Travel to Yellowstone National Park Next Summer!

Transcription

1 Travel Dates: August 2-24, 2014 Three-week Summer Field Program for Under-represented Students Travel to Yellowstone National Park Next Summer! Travel to the Black Hills in South Dakota, Makoshika State Park in Glendive, Montana, and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming with this 3-week summer field course operated in collaboration between The University of Alabama and The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Participants will explore the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem from both ecological and geological perspectives. While on the road to and from Yellowstone, we will stay at local motels (multiple occupancy). The K Bar Z Guest Ranch in Cody, Wyoming, will be our group s primary residence while in the Yellowstone area. Presentations on carnivore ecology, botany, geology, and paleontology will be offered on site. Students will have opportunities to use global positioning systems and other field survey equipment. What will I learn? We will study present and paleoecosystems and visit geothermal sites, fossil beds, mines, and caves. We will explore plants, animals, and their adaptations to different ecosystems while seeing some of the best geology the West has to offer. 3 course credits will be earned through The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, which can be transferred to the student s home institution. Who can come? This course is geared towards under-represented students from minority-serving institutions in Alabama. The program s goal is to increase the number of under-represented students in science, particularly geology and ecology. Since all program financial expenses will be provided for, students must apply for the opportunity to participate. 4-5 students will be selected for the 2014 season W W W. A D A T U M. C O M

2 ALABAMA DAY 1 (Tuscaloosa, AL) DAY 8 (Cody, WY) Students will arrive at the UA-Tuscaloosa campus. Evening Today we will tour the region around K Bar Z Ranch and establish accommodations will be provided in the UA dorms, and a group a trap grid for small mammals. dinner that evening will be arranged. DAY 2 (Whitewater, WI) DAY 9 (Cody, WY) We will take a hike around the K Bar Z Ranch to observe plant We will be transferred to the Birmingham airport, where we will communities, local geology, biomes and the effects of forest fires fly to Milwaukee, WI. We will then drive to the UW-Whitewater on the ecosystems. We will also learn how to use GPS and campus, where dorm accommodations will be provided. Here, engage in mapping work we will join with UWW students and Dr. George Clokey for the duration of the Yellowstone trip. DAY 10 (Cody, WY) We will check small mammal traps in the morning and evening but the rest of the day will be a free day to explore Cody, WY, We will depart Whitewater in the morning. As we travel, visit a museum or go to a rodeo. There are also horseback trips discussion will include unique features of Wisconsin geology. We and fishing offered by the K Bar Z Guest Ranch. will also discuss climate changes, unique vegetation and biomes. Throughout the trip ecology or geology stops may occur as DAY 11 (Cody, WY) opportunity presents. We will begin our day by taking a short drive to Lamar Valley. Upon arrival Dr. Jim Halfpenny will speak on carnivore ecology of DAY 4 (Glendive, MT) Yellowstone National Park and the reintroduction of wolves. We Today we will travel to Glendive MT. We ll work in the field for will learn various techniques for observing large carnivores and several hours in the evening. interpreting their behavior. We will also try to view a wolf pack. There will be a test in the evening. DAY 3 (Moorehead, MN) DAY 5 (Glendive, MT) We will leave the motel and work in the field for several hours. We will then tour Makoshika State Park where discussion will include extreme desert habitats as well as Cretaceous dispositional environments. DAY 6 (Glendive, MT) Next we will head to the Yellowstone River to cool off and look for specimens to analyze. During this time various stream sampling devices will be introduced and we will perform some basic water chemistry. Continuing on, we will look for fossils; study the stratigraphy of the Pierre Shale, Fox Hills Sandstone, and Hell Creek formations. DAY 7 (Cody, WY) Leaving in the morning, we will arrive in Cody at the K Bar Z Guest Ranch in the earlystate evening. Upon arrival,faxwe will establish a 5432 Any Street West, Townsville, Tel trap grid for small mammals.

