NORTH AMERICA
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Relax and enjoy our scheduled transportation to the Great Smoky Mountains in eastern Tennessee. Our base for the next five nights will be in the Great Smoky Mountains, where breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided on site. Accommodations will be in a bunkhouse or dorm.
Location overviewThe Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee provide a special location to study the physical and cultural traits that make the Appalachians unique. Stretching from New York to Alabama, the Appalachians encompass a wide variety of historical influences. Likewise, there is a stunning biodiversity to explore.
Welcome sessionWe will participate in an orientation session, covering Health and Safety aspects of the week ahead.
Daily reflection and group discussion"We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience" - John Dewey On every evening of the program, we will set time aside to update our Reflection Journal and share thoughts and impressions that have come to the fore in the course of the day.
Learn to use a map and compass to navigate on and off-trail. We will work in groups to practice on our orienteering course and may put the skills to use later in the week.
Afternoon introspectionVisit several outdoor spaces around the campus, read poems and excerpts from place-based authors, examining our relationship to place. You also write your own poetry or reflections on your experiences of place.
Campfire talesGather around the campfire to hear local storytellers share stories of Appalachian and Cherokee traditions.
Daily reflection and group discussionTonight, discuss how literature mediates and influences our understanding of place.
How has the park historically balanced the values of protecting biodiversity, preserving wilderness, interpreting cultural history, and providing services for 12 million visitors?
ActivityVisit one of the iconic sites in the Smokies and explore regional cultural history through investigation of historic homesites at Cades Cove.
Evening activityTonight, learn more about black bears and bear management.
Daily reflection and group discussionWhat values should the park prioritize in the future?
Examine the topic of ethnobotany. How do humans depend on plants for survival? Explore this question through the lens of regional cultural history and local knowledge of ecosystems.
Outdoor workshopSome options for this class include: edible and medicinal plant identification, salve making, use of traditional tools to cut and split wood, spoon carving, fire building, cordage making, etc.
Evening activityTonight, we will take a guided, short evening walk to experience the nocturnal forest.
Daily reflection and group discussionHow much did early settlers depend on the resources of the land? How much do we still depend on the land?
Take an all-day guided backcountry and wilderness hike and learn about the native flora and fauna in some of the oldest landscapes on the continent.
Evening activityGather around the campfire as local musicians share the cultural heritage of the Southern Appalachians through music.
Final reflection and group discussionHow have your perceptions of the Appalachians shifted?
Enjoy the last stretch of the river this morning as our rewarding and enjoyable Roots of Appalachia outdoor education program comes to an end.
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