Students who are excited about learning while in an outdoor setting have many opportunities with multiple field experiences available through SEES. Many courses include a lab component the utilize local field sites such as the Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory. Other courses include up to week-long field trips to state and national parks, mines, and/or quarries across the country and in international locations. Earth and environmental science majors have the opportunity to attend a three-week-long field camp in Montana to develop their field skills.

Students interested in prairie ecosystems, surface water, and groundwater have access to the University of Iowa's Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory. This prairie restoration, made possible through the efforts of UI students, the Office of Sustainability and Environment, and UI Athletics, is a fantastic site for experiential study. It is a fully instrumented prairie where data can be collected for courses or research. Students can sign up for courses that spend time at the prairie, or can contact the Mandy Duffy to inquire about opportunities for independent research on site.

Many students take advantage of classes offered each summer by the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory in the northwestern part of Iowa. Students take 2- or 4-week classes in a variety of subjects ranging from field biology to taxonomy to GIS to archaeology. Registration for classes begins in the early part of the spring semester, so interested students should plan ahead.

Service positions are available with Green Iowa AmeriCorps.

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Conduct acoustic surveys along drive transects and in fixed-locations to monitor bat activity, funded by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. 

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Big Sky Watershed Corps focuses on natural resource and watershed community initiatives and provides young adults a chance to gain hands-on experience while making a measurable difference in communities.

The Ecological Society of America (ESA) partners with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to offer summer internships to outstanding field-trained undergraduates for whom the experience would be transformative. Students may only be nominated by faculty who teach or direct field courses or field programs equivalent to 40 hours of biological field research training or other qualifying course or program. 

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World Wildlife Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental conservation through science.

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The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is seeking talented interns and volunteers who are enthusiastic about their mission and passionate about renewable energy.

The Iowa Earth Team Volunteer Program is the volunteer workforce of the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

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Project GREEN is a citizens' volunteer organization powered by those who take pride and interest in the environmental beauty of our Johnson County and Iowa City communities. Volunteers are the most vital commodity to Project GREEN. Consider volunteering your time or your garden.

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Volunteerism with PCC (Polk County Conservation) focuses on hands-on restoration and preservation of Polk County's parks, trails, and waterways. Volunteers work alongside conservation professionals, learn about the central Iowa landscape, and participate in projects that yield immediate and rewarding results.

Volunteering with PCC is a wonderful way to lend a helping hand while enjoying the great outdoors. All community members, both youth and adult, are invited to participate in a variety of activities and projects throughout the year according to their interests. Opportunities abound in any of our managed areas and in a variety of ways. 

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Do you have a knack for knowledge? An appetite for adventure? A hand for helping? Whether you can donate a couple of hours or stick around for years, join SCI’s volunteer team for a variety of volunteering opportunities.

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