Take a look at the courses below, chart out your adventure, and then either register using this form or email Laura Lea Berry with any further questions.

Cheese II-Lactic Cheesemaking:July 22-25, 2015

Offered in partnership with the Cellars at Jasper Hill

 

 

Sterling College is now debuting Cheesemaking II classes. This course is primarily for experienced cheese makers, or those who have taken Fundamentals of Artisan Cheesemaking at Sterling College.

 

In this hands-on unit, students will take a deeper dive into the world of the lactic cheeses: from classification, through the various steps of production and critical parameters at each stage, to aging procedures and adjustments according to the milk’s origin. Following this unit, students will have a clear overview about production of artisan lactic cheeses, they will be able to produce their own types of cheeses in the lactic family, respecting regulations, sanitary, and market expectations.

 

 

Charcuterie Course:June 29-July 10, 2015Over two weeks, students will learn the practical and scientific knowledge involved in creating small-scale artisan meat products.

 

Students will learn the processes for butchering, processing, fermenting, curing and dry-aging multiple animal types. A specific emphasis will be placed on tying microbiological knowledge to hands-on skills, in the broader context of food safety and state and federal regulations.

 

Charcuterie is currently full but we are accepting names for a waiting list. 

 

 

This two-week intensive course is designed to provide students with practical, hands-on and scientific knowledge involved in creating small scale artisan fermented vegetables and fruits. Students will learn the processes for fermenting plant materials, beverages, mold cultures, legumes, grains and nuts. Students will explore the fermentation of animal foods, including numerous milk products and some meats.

 

 

Working Horses, Working Landscape:June 1-12, 2015

This immersion course will introduce participants to the basic skills and operations necessary to develop and manage a horse powered farm and woodlot management system.

 

 

Summer Agriculture Program: May 31-July 25, 2015

The Summer Agriculture Program is an immersive and challenging 8-week experience designed for students with strong foundational knowledge of sustainable agriculture, who seek practical experience in the context of a rigorous academic program.
 

Bicycle Touring: June 1-12, 2015

This two week course is designed as an introduction to bicycle touring. Week one will include an introduction to the mechanics of a bike, bike mechanics and repairs, obtaining a proper fit, route planning, gear and tool management, and fitness. Week two will consist of a 5 day, fully supported trip traveling through northern Vermont and New Hampshire.

 

 

Canadian Whitewater Canoe Expedition: July 13-24, 2015

Carved by glaciers, inhabited & traveled by First Peoples, explored by voyageurs, denuded by loggers, and enjoyed by recreationists, the Dumoine River (Quebec) provides an ideal opportunity for an investigation into the human and natural history of a unique Canadian waterway. We will paddle the wave-filled 100km of the Dumoine River, from source to sink, not only to develop white-water canoeing & expedition skills, but also to place ourselves deep in the land to listen and learn from it. 

 

Rock Climbing Expedition: June 15-July 6, 2015

This is an advanced climbing course designed for rock climbers who want to improve their climbing skills or transfer to their gym experience to the outdoors. After reviewing the basics of outdoor top-roping (including equipment use & care and anchor building), we will spend the majority of the course focusing on improving climbing technique and on advanced climbing skills. Depending on student ability and interest these may include self-rescue skills, sport climb leading, traditional climbing, and multi-pitch climbing.

 

Wilderness First Aid & CPR Certification: June 5-7, 2015

This 16 hour Wilderness First Aid (WFA) is SOLO’s most popular course and it creates a solid foundation in the basics of backcountry medical care. The course also includes American Heart Association CPR with AED for Adult and Child certification.

 

WFA is the perfect course for the outdoor enthusiast or trip leader who wants a basic level of first aid training for short trips with family, friends, and outdoor groups. It also meets the ACA guidelines.

 

Animation that Matters:June 1-12, 2015

In this course, students will learn the art of stop-motion animation from scratch. They will create short original animated videos that address critical environmental issues such as GMO seeds, industrial wind power , or conservation. Mediums may include drawing, clay, household objects, cut-out pictures, toys, or objects from nature. We will also view and discuss historically important examples of issue-oriented animation by well known artists in order to learn what makes animation so effective at addressing issues.

 

Mandala Murals: June 15-18, 2015

This course introduces students to the mural art form through the creation of one or two (depending on enrollment) circular mandalas on plywood, that will be installed on the outside of a barn or building. The mandala(s) will represent the philosophies and teachings of Sterling College, with symbolism representing ecology, botany, and the creative sustainable lifestyle. Students will be given historical context on the art of mandalas and murals through lectures. They will be assigned to research and present on some aspect of the rich history of mandala and/or mural making, and also create their own mandala sketch before embarking on our creation of the mandala mural(s).

 

Place Based Arts: June 29-July 10, 2015

This course begins by establishing theoretical foundations for place-based arts (Abram, Andrews, Elder, Goldsworthy, Solnit, and others), and introducing students to select artisans in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom region (current gallery exhibitors or studios). Students will then engage in experiential 2-D and 3-D expression, using elements (charcoal, beeswax, pigments, fibers, stones, etc) of the local landscape (College lands, other parts within Black River/Memphremagog watershed), and finally contextualize, interpret, and exhibit their work. 

Writing in Place: A Summer Writers’ Workshop, July 13-24, 2015

This immersive 2-week writers’ workshop brings together leading writers, teachers, and environmental thinkers and to explore resonances between place, nature, food, and culture in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Participants can expect to work alongside Workshop faculty–including John Elder, Jane Brox, and Lynne Anderson–while crafting their own creative non-fiction, narrative, memoir, journal, or other genre.

Botany of Cryptogams: July 13-24, 2015

This course is a field and lab-based exploration of spore-producing plants, including mosses, liverworts, hornworts, quillworts, club-mosses, ferns, and horsetails.  Emphasis will be on field- based identification and ecology of plants, as well as lab-based microscope use for identification, classification and exploration of the biology of specimens.  Accompanying lecture topics will be focused on cryptogam evolution and classification. 

This course will provide students with the knowledge to make management decisions that will protect the biodiversity of local forests while harvesting forest products. Students will become familiar with local breeding bird species through early morning birding excursions and observation of nesting behavior in local forested areas. Students will also become familiar with forest ecology, management techniques, and silvicultural practices.

 

Loons and Limnology: June 29-July 10, 2015

This course integrates exploration of lake ecosystems with a case study approach to Common Loons and their breeding ecology.  Students will gain an understanding of aquatic ecology and food chains, water chemistry, aquatic energy flow, and shoreline dynamics, as well as the evolution and physiology of Gaviiformes, life histories of loon species, their feeding and breeding ecology, with a focus on Gavia Immer, the Common Loon. There will be a strong focus on applying these topics to lake and watershed conservation efforts, including invasive species, shoreline development, water quality, and wildlife habitat. 

Wildlife Conservation: June 1-12, 2015

This course is an introduction to management of specific habitats for wildlife. Concepts such as wildlife population dynamics and ecosystem management will be addressed. A strong focus is given to the diversity of wildlife management problems and the ecological basis of solution. Guest lectures by professionals figure prominently in the second half of the course. Field surveys include ruffed grouse population assessment and electro fishing a local stream to estimate fish population.