FLAGSTAFF, AZ
Northern Arizona University Seminars
Northern Arizona University is located in Flagstaff and serves a student population of nearly 25,000. At 6,600 ft, visitors enjoy much milder weather than the southern part of the state, with summer temps in the 60s and 70s. The college has first-rate STEM faculty and departments, and we’ve worked with them to schedule summer workshop experiences that challenge and engage.
You can find almost anything in Flagstaff, from four-star restaurants to funky, natural food cafes, from cowboy bars to bookstores, and more. Area attractions include the Lowell Observatory, Grand Canyon (90 min), Meteor Crater (60 min), Painted Desert and Petrified Forest Natural Parks (120 minutes), and if you really miss the heat, Phoenix is just a two-hour drive.
Flora, Fauna and Formations of the
Mesa Verde/Bandelier Region
While we may teach geology and biology as separate sciences in
the classroom, in nature the two sciences overlap and intersect.
The distribution of plants and animals is very much affected by the
climate and underlying geology of a region and living things can
affect its geology in both the short and long term. Join us
for a field look at the biology and geology of national and state
parks in the American Southwest. Participants will learn to
use the field observations in their teaching and daily lives to
better appreciate the connections between the two sciences.
Participants can expect to work, sleep, and eat in the field, often
in remote locations. We will camp in national park campgrounds
(which have toilet and shower facilities) and will share food
preparation and camp maintenance duties. Long hikes are
optional but this is a field-based course, so expect to be on your
feet for most of the day and to take part in a number of short (1-2
mile) hikes. Participants should be in good health and
moderately fit. Participants will be expected to compile a
detailed field notebook of their studies and present it to the group
at the end of the course. Sunday and Friday night stays are in NAU
halls of residence. As there are two instructors and one TA on the
trip and with attendance limited to only 15 participants,
participants can expect ready access to the instructors.
| Thurs June 26 | Arrive at NAU, Welcome BBQ |
| Fri June 27 | Depart NAU. Three
stops in transit to Mesa Verde National Park, CO.
Discuss regional geologic setting; look at Merriam life
zones. |
| Sat June 28 | Two 1-2 mile hikes in Mesa
Verde. Erosional and depositional processes as related to flora and fauna and compare life forms in burned and unburned surfaces. |
| Sun June 29 | Move camp to Bandelier NM.
En route stop at Mancos River for riparian and
sediment/stream flow studies; Merriam LZ and regional
geology. |
| Mon June 30 | Bandelier NM. Tree
measurement exercises and surface transects noting substrate
materials. |
| Tues July 1 | Break camp. Examine
volcanic rocks and plant life of El Morro NM. Life
zones of desert and higher elevations. Return to NAU |
| Wed July 2 | Depart for home |
About the Instructors
David M. Best is a professor of geology at NAU. He received
his Ph. D. in geology from the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. He has taught physical geology, statistics and
geophysics at NAU since 1978 and has written a lab manual for
geologic disasters. When not teaching about Arizona
geology, he is currently co-authoring a text on natural hazards.
Sylvester Allred received his Ph. D. in Biology from NAU in 1989,
and joined the Biological Sciences faculty in the same year.
His research involves the ecology and reproductive biology of the
Abert squirrel, a resident of local ponderosa pine forests. His
interests include writing, photography, backpacking, and road trips
around the United States with his wife, Donna.
Includes all lodging, meal, camping equipment (tent, sleeping bag, air mattress, etc.) and air travel and transportation to/from the parks. There is a discount for those not needing air travel, contact LAB-AIDS for more information.
| RESERVE YOUR PLACE NOW by calling Ayse Frosina at 800 381-8003 Ext 120 or Dr. Mark Koker at Ext 142 |
>> Download Application Here <<
* Prices shown are for applications received by May 1, 2008. Applications received after May 1 will incur an additional $200 fee to cover the increased cost of air travel.
