Participants must arrive to the program fully vaccinated against COVID-19, having reviewed our health and safety page

Program Details

Location: Anchorage, Alaska

Dates: Summer 2024: July 27 – August 10, 2024

Accommodations:  Primarily camping, short backpacking trip

Credits: 5 quarter credits or 3.35 semester credits

Language: English instruction

Courses: Environmental Wildlands Studies

Prerequisites: One college level course in environmental studies, environmental science, or similar. 18 years of age

Program Costs

Application Fee

Paid when you submit your application. Refundable until you are formally accepted into a program.

Program Fee

Your tuition for the program, paid directly to Wildlands Studies.

Group Logistics Fee

Covers most on-the-ground expenses such as transportation during the program, camping and lodging fees, park and nature reserve entrance fees, permits, study facilities and other related logistical costs. For some programs, this fee also covers a portion of your meals. This fee is paid directly to Wildlands Studies.

Estimated Airfare and Mandatory Travel Insurance

Airfare costs are covered by the student and vary depending on your starting location and airline ticket prices. Travel insurance is required for our programs. Details about airfare and travel insurance will be provided in the Logistics Packet.

Estimated Food and Personal Expenses

Our estimate for the out-of-pocket expenses you will incur during the program for items such as food, snacks, drinks, laundry, entry visa and personal items. This amount will vary from student to student depending on spending habits.

Alaska Summer 2024
$    150    Application Fee
$ 2,650 Program Fee
$   1,300    Group Logistics Fee
$    800  Estimated Airfare and Mandatory Travel Insurance
$  100    Estimated Personal Expenses

$5,000     Total Estimated Cost
Summer 2024: Program fees due by May 15, 2024

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The Program

There’s no denying it: Alaska is one of the most stunning places on earth. With more than 57 million acres of designated wilderness, Alaska is one of the few places in the US with large, intact natural landscapes. These vast and dynamic areas offer clean air, water, and habitat protection for many of our most iconic wildlife --grizzly bears, wolves, caribou, and thousands of other plant and animal species. Yet with climate change, Alaska is warming at more than twice the global average rate. This remarkable new program will investigate the relationship between air quality and climate change, and how we as citizen scientists can use air quality data to influence policy, and individual choice and behavior. With the largest region of untouched wilderness in North America as our classroom, we will delve into how air quality, climate change, and environmental policy are shaping the last frontier.

Over two weeks, our field studies will take us to the shores of a glacier-fed lake, alpine tundra dotted with wildflowers, the flanks of North America’s highest peak, and finally the mineral-rich waters of geothermal springs in America’s far north. We will start in a region known for its pristine air quality, establishing a benchmark for understanding the effects of human activity on visibility, health, and atmospheric conditions. Here we will learn how to research and measure air quality firsthand with specialized equipment. Utilizing our knowledge of the Clean Air Act and its profound implications for U.S. policy, we will compare air quality at each location and build our understanding of the different factors that affect the air we breathe. Through hands-on fieldwork, case studies, and group activities, our team will discover the critical role environmental policy plays in resource management and community planning, and in protecting the iconic wildlife that depend on Alaska’s pristine environment for their well-being and existence. Throughout the program, we will build our naturalist and identification skills by paying close attention to the key flora and fauna that characterize these diverse landscapes.

As we unravel the intricacies of air pollution, our field studies will shift to understanding the short-term and long-term effects of climate change in Alaska, and the decision-making process involved in managing these critical natural resources. We will discuss how science and air quality monitoring can be used to address this critical environmental challenge and mitigate its impact on ecosystems and communities.  Further, we will assess the state's reliance on natural resource industries, such as oil extraction, and discuss crucial questions about sustainability, conservation, planning and policy. With hands-on experience and skilled observations gained in these remarkable Alaskan landscapes, you will leave Alaska with a deeper understanding of the critical concerns of climate change and inspired to help address this key environmental challenge. 

 
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More Details

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Syllabus

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Manual

 

Program Photo Gallery

Allison Price

lead instructor

MS IN RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES, PRESCOTT COLLEGE, 2023

Allison is an Environmental Scientist for the Air Improvement and Planning Division at the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. She brings several years of experience in the private sector teaching and monitoring air quality with a focus on nuisance emissions and control technologies. Allison has held many roles at Wildlands Studies, including Assistant Director, Marketing Manager, Field Studies Advisor and Teaching Assistant for programs in New Zealand, Alaska and Yellowstone. Allison believes that connecting undergraduates to environmental science firsthand and introducing them to experts and field professionals empowers students to rethink traditional approaches on energy demands in response to climate change and rapid environmental changes. She is excited to bring her academic expertise and experience in air quality management to our newest program in Alaska, and showcase her favorite places in America’s grandest state with a lens on air quality and protection.