To those devoid of imagination a blank place on the map is a useless waste; to others, the most valuable part.
— Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac: With Essays on Conservation from Round River
The focus of Round River’s Conservation Student Programs is to encourage and expand the commitments, minds and spirits of future conservationists by cultivating an active, informed and inspired constituency of young scholars, as conservation scientists, artists, activists, and advocates by providing innovative conservation education and leadership training.
Round River believes landscapes are powerful educators. We currently offer wildlife conservation programs in Mongolia, Belize, British Columbia, Chile, Botswana, and the Arizona-Mexico borderlands.
Our student programs are designed to involve small groups of students (10 or fewer) in ongoing research projects that are finding and implementing solutions to real conservation and environmental issues, afford them upper-division academic credit, and provide our students with invaluable personal and professional development opportunities.
The efforts of our students contribute significantly to the larger conservation initiatives of Round River and our local partners.
Download our current Study Abroad Brochure
What you will experience
Why Round River is Different
Unlike other field-based study away programs, our groups are very small (5-9 students). Our programs operate more like a tight-knit biological field research crew than an all class field trip. You will be living within the landscapes and communities you study and transforming the knowledge and data collected into meaningful, applicable recommendations for long-term land use management and community-based conservation efforts.
Students will be rewarded with the incredible natural beauty of the landscapes we are privileged to be invited into. Experiencing these landscapes as a Round River student extends far beyond an outdoor classroom and will provide you with an enriching experience incomparable to traveling as a tourist. Students quickly realize they are part of something dynamic; however, students should know that this is not a semester-long backpacking trip – it is an accredited program and priority is placed on experiential learning, research, and academics.
While you will gain experience and be better prepared and more qualified for graduate school by participating in this fieldwork, you may also find in these wild places the tools to navigate a life rooted in deeper respect for the planet and its inhabitants.
Working with Local People
We understand that people living in the areas we work are the long-term stewards of the landscape. Round River forms partnerships with local people and organizations in order to provide scientific expertise and help form conservation strategies that work in accordance with that community’s environmental values. As a student, you will work and interact with these people, and not only get to experience their culture first-hand, but also be exposed to the complexities of achieving conservation objectives in communities with diverse needs and interests.
Field Research
Ultimately, these programs are about getting your hands dirty and earning the satisfaction of knowing that the projects you are working on are contributing to larger conservation initiatives. You will gain field skills and learn how to design research studies. Round River feels that it is essential that anyone interested in conservation and the environment, whether in science or the Humanities, get out and walk on the land. We strive to attract students from all backgrounds and majors, from Biology to English.
Academic Credit
Our courses are accredited through Westminster University. Semester programs include 5 courses at 3 credits each (for 15 total credit hours), while the summer program are 3 courses (9 total credit hours). Lectures are offered by our instructors and researchers or local experts and are as likely to take place around the campfire in the evening as at a research station. During the program, you will work with your fellow students, guided by instructors and other researchers, to compile and analyze the data you have collected. At the end of the program, you will produce a written report and present your findings to our local partners.