3 DAY 12 (Cody, WY) DAY 17 (Cody, WY) We will visit several sites associated with the New World mine. Today will be a free day to explore the town, visit a museum or Discussion at the mine site will include the impact of the gold go to a rodeo. There are also horseback trips and fishing offered mines in the area, reclamation efforts, mineral collection at by the K Bar Z Guest Ranch. tailing pile and comparison of mined and non-mined areas. DAY 18 (Hulett, WY) DAY 13 (Cody, WY) We will begin our day by crossing the Beartooth Mountains to Rock Creek overlook to study alpine glacial processes and ecology. In the afternoon, we will stop at Beartooth Lake to study landslides and ecologic disturbance and at Beartooth Pass to study tundra biomes and permafrost geology. We will take a trip to Sunlight Basin in the Absaroka Mountains to study stream orders, stream ecology and invertebrates. We will also take a look at White Mountain, a volcanic neck. DAY 19 (Newcastle, WY) Today we will travel to Spearfish. We ll visit Jewel Cave, study the geology and ecology of the Black Hills, visit a feldspar mine and talk with Jace Decory on the importance of the Black Hills to DAY 14 (Cody, WY) After breakfast, we will view the Grand Canyon of the American Indians. Yellowstone and the Tower Falls basalt flows. We will see effects of hot springs on geology and ecology. We will then take a hike DAY 20 (Newcastle, WY) in the forest and meadows at Mt. Washburn and Cascade Lake to Today we will finish up with the Black Hills and travel to Hulett, study these two major ecosystems. We will also examine areas WY. We will tour Devils Tower and discuss the formations of this feature. for fire destruction and recovery. DAY 15 (Cody, WY) DAY 21 (Mitchell, SD) We will be traveling to Yellowstone National Park to study the two major types of geothermal features found in the park (Norris Geyser basin and Mammoth Hot Springs). We will also stop at Obsidian Cliffs and the Golden Gate lava flows and to explore the volcanic activity that produced the park. After breakfast, we will travel to Mitchell with stops along the White River for fossil collection from the Pierre Shale. There will be a test in the evening. DAY 22 (Whitewater, WI) We will depart in the morning and arrive in Whitewater in the evening. DAY 16 (Cody, WY) Today there will be a lecture at Beartooth Lake about Devonian times. We will also hike from Clay Butte fire tower to fish fossil DAY 23 (Birmingham, AL) We will return to the Milwaukee airport and will fly back to sites. Birmingham. Students must arrange pick-up and transportation home from the airport Any Street West, Townsville, State Tel Fax

4 What s Included? Lodging, transportation, meal allowance, entrance fees, and all instructional materials over the course of the program. Students are responsible for getting themselves to UA-Tuscaloosa campus on August 2, 2014, and must arrange pick-up and transportation home from the Birmingham airport (BHM) on August, 24, Three course credits may be transferred from UW-Whitewater to the student s home institution. Eligibility: All students must be at least 18 years of age by August 1, They must also have health insurance coverage and have a current tetanus vaccination. Proof will be required. Students will also be required to participate in assessment surveys, both prior to and after the course. Priority will be given to under-represented, minority students. To Apply: Submit a complete application (application form, 2 letters of recommendation, and a statement of interest) to Dr. Samantha Hansen at the contact information below. Applications are due by February 1, Late applications will not be accepted. Questions? Contact: Dr. Samantha Hansen The University of Alabama 201 7th Ave., Rm Bevill Bldg. Tuscaloosa, AL shansen@geo.ua.edu This is a travel study course to South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming offered by the Geological Sciences Department, The University of Alabama, in cooperation with the Departments of Biological and Geography/Geology, The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

5 Application for Three-Week Summer Field Program for Under-represented Students to Yellowstone National Park (Application Form must be accompanied by 2 Letters of Recommendation and a Statement of Interest) General Information PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT. DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: FEBRUARY 1, Full Name: Address: Phone: _( ) Date of Birth: / / Are you a U.S. citizen?: YES NO Are you an AL resident?: YES NO Are you a first generation college student?: YES NO Race/Ethnicity: Sex: FEMALE MALE Academic Information Name and location of home institution: Intended Major: Cumulative GPA: Names of References: (who will provide letters) Additional Information Physician/Clinic Name: Insurance Company: Phone: _( ) Phone: _( ) Policy/Member/ID Number(s): Month/Year of Last Tetanus Booster (must be within last 10 years): / Allergies and/or Special Health Considerations: Emergency Contact Person: Relationship: Emergency Contact Phone: _( ) PLEASE SEND THE COMPLETED APPLICATION FORM, 2 LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION, AND A STATEMENT OF INTEREST TO: DR. SAMANTHA HANSEN GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES DEPT., THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA TH AVE., RM BEVILL BLDG. TUSCALOOSA, AL SHANSEN@GEO.UA.EDU