10/20/2026
What does it mean to live well on the land? How have human communities shaped the landscapes around them and how have those landscapes shaped the communities in return? How do we balance conservation, cultural traditions, livelihoods, and the needs of a changing world in a changing climate?
These are not simple questions, nothing in this world is.
Across Montana, answers are written into mountain wilderness, winding rivers, working ranches, tribal lands, and communities navigating the challenges of energy production, conservation, and sustainability in the modern world. Understanding our relationship with the land means listening to the many people who know it, depend on it, and have cared for it across countless generations.
Montana Afoot and Afloat: Human/Land Relations, our 15-credit fall semester course, invites you to explore these connections firsthand through a combination of backpacking, kayaking, and place-based learning throughout Montana's famed landscapes.
From the rugged trails of the Bob Marshall Wilderness to more than 100 miles of paddling along the Missouri River, you will travel across Montana’s diverse biomes while engaging with Indigenous community members, land managers, ranchers, scientists, and other community leaders. Through these experiences, you will examine the past, present, and future of human relationships with the natural world to develop your own vision for how we can live responsibly on the land.
Understanding a place takes more than studying a map. It takes getting out there for real, listening to different perspectives yourself, asking difficult questions, and experiencing the connections between people and the landscapes we call home. This is your chance.
