The Role of Field Study in Humanistic and Interdisciplinary Environmental Education

Abstract

This paper argues that field courses can improve college students' interest and engagement not only in the environmental sciences, but also in the environmental humanities—including environmental history, philosophy, and literature. We base this argument on five years of experience teaching an environmental studies field course through the Wildlands Studies Program in the Sierra Nevada of California, USA. In the paper we draw from field notes, discussions with students, correspondence with other instructors, and a survey sent to all of our former students. We conclude that three factors—the field immersion experience, the small group dynamic, and the curriculum design—all contributed to an increase in our students' interest and engagement in the environmental humanities.