Led by Dr. Jim Shores and Dr. Marvin Ruffner
COM/BIO 393 John Muir and the Ecology of Yosemite: This experiential learning course will focus on the environmental conservation history of Yosemite National Park, the culture and history of local Native American tribes, and the ecology of the Yosemite and Sierra Nevada Ecosystem. Specifically this course will 1) Examine the writings of John Muir as a form of environmental communication; 2) Learn the history of Muir’s development of the first environmental NGO, the Hetch Hetchy Valley Controversy/Debate and the eventual establishment of the National Park Service; 3) Study the plants, animals, ecology, and geology of the region that made it worth preserving; and 4) Visit and engage with the Miwok and Kutzadika’a tribes as cross cultural experience to learn from them firsthand, exploring their history in the region and experience some of their food, art, history, approach to the outdoors, and governance.
Trip Dates: August 2-13, 2025
To apply for the Communications and Biology in the Sierra Nevada Travel Course, please follow the following application process: