Luther's environmental studies program is truly interdisciplinary, which means that students take courses all across campus, from biology classes in the state of the art Sampson Hoffland Laboratories to sociology classes in Koren, the college's stately old library. Beyond any four walls, environmental studies students use the world as their classroom, spending lots of time outside whether studying water quality in the Upper Iowa River or learning about sustainable agriculture on a local farm. 

Offices for Environmental Studies are located in the Valders Hall of Science, 3rd floor.  Valders was renovated to LEED standards in 2009 and provides geology labs, an environmental education classroom, and a dedicated GIS computer lab, in addition to lots of space for students to connect with their classmates and professors.

Adjacent to Valders is the Sampson Hoffland Laboratories which serves as a model for sustainable construction and was awarded a LEED Gold rating by the US Green Building Council in 2009.  Sampson Hoffland houses chemistry and biology and is the college's newest building. A special emphasis was placed on creating space for student/faculty research.  For more information about Sampson Hoffland's green design and sustainability features, visit Luther's Sustainability page.

Outside the traditional classroom, Luther offers distinctive natural areas for study of environmental issues. The Luther campus consists of 1,000 acres of land with many diverse ecosystem types.  Many of these areas are accessible by trails and classes often use these areas.  Anderson Prairie is just five minutes walk from our classrooms.  For a description of some of these areas visit the Campus Natural Areas page.