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for a two-course sequence (a one-credit
classroom course and a two-credit field
internship) was accepted, and I began
teaching the classroom course during
the 1994 spring term. I have taught the
sequence annually since.
Each course may be taken for either
forestry or geography academic
credit. The one-credit spring term
course, Forestry/Geography 195WC:
The Wilderness Concept and the
Three Sisters Wilderness, introduces
the concept of wilderness and the
management principles and issues associated
with applying that concept to
National Wilderness Preservation System
(NWPS) units. It surveys the
nearby Three Sisters Wilderness as a
basis for application of these principles
and discussion of these issues. The
course provides an academic introduction
to wilderness management and
orientation for service to and enjoyment
of wilderness. Usually an elective,
the course is required for students
in the recreation leadership associate’s
degree and transfer programs.
Supported by a small grant from the
college, I wrote and published a 164page
book, The Wilderness Concept and
the Three Sisters Wilderness (ISBN 0-
9647167-3-9, Wilderness Associates
2000) in April 2000. The course textbook
is geared for students, but serves
a general readership as well (see review
in this issue of IJW).
The content of this course has been
adapted to other instructional situations.
In June 1995, for example, it was
used as the basis of a three-day wilderness
ranger training program I conducted
for the Deschutes, Willamette,
and Mt. Hood National Forests. And
in the spring of 1998 I presented a
noncredit version of the course at the
Sunriver Nature Center. The spring
term classroom course is a good recruiting
and training venue for student
interns who serve as wilderness infor-
mation specialists. Students
who complete the
course with a grade of “B”
or better and gain the
permission of the instructor
may enroll in the
two-credit summer sequel,
Wilderness Internship.
These student
interns, who also sign a
USFS volunteer agreement,
are integrated into
the wilderness information
specialist team and
complete a minimum of
72 hours of supervised
wilderness service.
This combination of
classroom instruction and
field service may be
adapted in areas throughout
the United States
where colleges are close to
wilderness areas. The wilderness
course syllabus
and the textbook mentioned
above might also
be useful templates for developing
similar courses and books at other colleges
and wildernesses.
COWEP and Wilderness
Education in the Future
Effective wilderness education must
occur in urban areas as well as at
wilderness trailheads and in the wilderness.
Partnerships such as
COWEP can also incorporate additional
community entities and develop
“off-site” urban center wilderness
Volunteer wilderness information specialist at Green Lobos Trailhead Information
Station. Photo by Les Joslin.
education programs targeted at user
populations. Although visitors to the
Three Sisters Wilderness and other
central Oregon units of the NWPS
come from all over the Pacific Northwest,
the United States, and many foreign
countries, visitors to this
wilderness, like most others, are primarily
residents of the nearby region.
Across the nation, wilderness education
will most likely remain a community-based
effort, and this is logical.
With national and regional guidance,
each national forest and ranger district
Effective wilderness education must occur in urban
areas as well as at wilderness trailheads and in the
wilderness.
International Journal of Wilderness DECEMBER 2000 • VOLUME 6, NUMBER 3 29