Students will explore complex questions, examining what motivates individuals to take risks and to seek out wild places. Students will also examine the science and discourse of ecology and wilderness protection. This inquiry will address these problems from a number of different intellectual and disciplinary lenses, including psychological, sociological, and anthropological perspectives.
This multidisciplinary approach will utilize literature, scientific research, and the arts to address these questions. The students will read and discuss selected works by Thoreau, Krakauer, Bryson, Muir, and Kerouac. Co-curricular activities will include challenging outdoor experiences: camping, hiking, rock climbing, and rappelling.