The trip is designed to examine the cultural, physical, and environmental geography of this region.
Specific topics change from year to year, reflecting the emphasis and route of that year's trip.
In 2001, our cultural focus will be on the Native Peoples of the northern Great Plains and the northwestern part of the United States. In addition, we will describe factors relating to the creation of deserts and the adaptations of plants to desert environments. Environmentally we will examine water use in the Great Plains and the Northwest, National Park policy and issues relating to public land use, and the impact of the spread of human habitat. The western field trip is an excellent opportunity to study the various aspects of geography in a non-traditional classroom setting . The faculty will lecture periodically throughout the trip.