An eye-opening major
"It's an eye-opening major on life," says a junior environmental science major. "I'm taking a class that focuses on consumerism and shows how our views of the environment have developed since frontier days. You become aware of how we use our resources today, where our food and clothing come from, whether we use our resources or exploit them. It's a collective study that makes connections between sociology and the sciences, especially biology, and shows how they relate to the environment; basically, how we are using the earth." A professor adds, "The environmental science major bridges the gap between the more traditional disciplines. It threads together biology, geology, chemistry, hydrology, and physics. It's a versatile discipline, but comes at the expense of hard college work."

Saving our world
"What I like most about environmental science is learning how to save our world," says a senior who is also an education minor. She adds, "From our professors and our own research we're learning to change our own lifestyles and how to help others understand what needs to be done—to quit consuming so much and to work within the ecosystem instead of trying to control it." A recent alum has dedicated her graduate studies to the prairie, saying, "I'm in the ecology section of the biology department at Kansas State University, working on a 9,000-acre research prairie that belongs to the Nature Conservancy. It's a huge research effort."

Making connections
"After I graduate, I know I will be ahead of many other students in my ability to focus on making connections, solving problems, and understanding what's really happening below the surface of what seem like obvious issues to many people," says a senior. A professor adds, "The whole environmental field is actually looking at applied ecosystems. It's looking at the interface of people with the environment. These students are leaving Principia with a working knowledge of how to help people live more in harmony and with less impact on their environment. That translates into good problem-solving skills."

The environment of the major itself
"We're outside a lot, not sitting in lecture classes," says a junior. "And although sometimes you want the teachers to give you the answers, most of the professors in our department, I can safely say, will not. They want you to find it out on your own. They'll guide you, but you come to your own understanding of how to use the science effectively, instead of simply memorizing answers without knowing how to apply them. Our professors are enthusiastic about what they're doing, and that makes it fun for us." A senior with minors in business administration and women's studies says she likes the advantage of small classes for her field study. "The time commitment in a science major is demanding. Most of the classes are two hours every day, and we do many field projects," says another environmental science major. "You keep busy going out to your field-study area to see what's changed." A transfer student says, "We had mostly lecture classes at the college I attended before. Sometimes I miss that, but I feel that I will leave Principia with the ability to process information, to present and discuss ideas. Those skills are needed in the work force. We are being trained in how to work." A graduate adds, "I learned at Principia how to reason well, how to think clearly, and how to speak and communicate effectively. It is a well-rounded background, and it really gets you a lot farther."

Finding direction in field work
"I designed and presented educational programs for children and adults at a national park near my home to fulfill the requirement of an internship or project," says a junior. She continues, "It gave me a direction. I know now that I really want to do this kind of work. It was my internship that got me the job I'll have this summer. And the professors in the department were very helpful when I was arranging the internship." A graduate says of his internship in his home state of Colorado, "It just furthered my desire to learn more about the outdoors, forestry, wildlife, environmental organizations, and to go back to school for my master's." Another recent graduate, while still a student, did an internship with the Department of Energy in Washington state where she was involved in environmental law. She says, "I worked for the contractor for the Department of Energy at a nuclear-waste facility where they had made plutonium for bombs during World War II."

Making a world of difference
"The environment is currently a two hundred billion dollar industry, and growing fast," says an environmental science professor. "Every business is affected by environmental regulations. Our students who work hard in the sciences can expect to fare exceptionally well in the job market when they get out of college." A senior with a minor in education is heading into the future well focused, saying, "Instead of graduating from college and not knowing what I can do with my major, I'm headed to work with the National Park Service for the summer, and then I'll start on a master's degree in education this fall." After graduation, one alum worked on the northern spotted owl survey for the state of Washington. He says, "Since I did mostly field work at Prin, it didn't seem like such difficult work." He then worked with the Missouri Department of Conservation on a bobwhite-quail study. And now, he says, "I work for a consulting firm in Orlando, Florida, doing wetland work. I do vegetational transects and take care of exotic species, in addition to introducing desirable species. Eventually I'll be managing the whole wetland."