NOLS - Semester in Baja

  Mexico

• Baja: 
Bahia de Los Angeles,  Ensenada,  La Paz,  Loreto

Term: Fall, Spring 
Dates: Fall: September 9-November 25, 2009; September 23-December 9, 2009

Description: Flanked by the Pacific Ocean on the West and the Sea of Cortez on the east, the Baja California Peninsula is a land of extremes and contrasts. Granite and volcanic mountain ranges extend over 1,000 miles down the peninsula's central spine, and Picacho del Diablo, a 10,126-foot peak in the northern mountains, is snow covered in winter months. The rest of Baja California, while still very rugged and mountainous, is Sonoran Desert country, receiving less than 10 inches of rainfall a year. Here exists an amazing variety of desert life, including more than 110 species of cacti.

For three months, you'll explore these contrasting environments on foot, in a sea kayak and on a sailboat while you learn the skills you need to visit these ecosystems comfortably and responsibly in the future.

* Backpacking
You'll heft a backpack with everything you need for travel in the backcountry and head out for the desert and mountains. Your instructors will teach you the finer points of risk management and hazard evaluation, Leave No Trace camping, route selection, map reading and more.

Classes will include discussions on group dynamics, leadership techniques, geology, wildlife identification and informal Spanish instruction. As you move through this environment, you'll meet and get acquainted with local ranchers who also call this land home.

* Sailing
Your mode of travel for this section will be a 22-foot Drascombe longboat, a great open boat that will let you probe the remote coves that larger sailing vessels can't reach. You'll move along the coastline, camping on shore during the night and hoisting sail during the day. You'll learn coastal navigation, teamwork, seamanship, anchoring, sail handling and steering. You may take time off to snorkel the warm waters of the ocean and discover the underwater life of Baja.

* Sea Kayaking
Along with learning kayak coastal travel skills like navigation, rolling, surfing and paddle strokes, you'll also focus on skin diving skills like mask and snorkel techniques, water risk management, and perhaps even do some spear fishing.

You'll have the opportunity to fish with a rod and reel. Desert natural history is also a large part of these sections because it's easy to take advantage of land-based activities when the ocean is too rough. Some semesters make open water crossings to explore uninhabited islands located in the Gulf of California, while others visit San Nicholas, a remote fishing village where you'll spend some time learning about the local culture. You'll travel through these protected wildlands, observing the abundant bird and marine life and becoming enchanted with this land and its people.

Highlights:
College Credit:
(Optional)

16 Semester Credit Hours:
4 Hours Biology
2 Hours Environmental Ethics
2 Hours Leadership Techniques
6 Hours Skills Practicum
2 Hours Risk Management

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Cost in US$: Spring: USD 10,240; Fall: USD 10,500

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Mexico Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups

Scholarships are Available. Each year NOLS offers over USD 800,000 dollars in scholarship assistance. Scholarship aid is available to applicants who show great potential to excel as NOLS students and who would be unable to attend without financial aid. These scholarship dollars are made available through the generosity of alumni and friends to the NOLS Fund. Our graduates realize the great impact a NOLS education has and volunteer both time and money to further the school's mission.

Application Process Involves:

• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Job and Internship Network

NOLS The National Outdoor Leadership School's Mission Statement: The mission of the National Outdoor Leadership School is to be the leading source and teacher of wilderness skills and leadership that serve people and the environment.

Year Founded: 1965