Current Research
Our faculty members are leaders in the University of Idaho’s focus on sustainability. They conduct internationally-recognized research and also work extensively to strengthen the state’s science curriculum for youth. Professor Steven Hollenhorst founded the McCall Outdoor Science School, the only publicly operated K-12 residential outdoor science program in Idaho. Other current research interests include:
- Parks and wilderness
- Protected areas policy
- Planning and management
- Conservation history
- Urban and community forestry
- Environmental interpretation and communication
- Human dimensions of ecosystem management
- Resource-based tourism and eco-tourism
- Wild and scenic river management
- Conflict resolution
- Social science research methods and design
- Land trusts and conservation easements
MOSS Green: Steven Hollenhorst, executive director of the McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS) and professor of conservation social sciences, and Bruce Haglund, professor of architecture, are leading a student, faculty and industry team on a carbon-neutral challenge project. The project is part of a $10,000 grant recently awarded to the team by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Activities
Our students are involved in a variety of professional and civic organizations, such as the Student Organization for The People and the Environment (SOPE), Student Affairs Council and Student Chapter of the International Association for Society and Natural Resources. You will have opportunities to network with practicing professionals and gain valuable experience through community service projects and other fieldwork.
Hands-On Experience
Practical experience in conservation social sciences is vital to enhancing your education and preparing you for your professional career. You'll participate in field courses that include traveling in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, and a backpacking trip in the backcountry of Yellowstone National Park. Our programs expose you to agency personnel to see firsthand how conservation programs are managed. Your hands-on experiences may include:
- Internships: The internship program challenges you to productively combine field experience with what you are learning in the classroom while pursuing your degree.
- Service-Learning Projects: You will extend you learning into the community for opportunities to apply classroom concepts to real-life situations. By engaging in such projects, you’ll address real community need and gain valuable field experience. Our undergraduates have successfully secured service-learning grants for projects such as increasing the use of reusable coffee mugs on campus and working with rural communities to apply conservation plans.
- Green Infrastructure in Dayton (example of service-learning project): Student Dana Coombs, with guidance from faculty, is leading a group of students to introduce and implement green infrastructure – a process highlighting the importance of the natural environment in decisions about land use planning and conservation while engaging community residents in the decision-making process – to the town of Dayton, Wash.
Breakthroughs & Discoveries
Beyond Bricks and Mortar: College of Natural Resources scientists, Tim Link, Ron Robberecht, Edwin Krumpe and other collaborators, received $80,000 from the Idaho State Board of Education to investigate the effectiveness of state-of-the-art lecture capture technology (LCT) not currently used at the University of Idaho. Their work will produce computer-based materials to enhance the learning outcomes of on- and off-campus courses and outreach activities. Long-term outcomes include increased enrollment in distance and continuing education courses, improved student performance and retention in on-campus courses and enhanced networking of faculty and professionals throughout Idaho and the world.
Facilities
College of Natural Resource facilities include:
- University of Idaho Experimental Forest
- University of Idaho Center for Forest Nursery and Seedling Research
- Remote Sensing and GIS Research Laboratory
- Forest and Range Measurements Laboratory
- Guernsey Outdoor Classroom
- Taylor Wilderness Research Station
- Idaho Stable Isotopes Laboratory
- Inland Empire Tree Improvement Cooperative
- Intermountain Forest Tree Nutrition Cooperative
- University of Idaho Laboratory for Conservation and Ecological Genetics
- Landscape Dynamics Laboratory
- Lee Sharp Experimental Area
- McCall Field Campus
- Policy Analysis Group
Online & Outreach
The McCall Outdoor Science School was founded in 2001 and instantly became the only publicly operated K-12 residential outdoor school in the entire state of Idaho. Our mission is to advance academic achievement through a strong, statewide K-12 University partnership.
Online Programs and Courses