This intensive is an introduction to the practice of cultural resource management in British Columbia. We will explore the nature of cultural resources in B.C., identify potential threats to these resources, and examine the legislation that protects heritage sites. We will also discuss the role of the B.C. Archaeology Branch in coordinating conservation efforts, delve into the ethics of archaeology, and highlight the steps being taken to increase First Nations' participation in the management and interpretation of heritage resources in B.C.

Courses | 3 Credits

• ANTH 212 - Cultural Resource Management

Instructor

• T. Freeland

The coastal rainforest island archipelago of Haida Gwaii is the ancestral home of the Haida people, and the inspiration of the rich and beautiful Haida culture.

Students will learn from Elders, and other knowledgeable Haida people, about the ancient history, culture, language, lifeways, connections to the land, and the impacts of colonialism. Students will meet Elders and leadership working with fluent speakers committed to restoring and revitalizing the Haida language, and efforts of reconciliation and relationships that build cultural understanding. This Field School is unique and a special opportunity for students.

Courses | 6 credits

• SOCI 270 - Rural Sociology
• ANTH 270 - Traditional Knowledge in Practice

Instructors

• S. Ronaasen
• C. Carr

The coastal rainforest island archipelago of Haida Gwaii is the ancestral home of the Haida people, and the inspiration of the rich and beautiful Haida culture.

Students will learn from Elders, and other knowledgeable Haida people, about the ancient history, culture, language, lifeways, connections to the land, and the impacts of colonialism. Students will meet Elders and leadership working with fluent speakers committed to restoring and revitalizing the Haida language, and efforts of reconciliation and relationships that build cultural understanding. This Field School is unique and a special opportunity for students.

Courses | 6 credits

• FNST 120 - Aboriginal Languages: Preservation and Revitalization
• ANTH 270 - Traditional Knowledge in Practice

Instructors

• S. Ronaasen
• C. Carr

Learn in spectacular Haida Gwaii!

Experience the culture and history of the amazing Haida people and explore the unique ecology of the archipelago.

Haida Gwaii, known to the Haida as "Islands of the People," is a diverse archipelago of over 150 islands located on the northwest coast of British Columbia, Canada. These islands are nestled below the Alaskan Panhandle and separated from the British Columbia mainland by the Hecate Strait. The Haida people have lived on Haida Gwaii for over 12,000 years. Recent findings have pushed that date back a further 1,000 years.

The Haida Gwaii Field School is an interdisciplinary biocultural studies program, offered with the support of the people and communities on Haida Gwaii. Biocultural studies at the College promote learning about the unique biological and cultural diversity and the interconnectedness of the two in northwest British Columbia. Biocultural studies also promote learning about the importance of sustaining that diversity given increasing assaults of environmental degradation. Biocultural studies support conservation, restoration and local control of resources including new out-of-the-box perspectives on how governments, industry, NGO's and local people can work together for an ecologically sustainable and just society.

Students and faculty, with the participation of Haida knowledge keepers, will learn of the Haida homeland and life ways and Haida peoples’ concepts about, and interactions with, the unique ecosystems of Haida Gwaii. Here you will study Haida oral histories from creation to recent and see how they compare to what western scientists are learning on the Islands. You will also earn of the impacts of contact and cash economy and disease.  Following this experience you will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the complexities of Haida culture.

Courses | 6 credits:

• GEOG 226 - Regional Geography of Canada
• ANTH 270 - Traditional Knowledge in Practice

The Humans and their Environment field school offers students a chance to see the intersections between people, place, politics and traditional knowledge. Students will look learn about social applications, resource management, ethics, and be introduced to local systems of knowledge and practice. Students will become familiar with alternative cultural ways of knowing and relating to the environment.

Courses | 6 credits:

• ANTH 202 - Indigenous Cultures in Transition
• GEOG 111 - Intro to Human Geography

Instructors:

• G. Weary
• S. Ronaasen

The northwest coast and its ecosystems from ocean to alpine meadows is the backdrop for our inquiry into birds.

This field school will give an overview of evolution, diversity, life history and behavior of birds. The field trips and lab work will focus on identification of local species by sight and sound. Birds are unique; they offer the opportunity and challenge of observing with all our senses.

Courses | 3 credits

BIOL 236 - Ornithology: Biology of Birds 

Instructor: 

• Reto Riesen
• Sandeep Beepat 

This course explores the history and culture of Indigenous Peoples of northwestern BC, with a focus on how deep-time connections to place and landscape inform cultural knowledge, practices, and traditions.

Through classroom and field-based experience, we will explore how Indigenous peoples have managed, modified, and stewarded their lands for millennia, and how long-term practical experience with the landscape structures notions of territory, belonging, and Indigenous Rights and Title. We will study culturally significant places and landscapes through ways of knowing such as Indigenous oral histories, traditional ecological knowledge, anthropological ethnography, and archaeology, in order to understand connections between key concepts of place, culture, and history.

Field trips may include historic sites, museums, Indigenous communities and other places of significance on the landscape. The field portion may involve overnight stays in remote areas and/or camping.

Courses | 6 credits

• ANTH 203 - Northern Nations of the Northwest Coast
• GEOG 227 - Ethnogeography of Northwest BC

Professor:

• Bryn Letham

Come explore the history, archaeology, and culture of Indigenous Peoples living on the shores of the Pacific Ocean in northwestern BC. We will visit landscapes and ancient villages that First Nations peoples have been occupying and using for thousands of years.

Through classroom and field-based experience, we will explore how Indigenous peoples have managed, modified, and stewarded their lands for millennia, and how long-term practical experience with the landscape relates to notions of territory, belonging, and Indigenous Rights and Title. We will study culturally significant places and landscapes through Indigenous oral histories, traditional ecological knowledge, anthropological ethnography, and archaeology, in order to understand connections between key concepts of place, culture, and history.

This course will be taught through one week of in-person class time in Prince Rupert for the first few days, then we will take a field trip to an ancient village site and significant clam harvesting location for the Gitga’at Nation, on an island south of Hartley Bay and the mouth of Douglas Channel. We will camp at the site and participate in field activities with Gitga’at community members and other researchers to learn about the immense cultural significance of this location for Gitga’at people.

