It would be easier to list the reasons why not to experience a study abroad. I cannot think of any valid arguments other than the cost. I was able to spend two months abroad in the beautiful country called New Zealand. We explored the North and South islands and delved deep into the culture of the Māori.

We started in Rotorua to begin our journey. We spent a week hiking in geothermal zones that contained bright green, yellow, and blue lakes that boiled from the heat coming below. This area also contained a massive redwood forest that was originally planted for lumber but then unexpectedly grew too fast and the wood too soft for harvest. There are now trails that weave between these beautiful giants allowing guests to see how impressive nature is.

The next stop was Resolution Bay where we were off grid for a couple of days. We stayed in cabins, kayaking and swimming during the day and watching the bioluminescent algae and stars by night. We had many close encounters with Wekas which are one of New Zealand’s mischievous birds. They loved trying to steal all our snacks right out of our hands.

The next four weeks were spent in Wellington. We worked with the local University of Victoria using their labs and learning from their brilliant staff. We worked with soil samples we got from Resolution Bay, our own mitochondrial DNA, dissected Barracudas, and so much more.

Our last couple weeks we spent bouncing around the southern island from Queenstown to Mount Cook to Wanaka and Te Anau. A highlight of the entire program was Mount Cook when we took a helicopter to the Tasman Glacier and hiked in ice caves and through the crevasses. My personal favorite was in Te Anau where we got to boat in a glow worm cave.

During all these amazing experiences we were getting lectures from our outstanding leaders, Jeanette McGuire and Nathan Gray. This is such a complex program to put together, let alone run for 13 students. They worked with us one-on-one whether it was lab skills or bird identification. They had us read and discuss scientific articles to help broaden our knowledge and views of the world. We always made sure to look at these issues from the Indigenous Māori perspective and not just from our western mindset. This program has an amazing balance of being outside in nature and school content. I took a full 18 credit workload with one of my classes being genetics.

They set you up for success in this program. You learn so much about yourself and the world during these months. This program solidified my want to join the conservation field after graduation. Thank you for this amazing opportunity.

Name: Nicole Bowen
Status: Sophomore
Major: Zoology
Hometown: Ludington, Michigan
Program: Conservation Medicine in New Zealand