Wildlands Studies 2011: Wealth of Experience

The Wildlands Studies South Africa course facilitated by EarthCollective and hosted by Living Lands saw 12 university students from the USA partake in an intensive six-week environmental learning experience. Travelling throughout the Eastern Cape, the students engaged with real-life issues and current adaptive management strategies being utilized in the area to combat natural resource and wildlife management threats. The highlights of the course were varied and plentiful, ranging from helicopter-assisted rhino relocations, scenic long distance hikes in scorching hot weather, game drives, camping under pristine night skies, and getting the opportunity to meet a diverse and colorful group of stakeholders throughout the region. The students learning was primarily hands-on and practical, showcasing them various survey/research techniques, monitoring and tracking wildlife, and engaging with the various cultures and people that live throughout the Cape Floralistic Region and Albany hotspots. Despite the tremendous wealth of experiences and lessons packed into such a short time period, the students always persisted and were receptive to whatever else the instructors had in store for them.

With a group comprised of 9 females and 3 males, there was hardly a dull moment. Despite the intensive academic nature of the course, the students made sure to keeps things loose and fun; whether it was the creatively dressed Halloween party, the consistent playlist of a handful of pop songs that never seemed to get tiresome, or the antics that went down in the kitchen nightly while preparing dinner. Six weeks together full-time is a long time to be in such close quarters with anyone, let alone a group, but the students easy-going nature and desire to explore themselves and their surroundings dwarfed any issues that arose. As the students departed the country and left for home it is assured that their pictures and stories will be recounted many times over. Most important though will be the connections they have made with each other along the way.