Environmental Adventures Living-Learning Community

Professor, Environmental Studies & Sciences Department

Dan Sherman

Thompson 117G

253.879.2862

Mount Rainier—or as locals call it, “the mountain”—is the iconic backdrop to our campus and a welcome sight on a clear day. Are you the type who wants to learn how the mountain shapes local water systems? Do you want to do more than just look?

The Environmental Adventures Living-Learning Community (LLC) is designed for students who want to develop a deeper understanding of the place we live. In this LLC, you’ll dive into the nexus of science and policy, discussing local issues like climate change, public land management, water policy, and endangered species protection. And in the process you’ll gain familiarity with a range of environmental careers and callings.

What is the Environmental Adventures Living-Learning Community?

Outdoor experiential learning adventures in the Pacific Northwest.
Workshops on outdoor leadership skills such as collaborative decision making, communication, trip planning and navigation, outdoor cooking and shelter building, and wilderness first aid.
Curated opportunities to camp and hike at , tide-pool along the wild coastline of , kayak on the Snoqualmie River, and rock climb in .
Living on the same floor of a newly renovated residence hall.
Participating in a Connections 100 class.

Who is the Environmental Adventures Living-Learning Community For?

This LLC is open to anyone interested in learning about environmental issues in the Pacific Northwest—applicants do not need to be Environmental Studies & Sciences majors or to have experience with outdoor adventure. Off-campus programming is designed to be approachable and inclusive, focusing on the basics and on increasing comfort outside, and gear can be borrowed from Puget Sound Outdoors’ Expeditionary. You only need a willingness to try new things and learn in community with others.

Why Join the Environmental Adventures LLC?

Students in this LLC will be part of a cohort who all live on the same residence hall floor with the support of a dedicated Resident Assistant (RA), take a Connections 100 class together, and participate in planned activities—ranging from a bouldering session and a navigation scavenger hunt to a job preparation workshop and a dinner with local professionals in environmental careers. It’s a great opportunity to build a sense of community with like-minded students while also honing pre-professional skills.

How to Sign Up:

Students can indicate their interest in the Environmental Adventure LLC when they fill out the Housing Application under the section on "Special Living Options."

Meet Professor Dan Sherman

Dan Sherman is a professor in the Environmental Studies & Sciences Department who teaches the “Introduction to the Environment” course as well as classes in environmental policy and energy resources. He is the co-author of an undergraduate textbook on environmental science and sustainability with W.W. Norton Press as well as many other publications on topics ranging from nuclear and hazardous waste to sustainability in higher education. Sherman also directs the Sound Policy Institute, a campus initiative that works to bring students together with the wider regional community for outdoor experiential learning on environmental issues at the nexus of science and policy.

��������