When I applied to study abroad in beautiful Aotearoa New Zealand, I was so excited to study in a country full of diversity and endemism. I couldn’t wait to have classes that were rooted in field work, helping us build the technical skills necessary for our month-long end of semester direct research project. I can’t lie and say that this also didn’t terrify me. Before studying abroad, I had zero experience in any type of field work or research. While my major was in Program in the Environment, I was very social science focused with minimal natural science emphasis. This didn’t stop me from applying, but rather encouraged me to explore possibilities that expanded upon my major.
After arriving at at EcoQuest, my emotions were through the roof. I was so excited to be in Aotearoa working with a small 23 person cohort of people who valued sustainability. This was the time to develop relationships with like-minded people and connect with teachers and field leaders who had experience in the environmental field. It didn’t matter that I had minimal natural science background, I cared for the environment and was eager to learn.
This thought lasted a solid couple of hours, as during introductions I quickly realized that I was almost the only one in this scenario. Most people in my cohort had concentrated majors on wildlife conservation and environmental science. Most people had written scientific papers, participated in environmental internships or research projects, and had some field work experience. This only made me feel out of place. Students “slept” during our introductory classes while I frantically paid attention trying to catch up on what seemed to be common knowledge amongst my cohort. I was anxious, lacking confidence in myself. I had the resources around me to succeed, I had friends and teachers who were knowledgeable and would help me, but it took me a couple weeks to find that out. And find out I did.
In week 2, we went on a hike and practiced species identification skills, and I was tasked to write my first ever introduction to a scientific paper. I have always loved nature, and being able to identify what was around me and understand how these plants and wildlife fit in their natural system made me feel more connected to a place than I have ever been. From this connection I made an observation and wrote an introduction. I may have never done this before, and honestly felt like I waffled the whole thing, but in the end I asked a friend to help me and realized that I knew more than I thought.
In week 3, we were out on the mudflats of the Wharekawa Harbour estuary, working for hours in the hot sun digging up shellfish, sorting, measuring, and classifying them. At the end of the week I was tasked with writing my first ever scientific paper based on this field work. I have done lab reports in the past, but this was uncharted territory for me. I was stressed out to say the least. During the field work, I loved bonding with my partner, spending the entire day outside, but most of all, I loved knowing that the data we collected would help conservation efforts for shellfish in the estuary. Writing about this data, however, now that felt like a different story. I spent hours writing my scientific paper. I felt like I didn’t know what I was doing half the time, doubt creeping in. After I finished, however, I was immensely proud of what I accomplished. I just wrote my first ever scientific paper. I did work that benefited the environment and was able to effectively communicate the work that I did. It was after this assignment that my doubt finally turned to confidence. I was starting to love field work and scientific writing.
After week 3, I had numerous field work opportunities. I did water quality tests on local rivers that helped farmers know how to manage their land to protect the river. I did vegetation and insect surveys to measure diversity and abundance in a threatened conservation area, helping collect data to argue for better protections for the land. I went snorkelling – yes I went snorkelling for class – and did fish transects and kina surveys that compared how marine reserves protect biodiversity compared to unprotected waters. I gardened and helped create healthy riparian zones. And for the last month I researched long term dynamics of a local wetland in response to climate change, focusing on microbacteria. I worked with my professor and wrote a 30+ page research paper on my findings, collaborating with my peers to create a presentation to share with the local community.
I was no longer the excited yet apprehensive girl who I was when I arrived in New Zealand. Throughout my journey at EcoQuest I fell in love with the natural world. While I have always loved Mother Earth and wanted to fight to protect her, this journey allowed me to connect with the natural world like never before. I loved working outside and being able to identify what was around me. I loved understanding how systems worked and the role that I played in them. I loved knowing that the work I was doing was helping protect the environment and the local community. I loved feeling like I was at home. That is what field work and research became for me – home.
Studying abroad taught me that I am capable of more than I imagined. This experience helped me obtain a research position at the University of Michigan and sign up for a field work based class at the university – one of the favorites I have ever taken. I will forever be thankful for Aotearoa, for it provided me with the opportunity to fall in love with field work and find a second home.
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