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In the wild, not being wild SOU, British students study Mojave preserve By JOANNA COLLINS While most Southern Oregon University students let loose over spring break, some chose to skip showers and brush up on their study skills in the outdoors. A group of 23 students from SOU and Britain camped in the East Mojave National Preserve last week, studying land management of scenic areas and recreational resources such as trails and historical sites. The biennial trip to the 2,500-square-mile desert in Southern California is part of a course offered through the geography department. Students braved high winds and low nighttime temperatures for a chance to expand their educations. John Mairs, one of three SOU professors to join the adventure, said the preserve was a "geographical shock" for many students who only had seen Oregon and Northern California deserts. The desert was especially a shock for the eight students and a professor from King Alfreds College in Winchester, England. Mairs said they were there as a preliminary effort to develop an exchange program between the two schools. It was the first time SOU students were joined by others on the trip. "A lot of them had never camped before, let alone been to the United States," said Elizabeth Valenzuela, a senior who referred to the British students as "troupers." The course required students to do a research paper and a presentation on a topic related to the preserve before embarking on the 10-day trip. Some topics included vegetation, endangered species, mining operations and cattle grazing in the area. Once there, students experienced what a real desert was like, gathered information on the area and taught other students what they had learned. Valenzuela, a geography major, said she was excited to see the 600-foot-high sand dunes she studied throughout the term. She said they "barked," an amplified sound made when one steps on the grains of sand. Valenzuela called the experience "incredible." "One really learns more out on the field than they do out of a book," Valenzuela said. SOU professor Claude Curran has led the course to the East Mojave National Preserve every other year for 18 years. It is arranged through connections with the Bureau of Land Management and the National Parks Service. The land, previously owned by BLM, was only recently converted to a preserve. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA