Off-Campus Programs
Students interested in environmental studies often combine that interest with their desire to have an off-campus experience. In recent years students have chosen from three options.
- Some students study abroad for a semester or entire year. This often gives students the opportunity to take courses that are not offered at Luther. It also enables students to study the environment from the perspective of another culture.
- Luther offers a wide range of Janaury Term experiences each year and a number have include significant focus on the environment.
- Some students take field courses during the summer.
Study Abroad
Detailed information on study abroad opportunities can be found at the Study Abroad Office Website.
January Term Courses
Environmental Ethics (REL 262; Martin-Schramm) (Holden Village) (Alternating Years, 2006)
A critical examination of issues in environmental ethics from diverse Christian perspectives. The course examines root causes of environmental problems, philosophical and theological assumptions about nature, and resources for response in Christian traditions. Particular attention is given to demographic and economic factors at the global level as well as personal consumption decisions at the local level. Case studies ground moral reflection in concrete situations. The course is taught at Holden Village, an ecumenical Christian retreat center nestled in a scenic valley at 3,000 feet in the Cascade Mountains. With an average of ninety inches of snow for the month, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, music, worship, and a close-knit community provide the ingredients for a unique and rich experience.
Winter Biology (BIO 239; Eichinger, Lynch) (Minnesota)
Students will study the natural history of the southern boreal forest ecosystem in northern Minnesota, including the physiological and behavioral adaptations of organisms to extreme cold. Course activities will include skiing and snowshoeing excursions to remote natural areas, assigned readings, observing and other forms of data collecting, and presentation of research findings. An eagerness to contribute as an active member of a group is essential, as participants will live in primitive cabins heated by wood and will participate in daily chores of communal living.
Anthropology in East Africa: Culture Change Among the Maasai (ANTH 139/AFRC 139; Stanley) (Tanzania)
Like other peoples of East Africa, the Maasai pastoralists of Tanzania and Kenya are experiencing rapid culture change in response to global, national, and local forces. In this course we will study " traditional" Maasai culture and examine the ways in which the Maasai of northern Tanzania are adapting to changing social, political, economic, and environmental conditions. Topics to be explored include changing subsistence strategies, in particular the shift from herding to herding and farming; the tension between traditional and formal modes of education; the declining use of Maa, the mother tongue, in favor of Swahili and English; the adoption of Christianity in place of or alongside traditional religion; changes in the coming-of-age rituals considered essential to Maasai identity; cultural dimensions of health, healing, and the spread of HIV/AIDS; challenges to traditional gender ideology; the Maasai relationship to their environment; and the impacts of ecotourism, cultural tourism, and wildlife conservation programs on the pastoral way of life.
Fitness and Adventure in New Zealand & Cook Island (PE 180)
New Zealand is a mecca for fitness activities, adventure travel, and hobbit watching. This course introduces students to the culture and history of New Zealand through a series of fitness and adventure activities taking place on Cook Island (Rarotonga) and the south island of New Zealand. Students will have the opportunity to snorkel/scuba and participate in other water activities on the South Pacific island of Rarotonga (3-4 days), hike a coastal trek (3 days), hike an alpine trek (3 days), sea kayak (4 days), mountain bike along the sea coast (2 days), and white water raft or fly fish (2 days) through some of the most beautiful, interesting, and unspoiled areas of the world. There will be opportunities to participate in other outdoor activities unique to New Zealand throughout this course. Students must be adaptable, physically fit, and enthusiastic about active and sustained participation in the activities outlined above.