Students will know:

• Representative plants and animals found in the pinelands
• Plants, animals, and humans contribute to the ecological function of the pinelands
• Pineland ecosystems function through a combination of living and nonliving components
• A history of human exploitation of natural resources shapes the pinelands
• That inquiry and observation contribute to understanding the pinelands
• How to safely operate a non-motorized canoe or kayak in the pinelands

Students will develop:

• Ability to prioritize and multi-task
• Time-management, teamwork, and observational skills
• Awareness of the species, natural resources, and public lands found in New Jersey
• Perspective on the importance of conserving natural resources

1. Book experiences with Pinelands Adventures under the same name and contact information (e-mail address)
2. Complete experiences worth a total of 20 points (see Table 1)
3. Choose experiences that include each of the five focus areas (Table 1)
4. Demonstrate learning by completing a quiz, within one week, after completion of each individual experience
5. Once all experiences are completed, write a reflection on how your overall experience in this program is related to your academic, professional, or personal life. This reflection should be at least 1 page long (2-3 paragraphs), with a maximum length of 2 pages, and discuss the importance of specific experiences in this program.
6. Send your reflection to the Instructor of Record at Rowan University along with your Rowan Banner ID, using the same e-mail that you used to book your experiences with Pineland Adventures.
7. If you do not have a Rowan Banner ID, let the Instructor of Record know that you need one, and you will be provided with a form to complete.
8. Participants pay a service fee (the “credit by exam fee”) to Rowan University
9. Credit will be awarded at the end of the current semester

• Each experience can only be completed once for credit toward the 20-point total.
• Failure to complete a quiz within one week of completing an experience means that you need to repeat or choose another experience.
• Credit for this course will be first awarded at the end of the Fall 2026 semester.

1. Participants initiate grading activity by the Instructor of Record by sending their reflection and Banner ID to the instructor of record via e-mail
2. The Instructor of Record requests verification of participation/attendance from Pinelands Adventures using the student’s contact information (name and e-mail).
3. Pinelands Adventures provides the instructor of Record with attendance verification (dates of attendance and experiences completed from their booking system) and access to completed learning assessments (approved quizzes).
4. Instructor of Record verifies that participant has satisfactorily demonstrated learning and completed requirements from credit
5. Instructor of Record will direct participant on how to successfully earn credit 

Course Evaluation and Assessment

The course will be evaluated through existing procedures (programmatic assessment) within the BBS department. Postexperience quizzes will contain questions to assess learning, but also address the participant experience, allowing Rowan to monitor the participant experience and assist the partner organization (Pinelands Adventures; a unit of The Pinelands Alliance) to improve experiences.

Experiences vary in cost, time commitment, time of day, frequency of occurrence, and safety requirements.  Contact Pinelands Adventures to discuss costs, arrange payment, and make reservations.  Pinelands Adventures will provide you with a link to complete a learning survey after you have completed each approved experience.  Pinelands Adventures may offer additional experiences beyond those listed in Table 1, but only those listed in Table 1 may be utilized in this program. Pinelands Adventures and Rowan University are committed to promoting accessibility in this program. Please inquire with Pinelands Adventures about the availability of adaptive equipment and specialized programming for participants with disabilities.

Table 1: Approved Experiences at Pinelands Adventures

Pine Barren Discovery Tour: A hike or paddling trip, depending on the season, at Atsion Lake.  The trip is guided by a naturalist and the focus is on water quality and water quality testing.

Mullica 101: A short paddling trip on the Mullica River or Atsion Lake combined with a hike.  The trip is guided by a naturalist and the focus in on plants, fire ecology, bog iron, and beavers. 

Sunset/Night Hike: A naturalist-guided hike around Franklin Parker Preserve or Rancocas Creek Farm.

Guided Mullica River Trip: A naturalist-guided paddling trip down the Mullica River, where you will learn about the history and ecology of the Mullica River.

Guided Batsto River Trip: A naturalist-guided paddling trip down the Batsto River, where you will learn about the history and ecology of the Batsto River.

Self-Guided River Trip: A trip down the Batsto or Mullica Rivers without a guide. Participants must complete a safety briefing, are expected to take notes on things they observe, and discuss their observations with a PINELANDS Adventure naturalist after their trip. A self-guided short trip on the Mullica River (The "Mullica River Shorty") is not an approved experience and cannot be counted here.

Nature Rx (Forest Bathing): This experience takes place in a variety of locations and focuses on mindfulness in nature

John McPhee Pine Barrens Today: This is a bus tour of place mentioned in John McPhee’s book, The Pine Barrens.  The focus of this trip is on the human history of the New Jersey pinelands.

Cranberry Farm Tour: Guided tour of both an active and an abandoned cranberry farm.

PINELANDS Adventure Speaker Series: These experiences happen during the winter, and the subject varies depending on the expertise of the Pineland Adventures Staff.

Moth Night: This is a naturalist guided experience taking place at dusk in the Rancocas Cranberry Preserve. Participants learn to catch/identify moths and consider the role of moths in the food web.

Beaver Ecology Tour: This activity is a paddling trip taking place in the evening at the Rancocas Cranberry Preserve. Participants will learn about the ecology of beavers and, with luck, get to see beavers in their native environment!

Wildflower Exploration Paddle: Participants will enjoy a paddle around Batsto Lake and will learn about native aquatic and emergent plants

Wildflower Exploration Hike: These hikes may take place at a variety of locations including Wharton State Forest, The Pine Tree Center, or the Rancocas Cranberry Preserve

Lost Industries of the Pines: This is a driving tour happening during late fall with a focus on visiting industrial ruins in the Pinelands.

Stone Hills Hike: This activity takes place at The Pine Tree Center, focuses on geology of the Pinelands, with emphasis on the example of topographic inversion at the site.

Headwaters to Bay Trip: This is a bus tour taking place in early spring or late fall and focused on aquatic and marine ecology. Participants will compare and contrast a variety of ecosystems as the tour moves from the emergence of water from springs in the Pinelands to where that water enters the Great Bay.

Fire Ecology Tour: These tours usually happen in the spring and the location may vary depending on recent fire activity. The focus of this activity is on the importance of fire to native habitats in the Pinelands and forest management through prescribed burns.

Contact Pinelands Adventures to make reservations or request an updated schedule. Use the link above to book your adventure directly through the Pinelands Adventures website.