Idaho Wilderness Study Program Open for Registration

Taylor Wilderness Research Station.

University of Idaho News Release

University of Idaho students who yearn to be outdoors and want to study science in one of the nation’s largest wilderness areas may now apply for the College of Natural Resources’ new pilot program, “Semester in the Wild.”

Offered for the first time in fall 2012, this semester-long experience is made up of five courses and is open to all undergraduate students. The program takes place at the University of Idaho Taylor Wilderness Research Station in the heart of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness and at the McCall Field Campus, along the shores of Payette Lake.

Interested students may visit the program web site to meet the April 13, 2012 application deadline. To learn more about the program, call (208) 885-8981 or email Brian Kennedy at kennedy@uidaho.edu.

“Students will enroll in classes that take advantage of Idaho’s wilderness setting and develop a foundation in the unique ecology, geology and natural history of the Rocky Mountain ecosystems,” said Steven Hollenhorst, CNR associate dean for academics. ”Students will develop the necessary tools to understand core scientific principles and communicate scientific ideas effectively, and this will put them at a greater advantage when considering careers or graduate school.”

The Semester in the Wild program will allow students to:
• Study the unique ecosystems of the central Idaho wilderness;
• Enroll in field ecology and geology while conducting hands-on research;
• Experience wildlife, forests, rivers and lakes that have inspired western writers;
• Immerse in a truly integrated program of science and humanities;
• Increase communication skills through scientific presentation and environmental writing.