Where There Be Dragons: Colorado River Basin

Students, aged 15-18, who participate in this 4-week travel program will backpack to the source of the Colorado River, study permaculture and sustainability on local farms, and float and hike the desert canyons of Utah. Study the history, policy, ecology, and cultures of a complex and diverse region of the U.S. wrestling with identity, development, and sustainability.

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