Widely regarded as one of the scientific leaders of the 19th century, John Wesley Powell’s field expeditions integrated geology, botany, climatology, and ethnology in ways that continue to inform our understanding of water and land management in the Western U.S. Legacies of Powell’s perspectives are seen today in synthetic, interdisciplinary, systems-based approaches to science education (e.g., Next Generation Science Standards, National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education), programs that provide students with skills to address sustainable nature resource needs, climate, biodiversity loss, and land-use. Environmental educators such as David Sobel and Richard Louv have written about the dual challenges posed by the decline of natural history education and “silicon faith” in technology, suggesting that students are unlikely to care about studying or conserving a natural world that they don’t experience first-hand or organisms that they can’t even name. Yet, whether due to rising costs, challenges with staffing lower enrollment field courses, or concerns about liability, undergraduate and high school science programs continue to move away from field-based instruction towards a greater emphasis on simulated, virtual, or indoor activities.
Results/Conclusions
Here, we suggest that critical zone science provides a new framework for field-based interdisciplinary education that brings John Wesley Powell’s perspective into contemporary classrooms and field education. Critical zone science is explicitly interdisciplinary, integrating all of the natural sciences (geology, ecology, hydrology), social sciences (anthropology), and environmental humanities (environmental history) to address processes and practices relevant to humanity such as land and ecosystem service management. Critical zone science is a place-based and community-engaged science, immersing students in experiential science within a specific landscape and cultural heritage. Exposure to interdisciplinary perspectives and methods helps place student interest in the natural world within a broader context and contributes to the development of future scientists and engaged citizens. This paper examines current trends in field-based environmental education along with models of interdisciplinary field programs that contribute to a critical zone perspective in environmental education.