Being in the middle of nowhere, with no way to contact those I left behind, created a space for growth. I found it both exhilarating and challenging—being disconnected from the world I was used to felt like flipping a coin. On one side was the thrill of living entirely in the moment, unattached to the steady ping of messages or the urgency of news. On the other side was the gnawing awareness that those I loved were still living their lives without me, and I couldn’t instantly be part of their moments or share my own. This experience, however, taught me something profound: there is beauty in this disconnection, a freedom that opens space for the unexpected and the new.
By: Katie Loomis-Adams, Middlebury College
It was a misty November morning on the day that we arrived at our farm homestay outside the town Puerto Guadal. Stepping out of the Round River truck, I knew that I had landed somewhere special.
By: Stephanie Holmes, Carleton College
Seeing incredible wildlife on transects is cool, but have you ever had them wreck your camp? This was the predicament we faced in Mababe, our last concession of the semester, where baboons, hyenas, mice, and even the weather teamed up to destroy as much as they could.
By: Panya Cao, Reed College
I was apprehensive, tired, and more than a little worried about our project: two days of environmental education field trips for the fifth grade classes of Cochrane. It had only just hit me that I would be communicating with fifth grade students all day in Spanish…
We are grateful to all of the students who joined us in the field in 2025. The data you collected and the research you advanced makes an impact well beyond your semester or summer with us. We appreciate your hard…
By: Magnus Ames, Carleton College
Ever heard of Chilean Thanksgiving? Maybe? No…? Me either, but our lamb-themed asado (lamb roast) decked out with sweet bread, mashed potatoes, apple crisp, and much more almost fits the part.