Exploring the Dolomites: Landscape, History, and Ecology in Northern Italy Field seminar

An interdisciplinary seminar in the Dolomites, initiated in 2019, explores the intersection of World War I history and environmental transformation in the Anthropocene. The project treats the mountain landscape as a “living archive” that bears scars from human and environmental violence. Through hiking, field studies, and analysis of geological and historical sites, such as the Bletterbach Gorge and the Lagazuoi tunnels, participants reflect on the deep connection among memory, natural landscapes, and the intertwined narratives of peace and war.

I look forward to leading a group of UO students in exploring the astonishing natural history and geological wonders of the Dolomites, as well as the traces of human history in these sublime mountains. During the 2-week journey, we will experience the best of the Dolomites, practice conscious excursions, and receive an experiential environmental and historical education. Hiking from hut to hut and through tunnels built during WWI, we will learn to read the magnificent natural environment as a unique, open textbook. It will be a transformative voyage of discovery in which the individual “self” learns to relate to the pervasive, embracing dimensions of deep time and space inscribed in the landscape. For more information, see the GLOBAL EDUCATION OREGON website.