Hal Wershow Field Course

Field course, GEOL 190

By Hal Wershow, Associate Faculty, Geoscience 

Inspired by the geology field courses that I took in college, we created an eight day field course that took students from the glaciated ridges of the Olympic Mountains to the blasted volcanic terrain of Mount St Helen's.  However, typical field courses occur as the capstone of an undergraduate geology major.  In this case, we designed a course that would be open to every student, regardless of their scientific background.  We hoped that exposing students to the joys (and rigors) of scientific field work at such an early stage might inspire them to pursue School, Work and of course Play in the extraordinary mountains that make Washington so special.  Early returns are stunning. One student stated "this was the best week of my life" while another spoke of his changed perspective, as he now sees schooling and working outdoors as real, attainable goals.  As soon as the course ended, the students formed a hiking group and they have already teamed up to hike and explore our nearby trails.  It is perhaps this vibrant sense of community that is the most important accomplishment of GEOL 190.

See more of Hal and his classes in these GEOL 190 photos and GEOL 140 photos by Brenda Lerie Ulinsk.

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