Second year Geographers visit SW USA

In May 2019 a group of second year Geography students visited SW USA.

At Lake Mead

The trip included visits to the Grand Canyon, Moenave Dinosaur Tracks, and Las Vegas.

At Grand Canyon National Park

Students had the opportunity to walk a trail down into the Canyon

Capturing the sunrise at Grand Canyon National Park

The trip, which lasted two weeks, provided opportunities for the students to learn about landscape development, tourism and resource management.

At Moenave Dinosaur Tracks

Exploring the tourist experience in Las Vegas

Second year Geography students go on the trip of a lifetime

Our second year Geography students recently had the opportunity to travel to SW USA.
 

Students at Grand Canyon National Park

They spent two weeks visiting a range of fascinating natural and built environments, learning more about landscape development, resource management and tourism.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Arches National Park

Lake Powell

Highlights of the trip included the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas.

In fabulous Las Vegas!

You can read more about the trip here.

The trip is available to students on any of our Geography programmes:
BSc (Hons) Geography
BSc (Hons) Geography (human geography)
BSc (Hons) Geography (physical geography)
BA/BSc Joint Honours Human Geography
BSc (Hons) Geography (4 years with Foundation study)

Geography students visit SW USA

Second year Geography students have just returned from trip of a lifetime! They spent two weeks in Nevada, Arizona and Utah as part of the USA Field Module.

The students learned about tourism, geology and landscape development, and resource management.

Learning about tourism and Route 66 in Arizona

Visiting Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

They visited a number of National Parks during the trip, including the Grand Canyon.

Smiling despite the rain!

The traditional Grand Canyon group photo

Admiring Delicate Arch (Arches National Park)

The glorious Bryce Canyon National Park

The group travelled through iconic landscapes, such as Monument Valley.

At Monument Valley

There was also an opportunity to learn about adventure tourism through rafting on the Colorado River in Moab, Utah.

Rafting the Colorado River

Towards the end of the trip the group spent some time in Las Vegas, learning about the unique tourist experience offered by the city.

The group's Twitter account of their trip can be viewed here (no login necessary).

Geography students visit SW USA

Second year Geography students recently went on a two-week field trip to SW USA.  They visited California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada on their road trip.

Dr Greg Spellman gives instructions for the first day - at Santa Monica pier

The trip enabled students to gain an in-depth understanding of tourism and resource-management issues in SW USA.

Learning about water management at Parker Dam

Tourism and Route 66

We visited a number of National Parks and National Monuments, including Sunset Crater volcano and the Grand Canyon.

At the entrance to Grand Canyon National Park

Walking the Lava Flow Trail at Sunset Crater National Monument

Students completed a number of tasks each day, and developed their research skills.

Working in a National Park visitor centre.

We covered more than 2,000 miles on the trip, staying in a different town most nights.

One of the beautifully-decorated minibuses!

On the road again...

We travelled through some fabulous landscapes.

At Horseshoe Bend.

Monument Valley

After more than a week in the glorious wilderness, we ended the trip with visits to Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Viva Las Vegas!

Standing (a long way in front) of the Hollywood sign.

See what the second year Geography trip to SW USA is up to!

The second year geography field trip to SW USA departed early on Wednesday 13th May 2015. They will be maintaining a blog of their trip - you can find out what they are up to here.

Students give the classes

Second year Geography students have taken on the role of teaching staff!  They have prepared and delivered seminar classes to their peers as part of the USA Field Module.  The module comprises a series of seminars, followed by a two-week trip to SW USA.

To help the students gain a better understanding of the places and issues that will be explored in the field, the lecturers asked them to prepare some classes.  Guidance and support was provided by the lecturers to ensure that appropriate research and preparation was carried out, but students were given the freedom to determine how the materials should be presented.  Topics covered included: the geology of the Colorado Plateau; stratigraphy at the Grand Canyon, volcanism in SW USA; film-making at Monument Valley; the Navajo Nation; geotourism in Utah, and resource management in national parks.  The classes took many forms, making use of lectures, videos, handouts, and even a ‘Pointless’ quiz.

Students will be visiting the Grand Canyon.

Tourism related to film-making at Monument Valley will also be explored during the trip.

Students will visit a number of National Parks, including this one - Bryce Canyon.

