Introduction to Environmental Studies: Mt. Rainier was a team-taught, year-long academic program that was offered in the 1999-2000 academic year at The Evergreen State College. This course was designed to achieve several objectives: (1) introduce intermediate students to a wide range of natural and social science topics in an integrated manner, (2) provide opportunities for service learning at the park, and (3) conduct scientific research projects within and around the park.

The entire class was actively involved in studying a wetland system situated north of the Nisqually River and between Kautz and Tahoma Creeks. This work was done in collaboration with the Park Service and all of the students in the class participated in field and lab work that extended over the course of the entire academic year. This project involved a detailed topographic survey and water quality monitoring as well as the final wetland habitat delineation. A detailed elevation survey was conducted and a DEM was created using GIS. Ground and surface water elevations were monitored within the wetland and water quality was monitored on a weekly basis. The water quality within the wetlands was found to be pristine; no anthropogenic influence was identified. An intimate relationship between water quantity and water quality parameters was established. The pH of the waters was found to be extremely consistent, even in the histosols of the wetland. The concentration of dissolved solids consistently decreased as water passed through the Kautz-Tahoma wetland. The class was able to classify wetland habitats and identify and interpret the complex and very dynamic structure of the wetland system.