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Vancouver Island, British Columbia  

March 24 - 30, 2024 (Spring Break)

Applications open November 2023

Travel to visit our "neighbor to the North", Vancouver Island, British Columbia. You'll learn about the ecosystems on land and sea, and while this may not be oceans away, you'll find many fascinating opportunities for comparison between the Canadian and US ways of doing things.

We focus on two key resources, salmon and forests: just as here in Oregon, salmon are an integral part of the lives of First Nations/Native Tribes, a valuable economic resource, and intimately tied to the coastal forest ecosystem. The group will explore the environment and ecology of temperate rain forests, learn about the life cycle of pacific salmon, and meet with representatives from local industry, research teams, and indigenous tribal groups. BC's forests include timber plantations, native old growth areas, and public lands managed for conservation, cultural heritage and recreation. During the course, you'll be exposed to multiple perspectives on land appropriation and tenure related to forest ownership and use, policies related to salmon conservation, and the cultural issues and trade-offs surrounding sustainable resource management.

For more information about the course, application process, funding, or other logistical details, please contact Rachael Fahrenbach.

Faculty-led programs are available to ALL OSU STUDENTS 

This includes all majors and campuses, including E-campus, Cascades, dually enrolled students at partner Community Colleges, and our main campus in Corvallis. Because these programs are short-term, they tend to bring together diverse groups of graduate and undergraduate students, online and campus-based learners, students of different ages, majors, and life experiences. That diversity makes group interaction so much richer because there are so many different perspectives.

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