For a photo essay of last year's field school, see: brynletham.com 

Courses | 6 credits

• FNST 200 - Aboriginal Community Research
• GEOG 227 - Ethnogeography of Northwest BC

Professor:

• Bryn Letham

Through classroom and field based experience, explore the cultural and environmental diversity of British Columbia, from past to present.  Field trips will include historic sites, museums, Indigenous communities and other places of significance on the landscape.

This field school will integrate History 213: The History of BC and Geography 225: Regional Geography of BC. 

Courses | 6 credits

• HIST 213 - History of British Columbia
• GEOG 225 - Regional Geography of BC

Immerse yourself in the rich and amazing Gitxsan culture and history, while learning about the traditional usages of plants, including the tree of life, cedar weaving, and other traditional activities, such as the preparation of smoked salmon.

The People of the Skeena Field School will take place in the Terrace area where you will visit the Gitxsan Eagle Clan’s fishing site of Guxts’eliksit. At this Language Preservation and Culture Camp, students will be hosted by Skaỳan (Anita Davis), Hereditary Chief/Matriarch, and other Eagle Chiefs/Elders.

Course | 6 credits

• FNST 110 - Ethnobotany: Plants & First People 
• ANTH 203 - Northern Nations of the Northwest Coast

Instructor

• S. Ronaasen

Learn how to create sustainable communities through the process of permaculture design.  During this two-week intensive study you will complete a variety of outdoor activities, lectures, visits to field sites, and explore how the creative design process of permaculture can provide an organizing framework.

Permaculture is the conscious design of landscapes which mimic the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems and the relationships found in nature while yielding an abundance of food, fiber and energy for the provision of local needs.

This field school will be taught by Ken Shaw who has trained with many leading permaculture teachers including, Geoff Lawton, Toby Hemenway, Dave Jacke, Owen Hablutzel, and Jesse Lemieux as well many years of farming in rural and urban settings. 

Course | 3 credits

• SUST 120 - Introduction to Permaculture

Instructor

• K. Shaw

Explore the dynamic forest ecosystems of northwest BC, from the lush, dense coastal forests, to the drier, cooler ecosystems of the interior plateau.

Along the way you will develop your skills in plant biology and investigate a diversity of ecosystems including temperate rainforest, boreal forest, alpine, wetlands, estuaries, and coastal habitats. As a project-based field school, you will work as a team to describe and compare the ecology of each major ecosystem visited.

Courses | 6 credits

• BIOL 208 - The Biology of Plants
• GEOG 202 - Geography of Ecosystems

Instructors

• C. White
• M. Beedle

Would you like to learn how groups of people think and behave in various circumstances? Are you interested in why and how people discriminate against each other, and even start a war? Do you want to understand why some people can be altruistic toward strangers in most horrific situations?

If you are interested in such topics from psychological perspectives, then this summer intensive course is for you!

Courses | 3 Credits

• PSYC 208 - Social Psychology

Instructor

• TBA

Prerequisites
PSYC 101 or PSYC 102

Learn about the early relationships between First Nations people and European newcomers and explore language restoration and revitalization.

In this field school you will examine how reconciliation is formed through relationship building and understanding. With visits to five First Nations communities, you will engage with Elders and leadership in each community, working closely with fluent speakers and leaders committed to restoring and revitalizing languages. Our field school includes visits to cultural centres as well as other sites that are key to the broader history of British Columbia and Canada.

Courses | 6 credits

• FNST 120 - Aboriginal Languages - Preservation & Revitalization
• HIST 213 - History of British Columbia  

Experience the spectacular geography of the northwest coast while you participate in traditional seafood harvesting and processing.

This field school includes a five-day trip where you will travel by boat up the Douglas Channel to the remote location of Hartley Bay. Experience the life of the seaweed camp and the culture of the Gitga’at First Nation who continue to gather and harvest 90% of their food from the land and marine environment.

Explore topics concerning women, gender and differences as you immerse yourself in the culture of the Gitga’at whose surroundings are deeply tied to their customs, daily life and cultural identity. You will also use the concepts and methods of regional geography to examine Hartley Bay and surrounding area in the terms of the patterns of its physical and human landscapes.

Courses | 6 credits:

• WMST 102 - Introduction to Women Studies
• GEOG 225 - Regional Geography of British Columbia

Additional fees for this field school include all travel/transportation and overnight accommodations when required.

For more information or to request Permission of Instructors to register, please contact David Geronazzo to arrange an interview. Limited seats are available. 

Experience local Indigenous culture while developing an appreciation for a wide variety of geomorphological processes and landscapes.

The Stewart/Telegraph Creek field school begins in Terrace where you will gain a foundation in geoscience and anthropology. We will then travel towards Stewart to investigate the geology and observe some of the most spectacular glacial and alpine landscapes on Earth. Our journey will continue to the volcanic area of Mt. Edziza, and the lava deposits along the valley of the Stikine River to Telegraph Creek. While at Telegraph Creek, you will be guided by the Tahltan people on their amazing and breathtaking territory, to learn about the Tahltan culture, history, and salmon fishing villages.

As part of your field studies you will be encouraged to draw upon the information and experiences acquired in both the geomorphology and anthropology courses to develop and articulate more informed opinions on culture, resource exploration and environmental stewardship.

Courses | 6 credits:

• ANTH 202 - Indigenous Cultures in Transition
• GEOG 203 - Geomorphology

Through classroom and field based experience, explore the cultural diversity of British Columbia from past to present. Field trips will include historic sites, museums, Indigenous communities, and other places of significance on the landscape. Learn about how heritage sites are managed and how stories about these places are told.

Courses | 6 credits

• ANTH 212 - Cultural Resource Management
• HIST 213 - History of British Columbia  

Instructors

• Dina Von Hahn
• Travis Freeland

Includes excursions, lectures and labs, which are scheduled weather dependent. Overnight trip.

Courses | 3 credits

This field-school explores the ethics of globalization on rural Canada. It features real-world, place-based learning experiences here in the northwest that highlight the impacts of globalization on rural communities. Students will be asked to think critically about the impacts and ethical implications of globalization on small rural communities, specifically in northern British Columbia, and develop their own perspectives on these issues. The courses will be taught by experienced instructors who have a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing these communities, having lived in Terrace & Haida Gwaii for more than 50 years combined!   

Additional fees for this field school include all travel/transportation, shared meals and overnight accommodations when required.  

For more information or to request Permission of Instructors to register, please contact Karen McMurray or Seth Downs to arrange an interview. Limited seats are available! 

Courses | 6 credits:

• ETHC 150 - Business Ethics (3)
• INTB 210 - International Business (3)

Instructors

• Karen McMurray
• Seth Downs
  

This exciting new field school opportunity allows you to complete 6 credits of Business Administration courses in a 2.5 week condensed experiential, place-based field school here in the Skeena region.

Get out of the classroom to assess the challenges that many entrepreneurs face while operating businesses in the Skeena region, perform research and assist in designing strategies that meet their unique needs.

Experience what the businesses within the Skeena region offer and compare it to their competitors. Assess how they are currently communicating with their customers and determine how they can reach a global audience with their marketing.

As new industry comes to the region, the opportunities for entrepreneurs are endless. This is your opportunity to apply the fundamentals of business and marketing with real-world experience and cultivate your entrepreneurial spirit.

Courses | 6 credits:

• MGMT 201 - Entrepreneurship
• MARK 150 - Introduction to Marketing

Instructor

• Evan van Dyk

During this exciting field study, play an active role in marketing local businesses and non-profit organizations in the Bulkley Valley area.  Get out of the classroom to perform research and assist local organizations in designing a marketing strategy that meets the need of their customers.

Through these community-based projects, Coast Mountain College will connect you with the practical challenges of local marketing initiatives.

As consumer, media, and technology evolve, the need for innovative and strategic marketers grows. This is your opportunity to apply the fundamentals of marketing with real-world experience using the latest technology like drones, video editing software and AI, while enjoying rural landscapes of our region

Additional fees for this field school include all travel/transportation and overnight accommodations when required.

For more information or to request Permission of Instructors to register, please contact Anna Sterankova to arrange an interview. Limited seats are available. 

Course | 3 credits:

• MARK 150 - Introduction to Marketing

Instructor

• Anna Sterankova 

Explore the wilderness of the northwest, focusing on freshwater systems. Investigate living and non-living components of alpine pools, mountain streams, lakes, wetlands, and major rivers. Gain skills required to determine the health and productivity of these systems.

Assess natural-resource management challenges and policy alternatives related to natural resource development. As a project-based field school, you will work together in teams to relate knowledge and data acquired on field excursions to the bigger picture of ecosystem health, sustainability, and make future predictions based on climate and human activity.

Courses | 6 credits:

• GEOG 210 - Environments and Society
• BIOL 201 - Invertebrate Zoology   

Instructors

• M. Beedle
• C. White 

A journey into the fascinating world of invertebrates.

Through observation of these creatures in their natural landscapes, learn about their behaviour, interactions, ecological roles, and vast diversity of form and function.

In this intensive field school, students will investigate invertebrate life in a variety of natural landscapes in Northwest BC, from terrestrial to freshwater to marine.

Courses | 3 credits

• BIOL 201 - Invertebrate Zoology

Instructor

• C. White
  

Explore the diversity of our regional ecosystems as you spend two weeks studying temperate rainforest and alpine, aquatic, and riparian systems in our outdoor classrooms.

The field activities will help you learn about major concepts in ecology, including habitat and ecosystem classification, community ecology, succession, and impacts of management and disturbance.

Develop skills in project design, field research, and data analysis. Working as a team on a regional field project you will be involved in defining a research question and relating the work to the bigger picture of ecosystem disturbance and human impacts.

Course | 3 credits:

• BIOL 211 - Principles of Ecology

Instructor

• C.White

Investigate the role of disturbance in environments of northwest BC. This field school combines GEOG 210 (Environments and Society) and BIOL 211 (Principles of Ecology) in an intensive field school that takes students to stunning aquatic and terrestrial environments in and around Terrace, BC. Explore the resilience of the natural world after natural disturbances such as lava flows, wildfires and floods, and after human disturbances such as forestry, road building and industrial development.

Courses | 6 credits

• BIOL 211 - Principles of Ecology
• GEOG 210 - Environments and Society

Instructor

• M. Beedle
• C. White

ENGL 209 - Creative Writing I
3 Credits

English 209 incorporates Coast Mountain College's focus on experiential place-based learning. "Experiential learning means engaging with learners in direct experience and focused reflection to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values and develop people's capacity to contribute to their communities. Place-based learning connects classroom to learning from, about, in, and for the local environment, cultures, history, economy and politics."

Students are encouraged to consider their own lives, communities, experiences, and interests when performing their work. English 209 is designed to introduce students to a variety of genres of creative writing, including poetry, creative non-fiction, drama, and fiction. Students will experiment with imagery, voice, character, setting, story, development and revision before working more specifically in creative non-fiction, fiction, poetry and drama.

The focus of the course is on experimentation and skill development. This is a workshop-style course, requiring active participation. Students will be required to participate by writing and sharing their own work, and by reading and offering feedback on the work of their colleagues. Students should be prepared to experiment with their own writing.

Prerequisites
ENGL 101 and ENGL 102

The place we now know as British Columbia has been shaped in numerous ways by Indigenous peoples, its physical characteristics, and various other interactions. Students will explore the deep Indigenous roots of this land as well as the emergence of British Columbia in the context of colonial interactions, the modern nation-state, and emerging concerns about social and economic sustainability in a global economy.

Themes such as boom and bust, inequalities, and resource extraction become particularly relevant in the Ts'msyen territory of what is now known as British Columbia.  Professor Joanne Nelson, Ts'msyen, will provide an Indigenous context to the many geographies of British Columbia.

Prerequisites
15 credits from first year University Credit program courses

The coastal rainforest island archipelago of Haida Gwaii is the ancestral home of the Haida people, and the inspiration of the rich and beautiful Haida culture.

Students will learn from Elders, and other knowledgeable Haida people, about the ancient history, culture, language, lifeways, connections to the land, and the impacts of colonialism. Students will meet Elders and leadership working with fluent speakers committed to restoring and revitalizing the Haida language, and efforts of reconciliation and relationships that build cultural understanding. This Field School is unique and a special opportunity for students.

