Conduct and Conflict & Study Abroad Office clearance

Application Requirements

  • Spaces are limited and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so apply early!
  • Apply online at: studyabroad.gonzaga.edu