 |
Geog 410/510: Only 3 spaces left -- Apply soon! |
|
The setting: We will live and work in the Sprague River valley, part of the Upper Klamath Basin and a tributary to Upper Klamath Lake. The Sprague River is home to several endangered fish species and other unique habitats, including extensive riverine wetlands and springs. The river floodplain is dominated by open meadows and fields, with pine forests on the uplands. Our study sites will include the river channel, floodplain, riparian zone, and canyons. The Upper Klamath Basin has been the site of conflicts over water needs for fish and people, and it is currently the focus of much river and riparian restoration effort. Most of the valley is privately owned land used for pasture and agriculture. The valley is a testing ground for collaborative efforts to resolve conflicts over water resources. |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Course
content and structure: This course will focus on interactions between biological and physical processes in river floodplains, including geomorphology and plant ecology, and concepts and techniques for river assessment and restoration planning. Specific topics covered in the course include:
The course meets in the field each day (with one half-day off). All course work is hands-on field work, with brief lectures and instruction during the fieldwork. We will also do a field tour around the Sprague watershed one day.
On several evenings, we will have campfire lectures from local ranchers, restoration planners, ecologists, and others involved in restoration of the Upper Klamath watershed.
The field part of the course will be June 16-25. Our first meeting will be in Eugene on the afternoon of June 6 for orientation and reading assignments. We will also have a wrap-up meeting in Eugene on July 1, when your field journal is due. If you are interested in taking the course but are out of town and cannot be present for the June 6 and July 3 meetings, contact Pollyanna Lind, course coordinator, to see if other arrangements can be made.
|
Channel cross-section
Sediment sampling |
||
|
|
Sprague Valley fieldwork |
|
|
|
Living situation and logistics: The study area is about 180 miles (4 hours drive) from Eugene. While in the field we will be camping at a site on private land. Each student should provide his/her own sleeping bag, pad, and other personal gear. You may bring your own tent; there are also some tents available to share for those who don't have their own tent. The camp site has showers and toilets, but no indoor space. We will send you a list of suggested personal gear after your application is accepted. There will be group breakfasts and dinners (provided as part of your course fee), and all students will help in meal preparation and clean up as part of a rotation. We will pack bag lunches for the field. The camp site is scenic, rural and quiet, and there are opportunities for walks, bird watching, and other recreational activities in the area. The campsite and study area are at 4300 feet elevation. In September, the weather is typically warm and dry with chilly nights, but can be highly variable. Applicants must be able to meet the demands of living and working in the rugged conditions and weather of the Oregon high desert (Sprague River Valley – Klamath Basin, Oregon). With students and instructors working and living closely together under rigorous conditions, the ability to get along with others is essential. We will meet in Eugene on the morning of June 16 and travel together to the campsite by vans. We will return to Eugene on the evening of June 25. Travel to and from Eugene and daily in the field is provided as part of the course fee. Students may bring their own vehicles if they wish. There is no phone, internet or power at the campsite, but cell phone coverage is available, and the instructors will have cell phones for emergency use. |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Staff: Prof. Pat McDowell, course director and instructor Pollyanna Lind, course coordinator and instructor; M.S. student in fluvial geomorphology Christine Massingill, course instructor; Ph.D. student in riparian ecology All three have extensive experience in the Sprague River valley and in river research. |
|
||
|
|
|||
 Vegetation sampling
Campsite |
Tuition and credit: The course fee is $1250. This fee covers tuition, lodging, food, and transportation between Eugene and the field site. Students will register for 4 credits of Geog 410 (undergraduates) or 510 (graduate students): River and Riparian Field Studies. (University of Oregon is on the quarter system, so these are quarter credits.) For Geography majors, the course counts toward physical geography and/or geographic techniques (field studies) requirements. The course also may count toward major requirements for Environmental Studies, Environmental Science and Geological Sciences at UO. You are required to have health insurance. You must provide proof of health insurance or purchase health insurance through the University of Oregon. For information on UO student health insurance, see http://healthcenter.uoregon.edu/insurance/Domestic.html. The course is limited to 10 students. Pre-approval is necessary for registration. To apply for pre-approval, use the registration form below. There is no absolute deadline for applying. We will start accepting students on April 1st, and will continue until the places are filled. If you are accepted, you will need to make a non-refundable deposit of $150. |
||
|
To apply for the course: Click here to get the application form. The application form is a pdf file. Save the file to your computer, open it, fill in your information, and save it. Prepare a 500-word statement that explains your personal and career interests in river and riparian studies, and your prior experience (such as courses, jobs, volunteer activities) in the subject. Then e-mail the completed application and your statement to Pollyanna Lind at plind@uoregon.edu. We will notify you by e-mail of your acceptance.
For more information: |
|||
last update:
05/06/08 12:14 PM
Department of Geography, University of Oregon, Eugene OR, 97403-1251