9/16/2009
Article provide by Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute
Learning by doing.
That’s the essential philosophy of the Field Experience Requirement for undergraduate students enrolled in U-M’s Program in the Environment (PitE). There are several ways students can fulfill the requirement, for example by taking a course at an approved residential field course (such as those offered at U-M’s Biological Field Station or the Camp Davis Field Station), by participating in a Study Abroad Program that is centered on environmental subject matter, or by pursuing an environmentally-focused Internship.
All PitE Field Experiences include a research component, question formulation, information/data collection, analysis, discussion, and overall integration of environmental subject matter, including sustainability. In their own words, here’s a snapshot of how some of the PitE students recently fulfilled their Field Experience Requirement—as well as what the field-based work meant to them:
Jen DeMoss, Senior PitE Concentrator “I studied abroad program in Costa Rica with the Institute for Central American Development Studies. This program's focus is on sustainable development and ecological field work in Costa Rica, with a trip to Nicaragua. I chose to study abroad because, while I understand that 1) my actions affect others on a global scale and 2) other people are leading wholly different lives than me, I have yet to experience life in another country. This program gave me the opportunity to travel to places I've only dreamt about, develop relationships with people outside of America, and understand how Costa Ricans deal with expanding human populations and ecosystem demands while maintaining their country's rain forests.”
Jessica Lax, Senior PitE Concentrator “I was an editorial intern for Good, a magazine that acts as a guide for sustainable living. The company is located in Auckland, NZ, and that is where I worked. I mainly did research for their print articles, however, I was fortunate enough to write a few short pieces as well. This was an amazing learning experience for several reasons. I learned about sustainable living while learning to write for a public audience. Furthermore, I learned about the functioning of a small businesses and the processes of magazine production.”
Eleanor Bomstein, Senior PitE Concentrator “I traveled with 12 other University of Michigan students to Ghana, where we set up plastic recycling collection programs at two universities and in one small town. Plastic waste causes serious health and security problems in Ghana, and our goal was to educate people and connect them to the recycling plants currently running in Ghana. We worked very closely with administrators, students and local youth groups to ensure that the project will be maintained.”
Katelyn Zemenick, Junior PitE Major, EEB Concentrator (in Photo) “This summer, I spent two months in Chiapas, Mexico at the first organic-certified coffee farm, Finca Irlanda. I focused on a native fungus, Lecanicillium lecanii, which infects two potentially devastating coffee pests (the green scale and the coffee rust). My investigations were primarily concerning its ability to persist in the soil, potential dispersal mechanisms from the soil, and its effect on a keystone ant species in the agro-ecosystem. I absolutely loved my stay at Finca Irlanda, working with a great team of ecologists and with so much to explore! I felt like a real biologist—designing experiments, collecting data, and constantly talking about different ideas about the system with other students and professors. It was surprising to me that the general public has much less knowledge concerning sustainability and organic agriculture than I expected. It was fun to try and explain in Spanish why organic/sustainable agriculture is so important when I met people in town. This summer has made me much more eager to work towards a career in sustainability and ecology! “
Corinne Marie Land (LSA Senior, PitE & Economics) “I participated in the EcoQuest Program on New Zealand’s North Island. As the course titles suggest, the program provided a multifaceted view of New Zealand’s environmental condition. The topics we studied included: the effects of logging on Kauri forests, estuarine vegetation patterns, marine ecology and policy, pest management, coal mining, Maori culture, sustainable tourism, geology, and many others. Overall, I found that New Zealand’s political bodies are faced with many of the same issues we face in the U.S.; they are underfunded and charged with imperative tasks that are hard to universally implement.
All of the Field Experiences mentioned above were made possible, in part, through student scholarships from the Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute. The Graham Institute has offered Graham Field Experience Grants to fulfill two primary goals: 1) to expand the range of field experience opportunities students can afford to participate in and 2) to make sure U-M students pursue field experiences on sustainability-related subject matter.
Content Author(s): Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute
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