Integrated Natural History: Utah

Spring 2010

What Is This Program?

One of the main benefits of this program is the opportunity to work closely with BYU professors. As a result of small class sizes and students/professor interaction, you will get to know your professors well. Furthermore, each course features learning experiences designed to actively involve you with the flora and fauna of Utah. An important part of your educational experience is the on-site stay related to your course work.

Utah, Usa

We will spend most of a week backpacking around each of four bodies of water: Vernon Creek in western Utah, the Bear River in northern Utah, the Provo River in central Utah, and the Escalante River in southern Utah. We will explore the Pony Express Trail, the Uinta Mountains, the site of the Battle of Bear River, the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Jordanelle Reservoir, Upper Calf Creek Falls, Coyote Gulch, Hole in the Rock, Lake Powell, and dozens of other areas.

Semester    Dates
Spring         30 April–2 June 2010

Program Details

• We will study biology, recreation management, Utah history, and writing, all as one subject—integrated natural history.
• We will follow four water systems from their origins in the mountains to their use in a human community in order to study the relationships between human recreational and economic practice and the plant and animal systems. 
• These field experiences will be sandwiched between sessions at BYU, where we will study the principles of inquiry for biology, history, recreation, and the essay. We will also learn how each discipline uses the library. 
• We will learn specific skills associated with each discipline, for example, canyoneering, kayaking, snowshoeing, recording oral history, making photographic and biological collections, closely observing humans and animals, and classifying species. 
• The field study will be project-driven. In other words, students will design a set of research questions which they will use to guide their inquiry across the four ecological systems. For example, someone might study the relationship between irrigation and the spread of non-native species of plants. 
• Each of us will keep a field journal and will write several kinds of essays: fact-based and analytic reports of findings, personal essays, collaborative reports, and other short pieces.
  

Course Requirements

The courses offered during the spring term are as follows:

• HONORS English 150 Freshman Composition (3 credit hours)
• HONORS 232R Utah History: Global and Cultural Awareness (3 credit hours)
• HONORS Biology 100 Principles of Biology (3 credit hours)
• HONORS RMYL 223R Outdoor Skills Leadership (2 credit hours)
  

Where Do Students Live?

• We will camp and stay in cabins. Equipment for camping will be available from the RMYL Equipment Room.
• When we are here at BYU, students will need to provide their own place to stay.
  

Preparation For Study Abroad

• Before spring term 2010, students will take two preparatory classes: RMYL 223R and HONORS 295R. Through these classes students will gain the skills needed for outdoor experience and will read interdisciplinary texts, such as Refuge by Terry Tempest Williams and Hooligans by Doug Thayer.
• RMYL 223R Outdoor Skills Leadership (2 credit hours) (Can count toward wellness credits) (Brian Hill)
• HONORS 295R Special Topics (3 credit hours) (John Bennion, Brian Cannon, and Riley Nelson)
  

What Funding Sources Are Available?

• Regular BYU tuition scholarships, Pell Grants, and Federal Insured Student Loans may be applied to Study Abroad programs.
• Students who submit the financial aid section of the ISP application, and who have a current FAFSA form on file at the Financial Aid Office (A-41 ASB), will be considered for a Study Abroad scholarship.
  

Application Process

• Complete the ISP online application at https://kennedy.byu.edu/isp/online/app/home.php.
• Contact the director for an initial interview once your application is complete. 
• The application deadline is 27 November 2009. 
• ISP’s Study Abroad reserves the right to cancel this program, revise its offerings, or make any adjustments to the preliminary cost estimates due to conditions beyond its control.
  

How Much Does This Cost?

• Approximately $1,400–1,600.
• Includes LDS, undergraduate full tuition (increased cost for graduate and non-LDS students).
• Does not cover personal expenses or some meals.
  

Interested Students Should Contact:

John Bennion, associate professor of English, teaches English literature and creative writing. Bennion has published fiction and essays about western Utah. His specialty is outdoor education. He may be contacted at (801) 422-3419 or at john_bennion@byu.edu.

Brian Cannon, associate professor of history, has taught at BYU since 1992 and directs the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies. Cannon teaches and writes about Utah history, Western American history since 1900, western water policy, and rural/agricultural history.

Brian Hill, associate professor of RMYL, has led groups on adventures through southern Utah, New Zealand, Australia, and Fiji, and along the Mormon Trail from Winter Quarters to the Salt Lake Valley. Hill’s scholarly interests center on family and marital recreation.

Riley Nelson, professor of biology, has early memories of trips to the wild looking for lizards, insects, and fish. Nelson’s teaching and research now take him around the world to places such as Tahiti, the Amazon, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Mongolia, Mount Timpanogos, and the red rock of southern Utah.

ISP
101 HRCB
(801) 422‑3686
isp@byu.edu

College of Health and Human Performance | RMYL Department