The Wild Rockies Field Institute (WRFI) offers undergraduate students unique opportunities to earn upper-division credits, accredited through the University of Montana, for expedition-oriented field studies in the Rocky Mountain West.

On Wild Rockies: Conservation Across Boundaries, students will experience their academic coursework first-hand as it integrates three Wilderness backpacking trips, a kayaking expedition, meetings with guest speakers, and site visits. Located in the Crown of the Continent, which encompasses Glacier National Park and the adjacent Canadian Rockies, students will camp at designated campsites, on public land, and occasionally on the property of gracious guest speakers. Student coursework will examine the political, social, economic, and cultural changes required to effectively address climate change.  Participants will immerse themselves conservation issues, natural resource management policy, environmental geography, and indigenous perspectives. Using their academic background and place-based experience, students will have the opportunity to formulate specific recommendations to land managers in the Crown of the Continent to preserve the area’s natural and human communities.

No prior backpacking or kayaking experience is necessary. In addition to the academic offerings, students learn and cultivate the skills of wilderness travel,  minimum impact camping, orienteering, and natural history throughout the course.

Students will earn 12 college credits through the University of Montana – Natural Resource Science & Management 311: Conservation Biology in the Northern Rockies; Native American Studies 351: Traditional Ecological Knowledge; Environmental Studies 395 Community Based Conservation in the Northern Rockies; Geography 348: Geography of the Northern Rockies. Each course is 3 semester credits.

Enrollment is limited to 8 students and WRFI accepts students on a rolling admission basis. Please visit our website for more info, tuition and scholarship opportunities, to sign up for an online info session, or to apply. You can also reach us at wrfi@wrfi.net. Hope to see you in the field!