UG Field Course
Students learn a range of human geography, physical geography, environmental studies and geomatics field methods, from surveys and interviews to tree coring, stream gauging, and soil testing. They meet experts and community groups from across a region, and have a chance to experience what it might be like to apply geographic and environmental research skills to real-life problems.
Students are organized into research teams to conduct field research and analyze issues that concern the residents of the Madawaska Valley. Each group’s fieldwork had some component of environmental studies, human geography, physical geography, and geomatics. The structure of the course consists of in-school orientation and background preparation. This skills-development component is followed by four days of data collection in the Madawaska region. The residential component includes guest lectures and interaction with stakeholders from the region. Students rotate through several field components during the week being introduced to various field methods. The broad areas of exploration center around water quality, steam gauging, shoreline surveys, and interviews.
The field course is also a lot of fun! It’s a chance to get to know people, spend time outside, and think about where you might head after your studies. Many students have described field courses as the highlight of their degree.
Fall Field Camp Video
Thank you Hannah Mae Henry, undergraduate fall field camp student, for creating this beautiful video that captures some of the wonderful moments students experienced during the undergraduate fall field camp!