For Swannie Chan, a fourth-year geography student who really wanted field experience, the choice was clear: “Do I want to go to Hawaii or Black Creek Village? It was a no brainer.”

In mid-August, Chan, Zoe Davis, a fourth-year environmental science student, and 16 other 91��ɫ undergraduates packed their swimming suits and hiking boots and flew to Honolulu then on to Maui. For the next eight days, they went all over the island on excursions led by geography Professors Kathy Young and Peter Vandergeest, and graduate assistant Jane Assini.

Left: Zoe Davis collecting data on the Maui coast. Photo by Dawn Ho.

Blue skies, brilliant stars and tropical heat tempered by gentle ocean breezes made for an idyllic visit – perfect for doing the research they’d come to do. For undergraduates used to textbook learning and case studies, this experience was like reality TV. “I thought it would be like “Lost”,” said Chan. Maui residents Woody Harrelson and Willie Nelson eluded them, but they came home three credits richer, $3,000 poorer, keener than ever and a little changed.

For geographers, the appeal of Maui is its diverse topography. Less urbanized than Oahu but still a magnet for celebrities drawn to its sand and surf, the island features everything from desert to tropical rainforest, and volcanoes to vast beaches. On one coast, giant waves draw the world’s most fanatic surfers, on the other, coral reefs lure snorkellers to an underwater paradise. There is ample evidence of climate change – a rising sea and persistent drought – and tourism has affected the island’s culture and environment.

What a motherlode of research possibilities. The human geographers, like Chan, could study the effect of tourism on the culture. The physical geographers, like Davis (she's in the physical stream of environmental science), could analyze data they collected on beach erosion, air temperature, water quality and quantity, and wind energy.

Based in South Kihei on the southwest coast, the students piled into three vans for daily excursions and field trips to all corners of the island.

Right: Sunrise above the clouds on Mount Haleakala. Photo by Kathy Young.

“I put my research cap on when I left and actually liked doing the trip as a geographer,” said Chan, who’s travelled the world as a tourist.

The students studied beach erosion on the north and west shores, and learned about volcanoes and lava flows on a trip to Mount Haleakala, one of two volcanoes on Maui. Kathy Young woke them at 2am one morning for a bike excursion up the volcano. Along the way, they measured temperature, and wind and water quality, surfacing above the clouds in time to see the sun rise. They endured hours over rough roads to remote Hana and Lahaina to visit tropical rain forest and desert, and enjoyed a traditional luau celebration. They tasted medicinal plants in botanical gardens, saw sugar cane plantations, visited a taro farm and took an ecotour snorkelling around coral reef. “The water was so clear, I felt like I was watching TV,” said Chan. “It was one of the highlights of the trip.”

Rangers took them into Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve, 90 per cent of which is off limits to the public. This fact inspired Chan’s project – a survey of people in nearby Wailea about their knowledge of and opinion of restricted access to the reserve, a sacred Hawaiian heritage site bordering a pristine coral reef.

Davis, on the other hand, was investigating the mitigating influence of coral reefs on beach erosion and, by extension, the potential of rock walls to prevent this erosion. “It was such an amazing opportunity to be in the field on site designing my own project, analyzing my own data. There is nothing like doing your own work. You never get this experience in the classroom.”

Left: Swannie Chan interviews Ranger Joe.

For an environmental science student such as Davis, “this trip was a test to see if I could love research and hack it in the field.” After a three-and-a-half-hour trek 3,000 metres up the side of a cinder cone, getting up at 2am to see sunrise from the top of a volcano, and lugging heavy equipment then improvising when it broke, she thinks she could.

Each student had to do an individual project and a group project. “We got a taste of so many different kinds of research,” said Davis. “It can change your career. I realized if you work hard you can do some amazing things. It changed my trajectory, but not my direction.” Now she’s dreaming of doing research in the Arctic.

“The trip was once in a lifetime,” says Chan, who is majoring in geography and finishing an education degree at the same time. She intends to stick to her plans to teach primary or junior school. The Scarborough resident tried passionfruit and guava for the first time, was amazed at the brilliant night sky and loved spending every day outside. “Being able to experience nature like I did in Hawaii is something I want to take into the classroom.”

“Hawaii was a really cool trip,” says Young. “I learned so much and I think the kids were all really energized by it.”

Right: Sliding Sand Trail, Mount Haleakala. Photo by Kathy Young.

The advanced field course in physical geography is brand new. It was funded with $15,000 from the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. If Young can get more funding, next year she hopes to take geography students to another, though less balmy, volcanic island – Iceland.

