Yellowstone Studies

FOR 274, 1 credit

February 15-18, 2008 (President's Day weekend)

Course Photos>>

Take this unique opportunity to study in Yellowstone over President's Day weekend. Students in the Yellowstone Studies course spend four days exploring ecology, geology, geothermal activity, wildlife management, winter recreation issues, tourism, environmental politics, and ranching.

This course introduces students to conservation issues and the natural history of Yellowstone with an emphasis on:

• The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem concept including conservation of biological diversity and interactions between private, National Forest and National Park lands

• Interactions between elk, bison, cattle and their predators and habitats inside and outside the park

• Natural and anthropogenic disturbances spanning time scales of millennia to decades and how they interact to explain both the natural functioning and diversity of this complex region.

Course participants observe wildlife behavior in the Lamar Valley, enjoy the boiling river, and ski to Tower Falls for an onsite geology lesson. The course also includes talks from university professors, National Park Service staff, wildlife researchers, landowners, and environmentalists. Diverse perspectives offer students an opportunity arrive at their own conclusions about the challenges faced by the residents, managers, wildlife, and visitors of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Registration for this course requires an override form. Registration is on a first-come basis. To register pick-up an over ride form at the Wilderness Institute, Main Hall 303. The course fee is $133.

A student watches bison in Yellowstone's Lamar Valley.

Wilderness Institute
College of Forestry and Conservation
The University of Montana
Missoula, Montana 59812
Tel: (406)243-5361; E-mail: wi@forestry.umt.edu

2007 Course Syllabus

Study in Yellowstone

Geothermal Activity

Geology

Ranching

Wildlife Biology

Winter Recreation

Fire Ecology

and more!