Appalachian Trail Field Classes

May 17-31, 2009

 

Earn seven hours of credit, when you sign up for Biology 128, English 224 and Physical Education 229, which will be taught on location for the 29th time this year, in the beautiful Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area, located in the mountainous Western tip of Virginia. This trip visits an area which has an unbelievable variety of plants, animals, and geologic settings. We will have the opportunity to take photographs of wild orchids in bloom, spectacular waterfalls, salamanders, snails and giant colonies of club moss. We will hike along the edge of a 600 million year old volcano and view the results of recent human activity and return to our camp site each night.

Biology 128, (Natural History of Selected Areas) is a field biology class whose focus will be the ecology of the area. In particular, we will study forest and stream communities with particular attention being paid to plant succession, salamanders and aquatic invertebrates. However, we will experience a variety of "critters" and explore some fantastic scenery along the way.

English 224 (Creative writing II) is a unique opportunity for growth through written expression. Experiential writing is very difficult to accomplish in a classroom setting, so we are taking the classroom on the road! We will utilize our experiences and observances during our trip to the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area as a springboard for unleashing the creative writer in us. Travel writing is only peripherally about the place of destination; the real focus is the journey, both internal and external. We will engage in creative nonfiction and poetry using not only our observances of the beauty and forces of nature, but also our inward reflections on the personal significance of "The Journey."

Physical Education 229 (Experience in the Out of Doors) In order for a camping trip to be fun & successful, preparation & knowledge of your surroundings is crucial. This course will address equipment, tent set-up, hiking dos & don’ts, basic survival skills, as well as how to reduce your impact on the environment

Where we stay

We will make base-camp in Mt. Rodgers state park, about ½ mile from the campground in outfitter-quality tents. We buy food in town every few days and cook it in camp. We will be near a water source with showers and a restroom, so you don't have to, “Rough it,” too badly.

Hiking

Daily hikes will vary from about 3 miles in the beginning, up to the big hike up Mt. Rodgers near the end of the trip which will be over 10 miles. We usually don't go faster than about ½ mile per hour because it isn't how fast you go but what you see that matters.

Some class activities will include:

- Short-form poetry as reflected in nature
- Looking at plant community changes as we increase in elevation
- Some longer poetic form strategies
- Searching for aquatic invertebrates (bugs) in streams
- A stylistic analysis of chapters from A Walk in the Woods
- Examining how animals, such as salamanders can be isolated at the tops of mountains
- Daily journal writing
- Looking at salamander diversity
- Descriptive writing
- Listing
- How natural process can wear a mountain down to a molehill
- Observation: we will individually observe a particular spot for 3 continuous, or separate, hours and record observations in journals
- Incorporating technical terms in our writing
- Pre, during, and post writing about the experience
- A memory piece

Two pre-trip meetings ( May 3 and May 10, 2009) and two post-trip meetings (June 7 and 14, 2009) will be scheduled.

The estimated cost for both classes, including tuition, transportation, food and camp fees is $1,350.00

NO PREREQUISITE
The only prerequisites are a desire to participate and permission of the instructor. Students with little to no experience in camping, hiking, or field biology are encouraged to participate.