Field Courses


Outdoors.  It’s as essential to our teaching as it is to our name.  GORP students study human-environment relationships in a wide variety of contexts, from densely populated urban centers to vast wilderness.  Our field courses vary in location and content.  You could find yourself sleeping under the stars in the Mojave Desert, or exploring the bustling streets of Tokyo and Seoul.  Wherever you go, you will have the opportunity to connect your classroom experience to the real-world.

We offer regular one to two-week field courses to national and international destinations:
Japan and Korea 2019
US Desert Southwest and Borderlands 2018
Hawaii 2017
Cuba 2016
Chile 2014
Iceland, Sweden, and Norway 2012
Peru 2009

Students interested in outdoor recreation are encouraged to take the interdisciplinary course ‘Outdoor Recreation Leadership’ IIHP 311 offered each January and June.

GORP majors are encouraged to take advantage of study abroad opportunities available through the Global Education Office.

Geography Field Studies 2014: Chile

From January 3rd1526526_3879335719824_247802353_n-January 15th, Drs. Al Rydant & Lara Bryant led a group of 14 students to the beautiful South American country of Chile. While studying there, they stayed in Sanitago, Vina del Mar, and La Serena. Students enrolled in the four credit field course for the fall semester.  They completed assignments throughout the semester, culminating with the trip in January.

The students were required to complete  assignments during their stay in Chile, including field journals, observation quizzes, and a comprehensive final exam.  That does not mean they did not have time for fun as well. A typical day would include walking tours, group lunch, and chances to spend extra pesos on excursions like horseback riding on the beach, riding funiculars to observation points, and souvenir shopping. The nights would usually give the students free time to explore the cities and grab dinner at a restaurant or pub of their choice. Some nights would be booked with extra activities like the exploration of the Mamaluca Observatory in Vicuna or working on an urban planning project. Some highlights of the fieldcourse include:

1551462_10201752747753573_1803011152_n1.) Staying four nights in Vina del Mar with host familes. The 14 students were separated into single, doubles, or triples and required to meet local families where they would experience Chilean culture firsthand. Most families did not speak fluent English, so it was an opportunity for the students to put their language learning skills to the test. Needless to say, many students learned more Spanish in four days than they did in their entire lives. Many of the students said they ate some of the best food of their lives while staying with their hosts. Some also felt that they made lifelong friendships and connections that would resonate in their minds and hearts for a lifetime.

2.) A volunteer fieldwork day in the botanical gardens outside of Vina del Mar. The students and professors aided the botanists during a full day of work where they weeded hundreds of local and exotic plants and learned about Chilean flora. Some of the students even played with tarantulas that surprised all of them while getting their hands dirty. It really put into perspective how much work goes into maintaining a park like the botanical gardens.

3.) A trip to a local winery. “Fundo El Sauce” was a local winery where students learned about how much love and work goes into making wine the old fashioned way. They were able to sample various wines and it was a once in a lifetime experience. It takes six months to make a commercial bottle of wine while it takes “Fundo El Sauce” 2 years. The winery also specialized in training horses to participate in the rodeo. A jockey showed them what a horse is capable of after years of training. The rodeo in Chile is not like the rodeo here in the US. Chilean rodeo is more of an artform where the horses will follow commands and earn style points. After the tour was over, the students were able to purchase a bottle or two of the homemade wine to bring back home.

Overall, the field course in Chil996115_10152617280664762_100092600_ne was a life-changing experience for the students. They were able to learn about a new culture and a new language. Whether it was playing futbol with locals in a park, figuring out how to navigate a Chilean city, or simply catching some rays on the beach, the trip provided opportunities to do things that they may never be able to experience again. The next field course is yet to be determined, but Dr. Rydant and Dr. Bryant will surely not disappoint!

 

 

 

» Prague Field Course 2004 & 2005

In May and June of 2004 and 2005, Dr. Jo Beth Mullens co-led a geography/sociology field course with Dr. Brian Green to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland. Twelve students participated in this two week overseas adventure. They traveled to Prague and Brno, CZ; Bratislava, Trnava and the Tatras Mountains in Slovakia; and Krakow and Auschwitz, Poland. In our travels, they emphasized significant geographic, social, political, economic, and environmental issues in this regions. Particular attention was given to the geographical and social issues of WWII , the environment and social problems associated with the communist period, and the efforts taken shift from a communism to democratic capitalist system. Dr. Mullens undertook this field course in an effort to share her knowledge of the Czech Republic with her students. In 2002, Dr. Mullens was a Fulbright Senior Scholar teaching in Brno, CZ.

-Prague, CZ-
-Prague, CZ-

To learn more about adventures abroad, visit Dr. Mullens web site: http://academics.keene.edu/jmullens

» Desert Southwest Field Course 2004

Geography Field Studies – Desert South West (2004)

-Delicate Arch-Arches National Park-
-Delicate Arch-Arches National Park-
-Canyonlands National Park-
-Canyonlands National Park-
-Canyonlands National Park-
-Canyonlands National Park-
-Canyonlands National Park-
-Canyonlands National Park-
-Canyonlands National Park-
-Canyonlands National Park-
-Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument-
-Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument-
-Canyonlands National Park-
-Canyonlands National Park-
-Rainbow Bridge National Monument-
-Rainbow Bridge National Monument-
-Grand Canyon National Park-
-Grand Canyon National Park-
-Mesa Verde National Park-
-Mesa Verde National Park-