Weber State plans to open its first-ever field station at Yellowstone National Park
Photo supplied, Ryan Ash/Weber State University
Weber State zoology student Connor Johnson speaks to faculty and donors at a fundraising event in July 2024 at Yellowstone National Park, where the school looks to open a new field station.Editor’s note: This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.
The first national park ever designated is soon to be the site of the first-ever field station for Weber State University.
There, within the gates of Yellowstone National Park, Utah students will have access to an entire ecosystem as a classroom.
“They’ll be able to do hands-on research, collect long-term data on ecological issues,” said Andrea Easter-Pilcher, dean of Weber’s College of Science and a professor of zoology. “And it’s not limited to just math and science.”
Easter-Pilcher imagines students from all disciplines spending time at the research spot and interacting with nature. Biology students could study anything from bison and bears to the extreme microorganisms that maintain life in the park’s unique geysers and hot springs. Those in chemistry could look at the impact of water quality on native cutthroat trout or how wildfires impact air quality.
Astronomy students would have access to the park’s dark skies. Film students could make documentaries about the carving out of canyons. Humanities students might be inspired to write about the beauty of the towering lodgepole pines or the meandering Yellowstone River or the fleeting mountain chickadees. There could also be collaboration across fields.
Read the rest of this story at https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2024/12/25/this-utah-university-plans-open/.
