Outdoor Studies Courses
100. Outdoor Studies Core Course
An introduction to outdoor studies that includes many elements of the minor. The course integrates lecture and field experiences that explore the basic theories , concepts and skills in the field of outdoor leadership and education. It also examines personal outdoor recreational ethics as well as knowledge about environmentally sensitive recreation in the outdoors.
101. Modern Outdoor Recreation Ethics (.5 units)
By means of study, experience and reflection, this half-unit lecture and required lab course attempts to foster a personal environmental ethic as well as knowledge about environmentally sensitive recreation in the outdoors. Course content focuses on historical and present-day philosophies and practices of outdoor pursuits, including backcountry travel, canoeing, climbing, first aid and expedition planning. The course requires five overnight field trips to practice the material covered in the classroom.
115. Introduction to Snow Science and Avalanches
This eight-day January course integrates theory with scientific technical skills on a unique field-expedition in a mountain range in North America. Students learn the foundation principles of snow science and avalanche study through readings, classroom learning and field experience, and explore the relationship between human behavior and decision-making, and how it affects snow pack stability. Topics include snow science, mountain weather, geology, avalanche search and rescue, backcountry travel, and the human-nature interaction and relationship in a mountainous winter environment, as well as backcountry wilderness skills necessary to recreate, travel and study safely in a mountainous winter environment.
201. Natural History and Ecology of the Adirondacks (Adirondack Semester)
This field-oriented course emphasizes the natural history, ecology, geology, geography and climate of the Adirondacks. Primary emphasis is on the ecology, life history, local adaptations and uses of Adirondack flora and fauna. Basic ecological concepts such as ecosystem function, community diversity, food web structure, seasonal change, competition, and nutrient cycles are studied by means of field trips and field studies. Studies examine the influence of weather, day length, and geology and may include the movement of stars and planets. Students learn how to record observational data and how to conduct an experiment.
202. Writing the Adirondacks (Adirondack Semester)
Many good stories have their roots in the Adirondacks. From Indigenous peoples’ oral histories to outdoor enthusiasts’ excursion narratives, from the logging industry’s folk ballads to tall tales about hunting and fishing, in historical fiction and poetry, in literary journals and environmental magazines, residents and visitors alike have shared their Adirondack experiences in both speech and print, mapping in the process a cultural geography as rich and varied as the region’s natural terrain. This course will survey the field of contemporary Adirondack writing from the past fifty years, with a focus on recent work. We will read a variety of regional writing in the genres of environmental journalism, poetry, and creative nonfiction, and in turn, students will report on—and reflect on—their own Adirondack experiences. Writing assignments will be project-based and public-facing. Students will produce weekly content for the Adirondack Semester website, and they will collaborate to design and print a small magazine featuring their own creative work.
203. Land Use Change in the Adirondacks (Adirondack Semester)
Using the Adirondacks as a case study, this course examines current activities in land planning and the importance of historical context. Study of Adirondack history begins with 16th-century information from European explorers and Native Americans. Emphasis is then placed on industrial and recreational use in the 19th century. The course highlights formation of the State Forest Preserve and the Adirondack Park, and regulations governing private land use. Study of the present utilizes political theory such as internal colonization and coreperiphery. The course employs local examples through discussion and field trips.
277. Knowing Nature (Adirondack Semester)
Students examine and practice a variety of methods and techniques by which humans know nature. In particular, the course engages the western scientific and the shamanic (as practiced by indigenous cultures) paradigms, and asks how our perception of nature affects how we relate to and treat it. The course will explore the concept of nature as knowing and intelligent through the lenses of recent scientific research and traditional knowledge.
251. Advanced Topics of Outdoor Leadership and Education
This course is an intensive course designed to prepare participants to teach and facilitate outdoor leadership skills. With the nearby mountains and rivers of the Adirondacks as their classroom, students focus on furthering backcountry and outdoor skills and teaching. We will explore what it means to be a leader in the outdoors and how being a good leader requires creating an inclusive space where all voices feel welcomed and heard. We will also learn skills such as safe backcountry travel and etiquette, teaching principles and techniques, and considerations and concerns related to specific outdoor pursuits such as climbing, kayaking, biking, or skiing. Successful completion of this course qualifies students to lead trips for the SLU Outdoor Program.