MILESTONES / SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE / FALL 2026

 

BAILEY COLLEGE MILESTONE: FIRST FIELD QUARTER

Nature: Learn by Doing’s Best Classroom

WRITTEN BY NICK WILSON

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The Biological Sciences Department took organismal biology up a notch when four distinguished biological sciences faculty members teamed up to teach Field Quarter, a class of 34 students during Cal Poly’s final spring quarter before the conversion to semesters this fall.

Jenn Yost, Matt Ritter, Emily Taylor and Clint Francis shared their collective expertise in the combination of field botany, herpetology and ornithology. The Field Quarter class traveled throughout California visiting the northern redwood forests, the Mojave and Colorado Deserts, and both sides of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

Field Quarter is the fulfillment of a dream held by former biological sciences professors David Keil and V.L. Holland, who led similar excursions throughout the Golden State starting in the 1970s. Each spring quarter, the pair brought their Field Botany class on multiple field trips ranging from day outings to Morro Bay to a four-day venture in the desert, concluding with a visit to the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Students who participated in Field Quarter raved about experiencing vivid nature immersion with professors from three different disciplines. We collected their thoughts about what made the course so special.

Below, enjoy reading direct quotes from Field Quarter students and view more photos of their experiences.

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Traveling through California has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. The sheer diversity of flora and fauna that our class has been able to see is incredible. I grew up in California, but Field Quarter has made me realize how little I really knew about the state I call my home.

— Rowan Campbell, Environmental management and protection major; biology minor

I can’t say enough how awesome it is to learn and work with our four awesome professors. Each brings an immense depth of knowledge and passion for their respective fields, while constantly encouraging us to ask questions and engage as deeply as possible with the material.

— Owen Wells, Biological sciences major

I learned several technical skills relevant to the everyday work done by field biologists, botanists, and ecologists. We learned about specific surveying techniques, how to approach field biology, unfamiliar landscapes and natural history through a more holistic empirical lens.

— Mari Karp, Psychology major; biology and environmental studies minor