Courses | 6 credits

• FNST 120 - Aboriginal Languages: Preservation and Revitalization
• ANTH 270 - Traditional Knowledge in Practice

Instructors

• S. Ronaasen
• C. Carr

Learn in spectacular Haida Gwaii!

Experience the culture and history of the amazing Haida people and explore the unique ecology of the archipelago.

Haida Gwaii, known to the Haida as "Islands of the People," is a diverse archipelago of over 150 islands located on the northwest coast of British Columbia, Canada. These islands are nestled below the Alaskan Panhandle and separated from the British Columbia mainland by the Hecate Strait. The Haida people have lived on Haida Gwaii for over 12,000 years. Recent findings have pushed that date back a further 1,000 years.

The Haida Gwaii Field School is an interdisciplinary biocultural studies program, offered with the support of the people and communities on Haida Gwaii. Biocultural studies at the College promote learning about the unique biological and cultural diversity and the interconnectedness of the two in northwest British Columbia. Biocultural studies also promote learning about the importance of sustaining that diversity given increasing assaults of environmental degradation. Biocultural studies support conservation, restoration and local control of resources including new out-of-the-box perspectives on how governments, industry, NGO's and local people can work together for an ecologically sustainable and just society.

Students and faculty, with the participation of Haida knowledge keepers, will learn of the Haida homeland and life ways and Haida peoples’ concepts about, and interactions with, the unique ecosystems of Haida Gwaii. Here you will study Haida oral histories from creation to recent and see how they compare to what western scientists are learning on the Islands. You will also earn of the impacts of contact and cash economy and disease.  Following this experience you will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the complexities of Haida culture.

Courses | 6 credits:

• GEOG 226 - Regional Geography of Canada
• ANTH 270 - Traditional Knowledge in Practice

The Humans and their Environment field school offers students a chance to see the intersections between people, place, politics and traditional knowledge. Students will look learn about social applications, resource management, ethics, and be introduced to local systems of knowledge and practice. Students will become familiar with alternative cultural ways of knowing and relating to the environment.

Courses | 6 credits:

• ANTH 202 - Indigenous Cultures in Transition
• GEOG 111 - Intro to Human Geography

Instructors:

• G. Weary
• S. Ronaasen

An opportunity to learn outside, improve field research skills, and experience the culture and environment that makes our region unique.

If you are interested in the outdoors, field research, and environmental stewardship, then this field school is for you. You will work with a team of students, instructors, and members of the Kitsumkalum Band to assess ecological diversity, the effects of disturbance, land use issues and ecosystem management.  A portion of the field school will be spent collecting and analyzing data and working in a field classroom and lab at Pine Lake.

Courses | 6 credits:

• BIOL 208 - Biology of Plants
• GEOG 210 - Environments and Society

This field school combines Biology of Plants and Environments and Society in an intensive, interdisciplinary field school with a spatial focus on the Kitsumkalum watershed.

A journey that will take you from inter-tidal zones to the wide-open ocean to witness the range of life in between.

Learn about coastlines and estuarine regions of northern BC to understand the complex interaction of local ecosystems. Study abiotic factors, primary producers and top predators of our local oceans.

Life in the oceans combines biological oceanography and ecology in this two-week intensive field course.

Courses | 6 credits

• OCGY 209 - Introduction to Biological Oceanography
• OCGY 210 - Methods of Monitoring the Marine Environment

Instructors

• Kirk Hart

Courses | 3 credits

• BIOL 201 - Invertebrate Zoology

Professor:

• Kirk Hart

This exciting new field school opportunity allows you to complete 6 credits of Business Administration courses in a 2.5 week condensed experiential, place-based field school here in the Skeena region.

Get out of the classroom to assess the challenges that many entrepreneurs face while operating businesses in the Skeena region, perform research and assist in designing strategies that meet their unique needs.

Experience what the businesses within the Skeena region offer and compare it to their competitors. Assess how they are currently communicating with their customers and determine how they can reach a global audience with their marketing.

As new industry comes to the region, the opportunities for entrepreneurs are endless. This is your opportunity to apply the fundamentals of business and marketing with real-world experience and cultivate your entrepreneurial spirit.

Courses | 6 credits:

• MGMT 201 - Entrepreneurship
• MARK 150 - Introduction to Marketing

Instructor

• Evan van Dyk

This course explores the history and culture of Indigenous Peoples of northwestern BC, with a focus on how deep-time connections to place and landscape inform cultural knowledge, practices, and traditions.

Through classroom and field-based experience, we will explore how Indigenous peoples have managed, modified, and stewarded their lands for millennia, and how long-term practical experience with the landscape structures notions of territory, belonging, and Indigenous Rights and Title. We will study culturally significant places and landscapes through ways of knowing such as Indigenous oral histories, traditional ecological knowledge, anthropological ethnography, and archaeology, in order to understand connections between key concepts of place, culture, and history.

Field trips may include historic sites, museums, Indigenous communities and other places of significance on the landscape. The field portion may involve overnight stays in remote areas and/or camping.

Courses | 6 credits

• ANTH 203 - Northern Nations of the Northwest Coast
• GEOG 227 - Ethnogeography of Northwest BC

Professor:

• Bryn Letham

Through classroom and field based experience, explore the cultural and environmental diversity of British Columbia, from past to present.  Field trips will include historic sites, museums, Indigenous communities and other places of significance on the landscape.

This field school will integrate History 213: The History of BC and Geography 225: Regional Geography of BC. 

Courses | 6 credits

• HIST 213 - History of British Columbia
• GEOG 225 - Regional Geography of BC

Learn how to create sustainable communities through the process of permaculture design.  During this two-week intensive study you will complete a variety of outdoor activities, lectures, visits to field sites, and explore how the creative design process of permaculture can provide an organizing framework.

Permaculture is the conscious design of landscapes which mimic the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems and the relationships found in nature while yielding an abundance of food, fiber and energy for the provision of local needs.

This field school will be taught by Ken Shaw who has trained with many leading permaculture teachers including, Geoff Lawton, Toby Hemenway, Dave Jacke, Owen Hablutzel, and Jesse Lemieux as well many years of farming in rural and urban settings. 

Course | 3 credits

• SUST 120 - Introduction to Permaculture

Instructor

• K. Shaw

Explore the dynamic forest ecosystems of northwest BC, from the lush, dense coastal forests, to the drier, cooler ecosystems of the interior plateau.

