For many University of Nevada students, the Lake Tahoe campus is a place to visit for a retreat or take a one credit course, but for Hunter Gardner, it became home.
The environmental science major spent a semester at the University of Nevada, Reno's Lake Tahoe campus, where the lake and mountains became more than a scenic backdrop. They became his classroom. Instead of spending every day inside four walls, Gardner found himself hiking through forests, exploring mountain trails and learning firsthand from the environment he hopes to one day protect.
"I've always loved being outside," Gardner said. "Being able to learn in a place like Tahoe made everything feel more real."
One of the experiences that stood out to Gardner came during a Biology course taught by retired professor Chris Smith. Rather than simply reading about wildlife, he and his classmates ventured into the Truckee Meadows to install motion sensor trail cameras that would capture the animals moving through the area. When they returned to check the footage, they found mountain lions, black bears, deer and snowshoe hares roaming the landscape.
"When you actually get to see the wildlife you're studying, it changes your perspective," Gardner said.
The semester also gave Gardner the opportunity to spend more time pursuing two passions that naturally go hand in hand: hiking and photography.
With Tahoe as his backyard, he hiked more than 300 miles and gained over 64,000 feet in elevation throughout the semester.
With Tahoe as his backyard, he hiked more than 300 miles and gained over 64,000 feet in elevation throughout the semester. Having trails only minutes away meant he could head into the mountains after class, explore the Sierras and still make it back in time for his next lecture.
Photo by: Hunter GardnerThose hikes often led to breathtaking overlooks, quiet alpine lakes and hidden corners of the forest that few people ever get the chance to experience. Gardner rarely left without stopping to capture the moment with his camera.
For him, photography became another way of appreciating the natural world. Each photograph preserved a memory while reminding him why he chose to study environmental science in the first place.
While the scenery made the semester unforgettable, Gardner says it was the people who made it feel like home.
The Lake Tahoe campus offered a much smaller community than Reno, allowing students to build close relationships with one another. Before long, classmates became close friends, and the support from faculty and staff helped Gardner grow both personally and academically.
They would all spend their time together watching movies, traveling around the scenic area, playing board games, and much more.
"It really felt like one big family," Gardner said.
Semester at Tahoe strengthened his passion for environmental science, gave him the freedom to explore some of Nevada's most beautiful landscapes and introduced him to a community that made the experience one he will never forget.
Looking back, Gardner says the semester was much more than an opportunity to earn college credits. It strengthened his passion for environmental science, gave him the freedom to explore some of Nevada's most beautiful landscapes and introduced him to a community that made the experience one he will never forget.
For Gardner, the Lake Tahoe campus wasn't just another place to study, it was a place that shaped the person and environmental scientist he is becoming.
