While I was abroad I participated in an internship in addition to taking my conservation course. The internship extended my stay in the country by two months. The conservation course was beneficial to my development in my field of study. I was able to practice techniques I learned in classes on campus in addition to learning new information about the species and techniques used there. I was able to visit many different ecotourism sites and compare the ways they ran them. Through the tour of the country I was able to identify that I would prefer to do research rather than working only with tourists or within ecotourism. I was also able to confirm that I would like to work in the field, after camping for the first time. Overall, academically this trip confirmed that I would like to pursue a masters degree so I can continue to do research and protect endangered species.
During my two months at NaDEET (Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust) I gained some valuable experience working on a nature reserve. My main job was to help at the center to assist in teaching groups of students that came in each week. I taught on topics such as sustainable energy, recycling, water usage, and wildlife. When I first started teaching there was a lot to remember and I was worried I would forget important parts of the lesson. After about a month of teaching, I already had the primary school lessons down. I became very confident in my ability to teach the students and was able to then lead dune walks for them. During the dune walks I identified plants, animals, and things the animals left behind. This was one of my favorite activities to do with the students since wildlife is one of my passions. Through this experience teaching I found that I actually don’t mind the outreach involved in teaching others about sustainability. This is a good skill for me to have as conservation topics typically need a lot of outreach to get the public involved.
Since traveling to Namibia I have learned that it’s possible for me to thrive in environments very different than my own. I have also discovered that I love traveling and hope to travel more in the future. With a career in conservation I can easily work on conserving any species in a different country. Since this experience I have been applying to graduate school to obtain my master’s degree. I hope I am able to continue to experience more ecosystems and cultures through my future research.
“Investment in travel is an investment in yourself.” -Matthew Karsten
William H. Thompson Scholars Learning Community 