Posted 02/06/01

The Mountain Institute is conducting four international education and research expeditions at the end of the 1999-2000 academic year. The courses will take place in Huascaran National Park and the surrounding region in Peru, Sagarmatha National Park and Langtang National Park in Nepal, and the Altai region of Russia.

The courses are accredited through West Virginia University and the University of Idaho for 6 credits each, and are open to all university level students. These innovative courses introduce students to international protected areas, conservation initiatives, and community development projects in mountain regions. Park managers, policy makers, and community leaders share their knowledge with expedition members, the resource managers of tomorrow. At the same time, research affiliations that promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable mountain development are established with domestic universities and researchers. Please share this information with students or others who may be interested in these exciting courses. More information can be found at The Mountain Institute’s web site: www.mountain.org/sms.

Program Description:

The School for Mountain Studies teaches students about the complexity and importance of mountain environments and cultures through an in-depth look at international protected area and community development projects around the world. These innovative mountain studies courses link students with The Mountain Institute’s (TMI) field staff and in-country partner organizations. During your course, you will gain hands-on experience while traveling in the backcountry of some of the world’s most remote and rugged mountain ranges. Courses are developed and executed by TMI in collaboration with faculty and researchers from West Virginia University (WVU) and affiliated universities.

Courses:

Cultural and Environmental Change in Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park
Location: Khumbu, Nepal
Dates: May 22 - June 17 (6 semester credits)
Cost: $2600 (Airfare to Kathmandu and an in-country flight from Kathmandu to Lukla not included)

Description: Gain a thorough understanding of the Khumbu Valley’s settlement history, geoecology, cultures, landscapes, climbing and tourism impacts, and other contemporary issues. Our “living laboratory” will be the villages, pastures, forests, and alpine environments in the shadow of Mount Everest.

Community-Based Ecotourism and Protected Area Management in Langtang National Park
Location: Langtang, Nepal
Dates: May 22 - June 17 (6 semester credits)
Cost: $2600 (Airfare to Kathmandu not included)

Description: Analyze impacts of trekking tourism in Langtang National Park, Nepal’s third most popular trekking destination.  Learn about TMI’s approach to community-based conservation and development which has shown that Langtang is now one of the cleanest trek routes in Nepal. Villagers themselves will tell you why and how they keep the area clean and conserve the forests and lakes.

Community-Based Ecotourism and Protected Area Management in Huascarán National Park
Location: Cordillera Blanca, Peru
Dates: May 22 - June 17 (6 semester credits)
Cost: $2050 (Airfare to Lima not included)

Description: Study the development of ecotourism and community-based conservation in the region surrounding Huascarán National Park, in the Peruvian Andes. Based in Huaraz, a gateway city on the edge of the Cordillera Blanca, you will learn from talking to and working with community organizations, park managers, TMI staff, and researchers from around the world.

Ecology, Geography, and Protected Area Policy in the Altai Mountains, Siberia
Location: Altai Region, Russia
Dates: July 1 - July 26 (6 semester credits)
Cost: $2800 (Airfare to Novosibirsk not included)

Description: Study the ecology and geography of the Altai Mountains in Central Asia, the ancestral home of Genghis Khan.  Investigate the challenges and successes of individuals and agencies struggling to protect the natural resources in the region. Work with Russian experts to explore and understand the natural and political intricacies of a spectacular and rarely visited landscape. Credit can also be received through Northern Arizona University.

Notes:

All students will be required to register and receive credit through WVU Division of Forestry unless they are currently enrolled at the University of Idaho, one of our affiliated universities.

We feel that the best way to learn about the issues and challenges facing the communities and environment in which we work is to directly experience them. As a result, all courses take place in remote locations with extended (9 - 18 day) backcountry field expeditions into high altitude regions (12,000 - 17,000 feet).

For information regarding course content please contact:

Rex Linville
The Mountain Institute
245 Newman Avenue
Harrisonburg, VA 22801
email: sms@mountain.org
web: www.mountain.org/sms

Phone: (540) 437-0468 or (800) 390-1885

For registration forms and other course materials please contact:

Office of International Programs
West Virginia University
139 Stansbury Hall
P.O. Box 6214
Morgantown, WV 26505-6214
Phone: (304) 293-6955