DATES: JUNE 19 – 22, 2025
TUITION: $686
LOCATION: GARDINER, MT
GROUP SIZE: 13
ACTIVITY LEVEL: 2
PROGRAM INFORMATION
For more than 3.8 billion years, the survival of all forms of Life on Earth through geological time has depended on successfully responding to, and eventually controlling, mineral growth within the environment. This process, called biomineralization, has been an essential, unavoidable, and ubiquitously distributed force of nature that has provided essential benefits (such as coral skeletons and dinosaur teeth), as well as profound practical problems and impediments (such as kidney stones and cardiovascular calcification). This course will explore the scientific renaissance being driven by the geological, biological, and medical research being completed at Mammoth Hot Springs that is reframing our basic approach to tackling the grand challenges that face society regarding environmental change, energy sustainability, human health, and space exploration.
DAY 1
WELCOME & ORIENTATION
The program starts with an evening orientation. Participants will get to know one another and be introduced to the program. Throughout the evening, the itinerary and seminar key concepts will be discussed, as well as what to expect to pack for the field each day.
DAY 2
Mammoth Hot Springs: What is It and How Does it Work?
Participants will systematically progress through the nuts and bolts of life-water-mineral composed is that Mammoth is composed and how they have interacted over the last 8,000 to form the Mammoth Hot Springs we see today.
DAY 3
Mammoth Hot Springs: A Natural Lab for Understanding the Origins of Life and Space Exploration
Participants will explore all aspects of the life-mineral-water systems at Mammoth and how these provide insights into everything from the earliest microbial life on Earth to how this information guides landing sites and future sample return analyses from other planets.
DAY 4
Mammoth Hot Springs: A Natural Lab for Understanding Human Body Calcification
Participants will dive into the many ways in which Mammoth is opening new understanding how human kidney stones, human cardiovascular calcification and breast cancers develops and how this is driving new approaches to treatments.
Dates & Times: The program begins at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 19, 2025, and goes through Sunday, June 22, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.
Meals: This course is not catered. Participants will need to bring their own food; lunch should be able to travel in the field.
ACTIVITY LEVEL 2
- Be prepared to hike up to 3 miles per day, comfortably, with elevation gains up to 600 feet. Some off-trail hiking possible.
- For more information about our activity levels, please visit our Activity Level webpage here.
- Most activities will take place at elevations between 7,200 to 8,000 feet. Participants residing at lower elevations may want to arrive a day early to adjust to the altitude.
- To learn more about how specific medical conditions can be affected by Yellowstone’s environment and our activities, please visit our site page on health information.
- All field activities will be conducted as a group. If members of the group cannot participate in the day’s activities, they need to let the educator know in advance.
- To participate in this program, each participant must fill out and sign a health questionnaire and assumption of risk waiver. These forms must be completed and returned at least 30 days prior to the program start date.
RECOMMENDED READINGS
- Fouke & Murphy 2016 The Art of Yellowstone Science
- (A free PDF copy is available here)
Whom to Contact: For any questions, concerns, or additional information please contact the following:
Program itinerary, health forms, payment, and general program questions please contact Yellowstone Forever at [email protected] or 406-848-2400 extension 3
Road updates, park conditions, and general park information please contact Yellowstone National Park Service at https://www.nps.gov/yell/contacts.htm
If running late for a program, please contact 406-641-2185.
General Information: For general information about the facilities, preparation for classes, what to expect, cancellation policies, and more, please see the Gardiner-Based Field Seminars – General Information document.
Cancellation Policy: Review our Cancellation & Refund Policies here.
BOOK THIS FIELD SEMINAR NOW
Bruce Fouke, Ph.D.
Bruce W. Fouke has worked at Mammoth Hot Springs and other sites throughout the Park for 30 years. Bruce is the Ralph E. Grim Professor of the Department of Earth Sciences & Environmental Change at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He also serves as Director of the Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center and holds appointments in the Illinois Cancer Center and Integrated Biology. Bruce’s research interests concentrate on geobiological studies of Life-Mineral-Water Biomineralization interactions in modern and ancient coral reefs (Curaçao, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, European Alps), hot springs (Yellowstone, Italy), Earth’s deep subsurface (Illinois, Alaska, Scotland), Roman aqueducts (Italy), and the human body (Mayo Clinic Rochester, ULCA Health, Northwestern Medicine).
