Expanding classroom walls: KPU’s new geology course takes students into the field

Bright orange construction vests can be spotted at lunchtime on Mondays at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Surrey campus.

Students in the GEOG 2500: Doing Field Research course attend outdoor labs as part of their geography learning. The second-year course, taught by geography department chair John Martin, was offered for the first time this semester.

“Every geography department worth their weight has an outdoor field course, and we’ve been dying to get one,” says Martin, who started teaching at KPU 30 years ago.

He adds that while other geography classes do go outside, GEOG 2500 is unique as it focuses on outdoor data collection. Lectures are one hour, while labs take up the remainder of each class.

Gavin Keith, a history major and geography minor, and geography student Ryan Laface both took the class because it’s different from others in the program — Laface added that it’s a “breath of fresh air.”

“Physical and human geography were locked in the classroom,” Keith says. “But in this [course], every single class, you’re going out for hands-on experience.”

Second-year geography student Yasmin Lubrio is an outdoorsy person, and says she studies geography because she’s fascinated by what people can’t see in their environment. 

In a surveying lab in October, students measured KPU’s Surrey campus courtyard using three methods: a tape measure, dropping pins on Google Maps, and a dumpy level. Students then compared the area of all three measurements.

A dumpy level, consisting of a telescope on a tripod, is an optical surveying instrument used to measure height differences between points, often on construction or land sites. 

“A dumpy level is a very old method of surveying, but it’s still done today,” Martin says. “You’re making triangles and measuring points, so learning [about] the dumpy level is a nice introduction.”

In previous labs, students focused on collecting human geography data, including sound across campus, foot traffic exiting the Surrey library, and car traffic along 128 Street and 72 Avenue.

“We recorded and compared how loud each section around campus was, and what could be done to change and improve that?” says third-year geography student Kaiden Keith. “We’ve also documented the most popular car used at KPU — I think it was a Honda or Hyundai.”

Martin says that while students were counting cars in the parking lot, other people thought they were getting parking tickets.

“It’s funny. This is a great example of what can happen in the field,” he says. “When you’re working, maybe you have to worry about animals and safety — but this is something I didn’t expect.”

Students are often approached while collecting data during labs, Martin says, adding that the word is getting out about the “new kid in town.”

In the remaining weeks, students will measure soil, trees, and atmospheric characteristics like air and ground temperature. Martin is also planning a field trip to the Stanley Park Seawall this month to identify rocks.

He hopes the course runs again in the fall 2027 semester. Current prerequisite requirements are nine credits at the 1100 level or higher.

“We wanted to open the [course] up just a little bit more, so that students can dip their toe into geography and see if they like it,” Martin says.

While GEOG 2500 is required for geography students, Soniya Tokaryk, an anthropology major and geography minor, took the course after attending an archeological field school at Langara College last summer.

“I’m an archeology nerd, which is why I’m going into anthropology with a focus on art, and having a geography background is necessary for that,” Tokaryk says.

Third-year geography student Zachary Bissonnette adds that geography can lead different careers.

“I don’t know exactly what I want to do yet, but some career paths are urban planning, map making, and even architecture,” Bissonnette says. “It’s a lot of practical knowledge that combines many disciplines.”