Along the way you will develop your skills in plant biology and investigate a diversity of ecosystems including temperate rainforest, boreal forest, alpine, wetlands, estuaries, and coastal habitats. As a project-based field school, you will work as a team to describe and compare the ecology of each major ecosystem visited.

Courses | 6 credits

• BIOL 208 - The Biology of Plants
• GEOG 202 - Geography of Ecosystems

Instructors

• C. White
• M. Beedle

POLI 102 Canadian Politics and Government
3 Credits

How does the Canadian political system work? Who are the actors, and what are the rules and the current issues? In this course will study the political landscape and the electoral system, Legislative procedures, and how they connect with us.  

Prerequisites
English Studies 12, English First Peoples 12 or equivalent

Transfer Credits
Explore transfer credit opportunities by visiting the BC Transfer Guide

Would you like to learn how groups of people think and behave in various circumstances? Are you interested in why and how people discriminate against each other, and even start a war? Do you want to understand why some people can be altruistic toward strangers in most horrific situations?

If you are interested in such topics from psychological perspectives, then this summer intensive course is for you!

Courses | 3 Credits

• PSYC 208 - Social Psychology

Instructor

• TBA

Prerequisites
PSYC 101 or PSYC 102

PSYC 215 | Research Methods in Social Sciences 
3 Credits

Who says that research is difficult? It is fun and useful. In Psychology 215, you will learn how to conduct a study in social sciences using experiments, observations, and surveys, in addition to interviews. We will meet 4.5 hours a day for two weeks, and you will complete the course this summer. It will be video conferenced throughout the region.

Prerequisites
PSYC 101 and PSYC 102

Instructor: 

Yuriko Riesen

Transfer Credits: 

 Explore transfer credit opportunities by visiting the BC Transfer Guide

Gain knowledge of both geography and ecology while being immersed in one of the most ecologically and environmentally diverse places on earth.

Our instructional team will take you into the world's largest pristine temperate rainforest, visit glacial landscapes and anthropological sites, and explore rivers and oceans along the way. The rich history of First Nation culture in this region will also be explored.

Designed as a unique two-week experiential adventure for high school students, this field school is an opportunity to gain the personal and educational experience of university in an applied outdoor setting.

Coast Mountain College has been a leader in developing place-based experiential learning and has been delivering upper level University Credit field schools in this region for over 15 years. We are now opening up this opportunity to senior level high-school students and recent high-school graduates.

Credits from this field school are transferable to all universities in BC. You may also be eligible to use those credits as electives (dual-credit) towards your high school diploma.

For more information please contact the Academic Head, Gordon Weary at gweary@coastmountaincollege.ca.

Courses | 6 credits

• GEOG 111 - Introduction to Geography
• BIOL 191 - Introduction to Ecology

Seats

• Note that 9/18 seats are reserved for Dual Credit high school students

Instructor

• TBA

Learn about the early relationships between First Nations people and European newcomers and explore language restoration and revitalization.

In this field school you will examine how reconciliation is formed through relationship building and understanding. With visits to five First Nations communities, you will engage with Elders and leadership in each community, working closely with fluent speakers and leaders committed to restoring and revitalizing languages. Our field school includes visits to cultural centres as well as other sites that are key to the broader history of British Columbia and Canada.

Courses | 6 credits

• FNST 120 - Aboriginal Languages - Preservation & Revitalization
• HIST 213 - History of British Columbia  

During this exciting field study, play an active role in marketing local businesses and non-profit organizations in the Bulkley Valley area.  Get out of the classroom to perform research and assist local organizations in designing a marketing strategy that meets the need of their customers.

Through these community-based projects, Coast Mountain College will connect you with the practical challenges of local marketing initiatives.

As consumer, media, and technology evolve, the need for innovative and strategic marketers grows. This is your opportunity to apply the fundamentals of marketing with real-world experience using the latest technology like drones, video editing software and AI, while enjoying rural landscapes of our region

Additional fees for this field school include all travel/transportation and overnight accommodations when required.

For more information or to request Permission of Instructors to register, please contact Anna Sterankova to arrange an interview. Limited seats are available. 

Course | 3 credits:

• MARK 150 - Introduction to Marketing

Instructor

• Anna Sterankova 

Experience the spectacular geography of the northwest coast while you participate in traditional seafood harvesting and processing.

This field school includes a five-day trip where you will travel by boat up the Douglas Channel to the remote location of Hartley Bay. Experience the life of the seaweed camp and the culture of the Gitga’at First Nation who continue to gather and harvest 90% of their food from the land and marine environment.

Explore topics concerning women, gender and differences as you immerse yourself in the culture of the Gitga’at whose surroundings are deeply tied to their customs, daily life and cultural identity. You will also use the concepts and methods of regional geography to examine Hartley Bay and surrounding area in the terms of the patterns of its physical and human landscapes.

Courses | 6 credits:

• WMST 102 - Introduction to Women Studies
• GEOG 225 - Regional Geography of British Columbia

Learn about the various ecosystems surrounding the Terrace area. Explore environmental factors that determine the distribution and function of local ecosystems that extend from the alpine to river valleys.

This two-week intensive course takes learning outside the four walls of a classroom and upon successful completion, awards students 3 credits in GEOG 202 - Geography of Ecosystems. The course emphasizes ecology, the structure and functioning of ecosystems and ecosystem strategies relative to soil and climatic conditions.

Course | 3 credits:

• GEOG 202 - Geography of Ecosystems

Experience local Indigenous culture while developing an appreciation for a wide variety of geomorphological processes and landscapes.

The Stewart/Telegraph Creek field school begins in Terrace where you will gain a foundation in geoscience and anthropology. We will then travel towards Stewart to investigate the geology and observe some of the most spectacular glacial and alpine landscapes on Earth. Our journey will continue to the volcanic area of Mt. Edziza, and the lava deposits along the valley of the Stikine River to Telegraph Creek. While at Telegraph Creek, you will be guided by the Tahltan people on their amazing and breathtaking territory, to learn about the Tahltan culture, history, and salmon fishing villages.

As part of your field studies you will be encouraged to draw upon the information and experiences acquired in both the geomorphology and anthropology courses to develop and articulate more informed opinions on culture, resource exploration and environmental stewardship.

