Program Highlights:

• Engage with movements for food justice and food sovereignty
• Meet with scientists, activists, ranching families, and recreational groups to gain a deeper understanding of the demands on land and water
• Study permaculture with sustainable farmers and learn about practical solutions for climate change
• Develop a complex understanding of the human history and a deeper connection with the natural environment in the high mountains and winding desert canyons
• Backpacking expeditions along the Continental Divide including possible summits of mountain peaks
• Float the red rock canyons of the Colorado River Basin while you learn about complicated demands on this precious resource and how water has carved the magnificent natural beauty of the Southwest
• Study controversial land use issues and natural resource extraction practices in the Bears Ears National monument and other public lands
• Learn how communities of the Southwest carve out their existence amidst the greatest drought in centuries and strike a delicate balance in a competition for scarce natural resources

Until the late 1800s, the beautiful mountains, valleys, and deserts of the Colorado River Basin were largely untouched by the rapidly expanding United States. In 1868, the U.S. government signed a treaty with the Navajo Nation setting the stage for indigenous sovereignty in the desert Southwest. A year later, John Wesley Powell returned to Washington from his Colorado River survey expedition warning that water would always be the center of conflict in the Western U.S. In the 150 years since then, the river has been dammed, diverted, and completely drained to support industry, desert agriculture, and growing cities like Denver, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. Now, the once-mighty Colorado River no longer reaches the sea.

Some view the river and its surrounding landscape as sacred, some see it as a beautiful place to play and explore, and others see a resource to be tapped for potential profit. Local control over the region is challenged by outside forces: mining, dams, and food deserts. Many people believe that the current pace of resource consumption is not sustainable. How can we conserve and protect the Colorado River’s fragile watershed, diverse cultures, and sacred landscapes in a world that is constantly pushing for growth? There’s only so much water the river can give. 

The Colorado River Basin Semester traces this majestic waterway from its source in the snow-capped peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park through organic farms in the valleys of Western Colorado to the maze of canyons, juniper mesas, and sculpted red sandstone towers of southern Utah and northern Arizona. After a few days in Boulder getting acquainted with the region and watershed, we set out on foot to cross the Continental Divide. Along the way, we’ll study the layers of human and natural history, meeting the people, ecosystems, and cultures that make up the modern version of the “Wild West.”

The awe-inspiring beauty of this vast region is unique in the world. On this incredible journey, you will forge lasting friendships with your fellow travelers— sharing campfire stories under a blanket of endless stars, finding inspiration while trekking through mountain aspen groves bursting with Fall colors. The desert sunsets that fill the endless skyline and illuminate the twisting sandstone formations will call you back to these special places for years to come.