Forestry Field Camp
UC Berkeley Forestry Field Camp is offered by CNR's Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. The field camp is a summer program open to all interested, qualified students.
Forestry Field Camp is an eight-week program consisting of five courses. The camp is located in the California Sierra Nevada. Please see Forestry Field Camp for more information.
Education Abroad Programs
Studying abroad is an invaluable college experience, so we suggest you plan your academic program in order to include a semester, or even a year, in another country. Berkeley Programs for Study Abroad is the UC Berkeley resource center for the University of California Education Abroad Program (EAP). They have information about UC sponsored Education Abroad Programs and Non-EAP Programs. They can connect you with programs specific to social, environmental, and biological sciences. Remember to check early with your academic advisor to make sure your plan fits with your major requirements.
Student Testimonials
Michelle Conklin, Molecular Environmental Biology
EAP Program, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
I travelled far and wide, studied virology, cooked curries with my dorm mates, rowed with the school rowing team, volunteered in community health care, and made some lifelong friends :-) Not only was it an excellent chance to try out other methods of learning - at my campus we referred to labs as "practicals" - appropriate, right?!
Studying abroad was instrumental in helping me develop perspective about where I fit in the greater scheme of things. Upon returning to Cal, I really identified unnecessary (mostly self-imposed!) pressure. I realized the importance of setting honest, reasonable goals and being able to consciously adapt them as you learn more about relevant topics and about your own interests.
Also, there are a whole lot of study/work/volunteer abroad programs that are out there, not just through UC, so if people are ever curious, there are those options, too.
Samantha Stevens, Conservation and Resource Studies
School for Field Studies, Center for Marine Resource Studies, South Caicos (a Non-EAP Program)
I spent the past semester studying at the Center for Marine Resource Studies on the island of South Caicos through the School for Field Studies. Since the Center is located right on the edge of a marine reserve, we were able to directly apply what we were learning in the classroom to the field.
Ecology identification tests and research projects were conducted using various snorkeling and SCUBA diving methods, which meant that much of our day was spent in the water directly interacting with the species and ecosystems we were studying. This program also focuses on the socioeconomic realities of South Caicos (a small, arid, fishing-based island) and what they mean in terms of challenges and opportunities for marine conservation.
While there are a lot of study abroad programs out there to choose from, I would definitely recommend this particular program for anyone who wants to be immersed in hands-on marine research that integrates the socio-economic, cultural, and ecological aspects of conservation.
Tessa Verhoef, Molecular Environmental Biology
EAP, Santiago de Chile
When I first got to Berkeley I knew I wanted study abroad, but being a science major I felt kind of discouraged since I wasn’t sure if anything from abroad would transfer and whether or not I was going to graduate on time. Turned out none of these things I was so worried about where even a big issue (warning: you should still plan out your college career with some care).
While abroad I took mostly environmental classes and got two of them to count for my area of concentration! I made sure to bring my syllabi from abroad back, so don’t throw those away because you want those classes to match up with something that could work here. Also make sure to talk to your advisor before going abroad so that you can make sure you’re on track and everything, and just email them while you are abroad if you have questions.
Going abroad was definitely the best experience I have had here in college. I learned so much about a different culture and it really allowed me to experience living in a big city. I learned ‘chilean’ or Spanish and even did an internship at the Santiago zoo where I worked at the animal clinic and did some animal management. I also played tennis at my university, travel and learn about some of the politics of Chile (they just got out of a dictatorship a while back so there is a lot of history there).
I know I was really doubtful about going abroad but in the end it was worth it and I can’t believe what college would have been like without having done it. Who knows when else you’ll have the opportunity to live in another country for 6 months?!? Do it while you can, it’s definitely possible with just a little bit of planning!