Courses | 6 credits:

• ANTH 202 - Indigenous Cultures in Transition
• GEOG 203 - Geomorphology

Through classroom and field based experience, explore the cultural diversity of British Columbia from past to present. Field trips will include historic sites, museums, Indigenous communities, and other places of significance on the landscape. Learn about how heritage sites are managed and how stories about these places are told.

Courses | 6 credits

• ANTH 212 - Cultural Resource Management
• HIST 213 - History of British Columbia  

Instructors

• Dina Von Hahn
• Travis Freeland

This intensive is an introduction to the practice of cultural resource management in British Columbia. We will explore the nature of cultural resources in B.C., identify potential threats to these resources, and examine the legislation that protects heritage sites. We will also discuss the role of the B.C. Archaeology Branch in coordinating conservation efforts, delve into the ethics of archaeology, and highlight the steps being taken to increase First Nations' participation in the management and interpretation of heritage resources in B.C.

Courses | 3 Credits

• ANTH 212 - Cultural Resource Management

Instructor

• T. Freeland

This introduction to the invertebrate phyla provides an overview of the structure, function, evolution, diversity and ecology of invertebrate animals by examining the increasing complexity in form and function in the invertebrates and their evolutionary and ecological relationships. Examples emphasize marine, terrestrial and freshwater aquatic invertebrates. Laboratories include examination of the major groups of invertebrates.

Courses | 3 Credits

• BIOL 201 - Invertebrate Biology

Instructor

• Sandeep Beepat

Prerequisites
BIOL 101 and BIOL 102

The Criminal Justice Field School combines two courses, Introduction to the Criminal Justice System and Forensic Psychology, in a compressed, 3-week format.

Explore the criminal justice system, and investigate, evaluate, and apply psychological and sociological research to areas such as lie detection, police interrogations, criminal profiling, racial profiling, murdered/missing Indigenous women/girls, wrongful convictions, and mental health and the criminal justice system.

This years Criminal Justice Field School participants will meet a variety of members of the criminal justice system, stage and collect evidence at a crime scene, and participate in a mock trial at the local (Terrace) Courthouse with actual working members of the court (i.e., a provincial court judge, Crown prosecutor and defense counsel). 

Courses | 6 credits

• CRIM 131 - Introduction to the Criminal Justice System
• PSYC 240 - Forensic Psychology

Instructor

• M. Brandt

Following the principles of experiential place-based education, English 151 is designed to introduce students to the skills involved in the production of documents related to the workplace. Students will be presented with a variety of real-world writing challenges; students will reflect on the possible solutions to these challenges, think abstractly about approaches to these challenges, and apply their new knowledge to produce professional documents. Significant emphasis is placed on the student's use and adaptation of model documents in order to develop a wide variety of useful and relevant work-related material. The course has a capstone project: students may work with a local service organization, First Nation's organization, church, or non-profit to develop a grant application, and present the results of their work.

Courses | 3 Credits

• ENGL 151 - Technical Writing

Instructor

• TBA

Prerequisites
English Studies 12, English First Peoples 12 or equivalent

This field-school explores the ethics of globalization on rural Canada. It features real-world, place-based learning experiences here in the northwest that highlight the impacts of globalization on rural communities. Students will be asked to think critically about the impacts and ethical implications of globalization on small rural communities, specifically in northern British Columbia, and develop their own perspectives on these issues. The courses will be taught by experienced instructors who have a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing these communities, having lived in Terrace & Haida Gwaii for more than 50 years combined!   

Additional fees for this field school include all travel/transportation, shared meals and overnight accommodations when required.  

For more information or to request Permission of Instructors to register, please contact Karen McMurray or Seth Downs to arrange an interview. Limited seats are available! 

Courses | 6 credits:

• ETHC 150 - Business Ethics (3)
• INTB 210 - International Business (3)

Instructors

• Karen McMurray
• Seth Downs
  

The coastal rainforest island archipelago of Haida Gwaii is the ancestral home of the Haida people, and the inspiration of the rich and beautiful Haida culture.

Students will learn from Elders, and other knowledgeable Haida people, about the ancient history, culture, language, lifeways, connections to the land, and the impacts of colonialism. Students will meet Elders and leadership working with fluent speakers committed to restoring and revitalizing the Haida language, and efforts of reconciliation and relationships that build cultural understanding. This Field School is unique and a special opportunity for students.

Courses | 6 credits

• SOCI 270 - Rural Sociology
• ANTH 270 - Traditional Knowledge in Practice

Instructors

• S. Ronaasen
• C. Carr

Learn about geomorphology, environments and society by examining the unique landscapes of northwestern BC.

During this field school you will be introduced to the current environmental and geopolitical issues concerning our community and region. We plan to travel for four nights between Terrace, Stewart, and the Bruce Jack mine.

Courses | 9 credits

• BIO 208 – The Biology of Plants
• GEOG 202 – Geography of Ecosystems
• GEOG 203 – Geomorphology

Instructors

• C. White
• M. Beedle
• G. Weary

Course outlines

The Biology of Plants

BIOL 208 is an introduction to the major groups of land plants, including mosses, ferns, gymnosperms, and flowering plants. Diversity, evolution and adaptation are major themes of the course. Students will learn the basic principles of reproduction and development, morphology, and physiology. Ecological interactions and responses to the environment will also be covered. Special topics include a discussion of the vast array of phytochemicals synthesized by plants and their applications in societies. Laboratories will emphasize relating plant structure to function. 

Geography of Ecosystems

The GEOG 202 component of the field school allows you to examine the environmental factors that control the distribution and development of ecosystems, including climatic and geological change. The course emphasizes plant ecology, the structure and functioning of ecosystems, ecosystem strategies relative to soil and climatic conditions, and includes discussion of the effects of disturbance and management on natural and altered systems throughout the globe. Laboratories include investigations of ecosystem characteristics, biomass structures, soils, and impacts of disturbance.

Geomorphology 

In the GEOG 203 course we will examine the natural processes that shape the face of the Earth. It develops further on the material covered in Geography 160 and Geology 157. This course will focus on the fundamental principles that form the basis of geomorphology, in particular the processes that are active in the natural landscape and the landforms that are a consequence.  A strong emphasis will be placed on the glacial processes and deposits that influence much of the landscape in northwestern BC and southeastern Alaska. 