The field trip will take place in May.  This optional module (available to both Single Honours and Joint Honours Geography students) explores tourism, physical geography and resource management in SW USA.  This ‘road trip’ covers parts of Nevada, Arizona and Utah, and includes visits to five National Parks, the Navajo Nation, and Las Vegas.

Reflections of a BSc Physical Geography Student - Sam Scarborough

My time as a BSc Physical Geography student at the University of Northampton has been truly wonderful from start to finish (and no, I'm not under duress to say this - honest!).

Since day one, the members of staff here have made everyone feel that they are included and that they are important - something that is much needed when starting as a first year and also when completing your degree three years later.

Throughout my time here I have met 15 or so of the lecturers - each focussed on their own areas of interest and each as enthusiastic to teach/help as the next. This leads to a very broad scope of the subjects on offer at the University of Northampton. I have found that this gives students their own chance to be inquisitive, and that it gives them the want to conduct their own research - especially true when it comes to the construction and completion of the undergraduate thesis.

My time at this University has given me some wonderful experiences - the second year trip to the USA being a prime example (see photo). Whilst there are other enjoyable and educational trips on offer here, the sights and memories of the USA trip will remain for the rest of my life; as will the memories of spending time with my course mates and spending time in the laboratory working on my dissertation.

Looking back at Monument Valley, Utah -
this is the spot where Forrest Gump stops running

Going to university should be both about the quality of education and the enjoyment you get out of that education (and time spent in the SU, of course).  So, would I choose a different course/university given the chance to turn back the clock? No - I honestly wouldn't.

Southwest USA Geography Field Trip 2014 #2

Dr Greg Spellman

The annual Second Year Geography field trip to the USA ran in the first two weeks of April. 32 students and 3 tutors flew into a hot Las Vegas airport only immediately to drive a mile high onto the Colorado plateau where the snow not only capped the mountains but still lay amongst the pine trees at our first hotel. This popular field trip is based on a 1000-mile loop around the high desert states of Arizona, Utah and Nevada. The route takes us across the Hoover Dam, along Route 66 and to a number of friendly, but small, American towns. We take in five National Parks (Grand Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon, Zion), a National Monument (Sunset Crater Volcano) and a Navajo Tribal Park (Monument Valley). In the course of the trip we study three interconnected themes of landscape development, tourism and resource management.

Arches National Park

Visits to National Parks usually involve walking some form of trail which can range from ‘pleasant stroll’ to ‘strenuous’ (coming back up the trail at Grand Canyon, for instance, can be breathtaking in more ways than one). Each park is very different but the most popular this year was probably the immense sandstone structures at Arches National Park. The trip ends up with four nights in sunny Las Vegas where there is no shortage of all forms of Geography! This is the eleventh year we have run this hugely successful and enjoyable trip and students and staff alike never fail to be impressed by the ‘truly awesome’ environments.

South-west USA Geography Field Trip 2014 #1

 Dr Faith Tucker

At the start of the Easter break 32 intrepid Geography students travelled to SW USA for a two-week field trip. The trip (available to both Single Honours and Joint Honours Geography students) looks at three themes: tourism, geology and landscape development, and resource management.

After a long flight to Las Vegas, we managed a few hours sleep before heading off across the desert to Flagstaff, Arizona. On the way we drove down Route 66 and stopped off at a couple of small towns to learn about how tourism is key to the economy. We visited Sunset Crater National Monument to find out about the geological history of the area.

The Grand Canyon

Day two was a highlight for many – the Grand Canyon. We walked part-way along the South Kaibab Trail and also learned about resource management at the Canyon. The following day was spent travelling across the Navajo Nation, with stops at Monument Valley and Moenave Dinosaur Tracks. These sites provided opportunities to compare the types of resource management seen at Grand Canyon National Park to those on the Navajo Reservation.

A number of days were spent in Moab, Utah. We visited the spectacular Arches National Park and also spent a day interviewing locals about the impacts of adventure tourism on the local economy and environment.

Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park were visited during the second week of the trip. These very contrasting environments provided great opportunities to learn about landscape development, and to put into practice our developing fieldwork and research skills.

Las Vegas was our base for the final part of the trip. Las Vegas is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States, but its location in a desert means it faces tremendous challenges in relation to water management. It is also an interesting location to study tourism and the particular ‘brand’ of Las Vegas.

A great – if extremely tiring! – time was had by all.

The group in Las Vegas