By Martha Tancock, YFile contributing writer.

Republished courtesy of YFile – 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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91��ɫ students who are enrolled in courses affiliated with the University’s Experiential Education initiative get valuable opportunities to apply their skills to real world problems and situations.

Experiential Education (EE) is a form of engaged learning that blends theory and coursework with practical, hands-on experience. As part of their academic studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies students apply key course concepts to a wide variety of case studies and research projects involving both profit and non-profit organizations. The students work with faculty members who serve as guides in the background and scope of the projects.

Above: From left, Course director Frank Miele, 91��ɫ students Daniel Hernandez, Byung Mark Yoo, Tri Ngo, Xiaomin Liang and Waris Ali, Township of Adjala-Tosorontio municipal councillor Mary Brett, 91��ɫ student Christina Kroner, and Margo Cooney and Valerie Ryan, representing the South Simcoe Economic Alliance

Most recently, six students in a fourth-year Regional Economic Development course taught by Frank Miele got a chance to present their research findings to representatives from their Experiential Education community partner, the (SSEA). The alliance is a partnership of three municipalities and the community economic development organization . The municipal partners in the SSEA are the , the and the . The region is home to two multinational industries, (automotive) and (pharmaceuticals), yet the lives of it citizens are also shaped through agriculture and many small and medium-sized businesses.

To realize the South Simcoe brand as “The Best of All Worlds,” the SSEA was seeking assistance from the team of 91��ɫ students on a number of initiatives, including:

• guidance on attracting and retaining investment monies that will drive business growth and enhance the quality of life for the community;

• an analysis on the recommendations of strategic/core activities arising from two background reports – the Economic Competitive Analysis Project and Competitive Analysis 2004;

• a review and analysis of the SSEA Web site, including benchmarking it against other Canadian regional economic alliances.

After spending much of the fall term researching and working on their project, assisted by Miele, the students were finally ready to make their presentation and deliver their written report and executive summary to the SSEA. On Dec. 9, 91��ɫ students Daniel Hernandez, Byung Mark Yoo, Tri Ngo, Xiaomin Liang, Waris Ali and Christina Kroner delivered their recommendations to SSEA representatives Valerie Ryan and Margo Cooney of Nottawasaga Futures and Township of Adjala-Tosorontio councillor Mary Brett.

"This project is the capstone endeavour for students enrolled in a regional economic development course," explained Geoff Webb (right), manager of Experiential Education at 91��ɫ. "We found a great team and hit the ground running." Webb commended the students, who started the project on Oct. 18. "You had a lot of work to do and you've done a great job. This form of learning is a great way for students to apply what they've learned and give back to the University's community partners."

In their presentation, the students recommended that the communities in the SSEA view economic development as an investment and expand budget allocation to support economic growth activities. They said that South Simcoe should take a stronger leadership role in promoting the region to the Greater Toronto Area and that local economic developers should establish a partnership fund to leverage joint marketing initiatives. Included in their presentation were specific recommendations on transforming the SSEA Web site into a more user-friendly, marketing tool. The students said the SSEA should also integrate programs and services to retain and attract business investment and accelerate job creation by developing employment parks that have municpal services, are readily available and prominent to possible developers.

Kroner, speaking on behalf of the students, said the EE experience “was a fantastic educational experience that brought our learning to life. The discussion that followed the presentation was very stimulating.”

Ryan thanked the students for their dedication and said she appreciated the depth and clarity of recommendations from students. "I can't tell you how much we appreciate our partnership with 91��ɫ," said Ryan, who is the CEO of Nottawasaga Futures. “The students displayed a high level of integrity,” she said.

Cooney is a community economic development officer with Nottawasaga Futures and served as the team's contact. "The team was wonderful to work with and I really enjoyed the experience," she said.

There is the potential to carry the SSEA project and some of the conclusions reached by the students into future semesters, said Webb.

In addition to the SSEA project, 91��ɫ students are working with a number of community partners on projects, including the YMCA, UNICEF, the Ontario Non-Profit Network, the Canadian Red Cross, CBC, the University Health Network and numerous other organizations.

�۴ǰ���’s Knowledge Mobilization Unit is also working to expand 91��ɫ's relationship with SSEA and has , both 91��ɫ graduate students funded through the , to assist in developing the Nottawasaga Futures Green Transformation Program.

For more information, visit the Experiential Education Web site or contact Geoff Webb, manager of Experiential Education.

Complied with files from , 91��ɫ's Knowledge Mobilization blog. Republished courtesy of YFile – 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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