The northwest coast and its ecosystems from ocean to alpine meadows is the backdrop for our inquiry into birds.

This field school will give an overview of evolution, diversity, life history and behavior of birds. The field trips and lab work will focus on identification of local species by sight and sound. Birds are unique; they offer the opportunity and challenge of observing with all our senses.

Courses | 3 credits

BIOL 236 - Ornithology: Biology of Birds 

Instructor: 

• Reto Riesen
• Sandeep Beepat 

Come explore the history, archaeology, and culture of Indigenous Peoples living on the shores of the Pacific Ocean in northwestern BC. We will visit landscapes and ancient villages that First Nations peoples have been occupying and using for thousands of years.

Through classroom and field-based experience, we will explore how Indigenous peoples have managed, modified, and stewarded their lands for millennia, and how long-term practical experience with the landscape relates to notions of territory, belonging, and Indigenous Rights and Title. We will study culturally significant places and landscapes through Indigenous oral histories, traditional ecological knowledge, anthropological ethnography, and archaeology, in order to understand connections between key concepts of place, culture, and history.

This course will be taught through one week of in-person class time in Prince Rupert for the first few days, then we will take a field trip to an ancient village site and significant clam harvesting location for the Gitga’at Nation, on an island south of Hartley Bay and the mouth of Douglas Channel. We will camp at the site and participate in field activities with Gitga’at community members and other researchers to learn about the immense cultural significance of this location for Gitga’at people.

For a photo essay of last year's field school, see: brynletham.com 

Courses | 6 credits

• FNST 200 - Aboriginal Community Research
• GEOG 227 - Ethnogeography of Northwest BC

Professor:

• Bryn Letham

Immerse yourself in the rich and amazing Gitxsan culture and history, while learning about the traditional usages of plants, including the tree of life, cedar weaving, and other traditional activities, such as the preparation of smoked salmon.

The People of the Skeena Field School will take place in the Terrace area where you will visit the Gitxsan Eagle Clan’s fishing site of Guxts’eliksit. At this Language Preservation and Culture Camp, students will be hosted by Skaỳan (Anita Davis), Hereditary Chief/Matriarch, and other Eagle Chiefs/Elders.

Course | 6 credits

• FNST 110 - Ethnobotany: Plants & First People 
• ANTH 203 - Northern Nations of the Northwest Coast

Instructor

• S. Ronaasen

During this exciting field study, play an active role in marketing local businesses and non-profit organizations in the Bulkley Valley area.  Get out of the classroom to perform research and assist local organizations in designing a marketing strategy that meets the need of their customers.

Through these community-based projects, Coast Mountain College will connect you with the practical challenges of local marketing initiatives.

As consumer, media, and technology evolve, the need for innovative and strategic marketers grows. This is your opportunity to apply the fundamentals of marketing with real-world experience using the latest technology like drones, video editing software and AI, while enjoying rural landscapes of our region

Additional fees for this field school include all travel/transportation and overnight accommodations when required.

For more information or to request Permission of Instructors to register, please contact Anna Sterankova to arrange an interview. Limited seats are available. 

Course | 3 credits:

• MARK 150 - Introduction to Marketing

Instructor

• Anna Sterankova 

Additional fees for this field school include all travel/transportation and overnight accommodations when required.

For more information or to request Permission of Instructors to register, please contact David Geronazzo to arrange an interview. Limited seats are available. 

Includes excursions, lectures and labs, which are scheduled weather dependent. Overnight trip.

Courses | 3 credits

Explore the wilderness of the northwest, focusing on freshwater systems. Investigate living and non-living components of alpine pools, mountain streams, lakes, wetlands, and major rivers. Gain skills required to determine the health and productivity of these systems.

Assess natural-resource management challenges and policy alternatives related to natural resource development. As a project-based field school, you will work together in teams to relate knowledge and data acquired on field excursions to the bigger picture of ecosystem health, sustainability, and make future predictions based on climate and human activity.

Courses | 6 credits:

• GEOG 210 - Environments and Society
• BIOL 201 - Invertebrate Zoology   

Instructors

• M. Beedle
• C. White 

A journey into the fascinating world of invertebrates.

Through observation of these creatures in their natural landscapes, learn about their behaviour, interactions, ecological roles, and vast diversity of form and function.

In this intensive field school, students will investigate invertebrate life in a variety of natural landscapes in Northwest BC, from terrestrial to freshwater to marine.

Courses | 3 credits

• BIOL 201 - Invertebrate Zoology

Instructor

• C. White
  

This introduction to the invertebrate phyla provides an overview of the structure, function, evolution, diversity and ecology of invertebrate animals by examining the increasing complexity in form and function in the invertebrates and their evolutionary and ecological relationships. Examples emphasize marine, terrestrial and freshwater aquatic invertebrates. Laboratories include examination of the major groups of invertebrates.

Courses | 3 Credits

• BIOL 201 - Invertebrate Biology

Instructor

• Sandeep Beepat

Prerequisites
BIOL 101 and BIOL 102

Explore the diversity of our regional ecosystems as you spend two weeks studying temperate rainforest and alpine, aquatic, and riparian systems in our outdoor classrooms.

The field activities will help you learn about major concepts in ecology, including habitat and ecosystem classification, community ecology, succession, and impacts of management and disturbance.

Develop skills in project design, field research, and data analysis. Working as a team on a regional field project you will be involved in defining a research question and relating the work to the bigger picture of ecosystem disturbance and human impacts.

Course | 3 credits:

• BIOL 211 - Principles of Ecology

Instructor

• C.White

Investigate the role of disturbance in environments of northwest BC. This field school combines GEOG 210 (Environments and Society) and BIOL 211 (Principles of Ecology) in an intensive field school that takes students to stunning aquatic and terrestrial environments in and around Terrace, BC. Explore the resilience of the natural world after natural disturbances such as lava flows, wildfires and floods, and after human disturbances such as forestry, road building and industrial development.

Courses | 6 credits

• BIOL 211 - Principles of Ecology
• GEOG 210 - Environments and Society

Instructor

• M. Beedle
• C. White

Following the principles of experiential place-based education, English 151 is designed to introduce students to the skills involved in the production of documents related to the workplace. Students will be presented with a variety of real-world writing challenges; students will reflect on the possible solutions to these challenges, think abstractly about approaches to these challenges, and apply their new knowledge to produce professional documents. Significant emphasis is placed on the student's use and adaptation of model documents in order to develop a wide variety of useful and relevant work-related material. The course has a capstone project: students may work with a local service organization, First Nation's organization, church, or non-profit to develop a grant application, and present the results of their work.

Courses | 3 Credits

• ENGL 151 - Technical Writing

Instructor

• TBA

Prerequisites
English Studies 12, English First Peoples 12 or equivalent

Learn about geomorphology, environments and society by examining the unique landscapes of northwestern BC.

During this field school you will be introduced to the current environmental and geopolitical issues concerning our community and region. We plan to travel for four nights between Terrace, Stewart, and the Bruce Jack mine.

Courses | 9 credits

• BIO 208 – The Biology of Plants
• GEOG 202 – Geography of Ecosystems
• GEOG 203 – Geomorphology

Instructors

• C. White
• M. Beedle
• G. Weary

Course outlines

The Biology of Plants

BIOL 208 is an introduction to the major groups of land plants, including mosses, ferns, gymnosperms, and flowering plants. Diversity, evolution and adaptation are major themes of the course. Students will learn the basic principles of reproduction and development, morphology, and physiology. Ecological interactions and responses to the environment will also be covered. Special topics include a discussion of the vast array of phytochemicals synthesized by plants and their applications in societies. Laboratories will emphasize relating plant structure to function. 

Geography of Ecosystems

The GEOG 202 component of the field school allows you to examine the environmental factors that control the distribution and development of ecosystems, including climatic and geological change. The course emphasizes plant ecology, the structure and functioning of ecosystems, ecosystem strategies relative to soil and climatic conditions, and includes discussion of the effects of disturbance and management on natural and altered systems throughout the globe. Laboratories include investigations of ecosystem characteristics, biomass structures, soils, and impacts of disturbance.

Geomorphology 

In the GEOG 203 course we will examine the natural processes that shape the face of the Earth. It develops further on the material covered in Geography 160 and Geology 157. This course will focus on the fundamental principles that form the basis of geomorphology, in particular the processes that are active in the natural landscape and the landforms that are a consequence.  A strong emphasis will be placed on the glacial processes and deposits that influence much of the landscape in northwestern BC and southeastern Alaska. 

An opportunity to learn outside, improve field research skills, and experience the culture and environment that makes our region unique.

If you are interested in the outdoors, field research, and environmental stewardship, then this field school is for you. You will work with a team of students, instructors, and members of the Kitsumkalum Band to assess ecological diversity, the effects of disturbance, land use issues and ecosystem management.  A portion of the field school will be spent collecting and analyzing data and working in a field classroom and lab at Pine Lake.

Courses | 6 credits:

• BIOL 208 - Biology of Plants
• GEOG 210 - Environments and Society

This field school combines Biology of Plants and Environments and Society in an intensive, interdisciplinary field school with a spatial focus on the Kitsumkalum watershed.

A journey that will take you from inter-tidal zones to the wide-open ocean to witness the range of life in between.

Learn about coastlines and estuarine regions of northern BC to understand the complex interaction of local ecosystems. Study abiotic factors, primary producers and top predators of our local oceans.

Life in the oceans combines biological oceanography and ecology in this two-week intensive field course.

Courses | 6 credits

• OCGY 209 - Introduction to Biological Oceanography
• OCGY 210 - Methods of Monitoring the Marine Environment

Instructors

• Kirk Hart

Courses | 3 credits

• BIOL 201 - Invertebrate Zoology

Professor:

• Kirk Hart

Gain knowledge of both geography and ecology while being immersed in one of the most ecologically and environmentally diverse places on earth.

Our instructional team will take you into the world's largest pristine temperate rainforest, visit glacial landscapes and anthropological sites, and explore rivers and oceans along the way. The rich history of First Nation culture in this region will also be explored.

Designed as a unique two-week experiential adventure for high school students, this field school is an opportunity to gain the personal and educational experience of university in an applied outdoor setting.

Coast Mountain College has been a leader in developing place-based experiential learning and has been delivering upper level University Credit field schools in this region for over 15 years. We are now opening up this opportunity to senior level high-school students and recent high-school graduates.

Credits from this field school are transferable to all universities in BC. You may also be eligible to use those credits as electives (dual-credit) towards your high school diploma.

For more information please contact the Academic Head, Gordon Weary at gweary@coastmountaincollege.ca.

Courses | 6 credits

• GEOG 111 - Introduction to Geography
• BIOL 191 - Introduction to Ecology

Seats

• Note that 9/18 seats are reserved for Dual Credit high school students

Instructor

• TBA

Learn about the various ecosystems surrounding the Terrace area. Explore environmental factors that determine the distribution and function of local ecosystems that extend from the alpine to river valleys.

This two-week intensive course takes learning outside the four walls of a classroom and upon successful completion, awards students 3 credits in GEOG 202 - Geography of Ecosystems. The course emphasizes ecology, the structure and functioning of ecosystems and ecosystem strategies relative to soil and climatic conditions.

Course | 3 credits:

• GEOG 202 - Geography of Ecosystems

Experience local Indigenous culture while developing an appreciation for a wide variety of geomorphological processes and landscapes.

The Stewart/Telegraph Creek field school begins in Terrace where you will gain a foundation in geoscience and anthropology. We will then travel towards Stewart to investigate the geology and observe some of the most spectacular glacial and alpine landscapes on Earth. Our journey will continue to the volcanic area of Mt. Edziza, and the lava deposits along the valley of the Stikine River to Telegraph Creek. While at Telegraph Creek, you will be guided by the Tahltan people on their amazing and breathtaking territory, to learn about the Tahltan culture, history, and salmon fishing villages.

As part of your field studies you will be encouraged to draw upon the information and experiences acquired in both the geomorphology and anthropology courses to develop and articulate more informed opinions on culture, resource exploration and environmental stewardship.

Courses | 6 credits:

• ANTH 202 - Indigenous Cultures in Transition
• GEOG 203 - Geomorphology