Study Abroad Botswana: A Non-traditional Student Review

     The study abroad program in Botswana is exceptional. The onsite lecture and instruction time is unmatched by other programs. I would also argue that none of the other programs offer instruction on a location that is so closely related to Texas. It is well worth the investment of your time and money.

     That said, lets look at practical matters. There are a few items that should be added to or qualified on the packing list. The mattresses provided are two inches thick and if you’re unaccustomed to sleeping on the ground I recommend a sleeping pad. There will be 16 people and one clothes line, quick dry towels and clothing are a must. Bring pants that fit loosely over the top of your shoes and shoes that go over your ankles. The majority of plants here have thorns or hooks that you need to protect your skin from. Even the grass seeds use nasty methods of distribution. It is the grass seeds that make it necessary to seal off your ankles in order to keep painful seeds from working their way into your shocks. Your shoes should also be leather with very small or without ventilation holes. When the group goes on safari, there will not be an opportunity to do laundry, so bring at least five to seven changes of clothes. The temperature fluctuates a lot in the Kalahari. You will have to dress for three seasons in one day. This makes a light day bag necessary. Your book bag will do, or a pack that has a water bladder and fits a couple of layers of clothes and snacks would be better. Only pack work cloth that your are willing to throw away, the work doesn’t last long, but the potential to roughen your clothes is there. When it comes to electronics, you must make a judgment call. The scenery is spectacular and this may very well be a once in a lifetime event. Risk does exist, so on the low end, bring a camera that preforms better than your phone and on the high end whatever you can afford. I would like to have had brought a thermal spotting scope and my wife’s  nice camera with lenses, but decided it wasn’t worth the risk of loss or damage.   

     For the non-traditional student there are social and physical considerations. Extensive travel can be demanding on your body. In addition to the long plane ride there will be dozens of hours spent traveling off-road in 4X4 vehicles. If you have a limiting spine injury, you may wish to travel elsewhere. I highly recommend beginning a conditioning program months in advance to mitigate the physical fatigue of long distance off-road travel. The social aspect is the same as on UT campus. Where the difference comes in, is that there is no let up or refuge from it. You will be with your classmates around the clock 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for six weeks. I am very thankful to have some of the most polite, courteous, and respectful UT students as my classmates(a heartfelt thank you for a job well done to my classmates’ parents). With less courteous classmates, the synergy of personalities could be an issue. The time spent away from family, friends and your personal space must be factored in your decision to come to Botswana. For me, it was worth it and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Shawn Evenson

Riding the 4x4.

Elephants in Khwai.

Hook'em Horns.

Hungry Hippos.

Meet the researcher (student)!

Hello!  My name is Kiara, and I’m a senior geography student.  For as long I can remember, I have been fascinated by wild animals and knew from a very young age that I wanted to help the environment as much as I could. 

Given all this, I am extremely grateful for the chance to study in Botswana this summer.  Being in a world that is at once so familiar environmentally and quite different culturally is an opportunity  that I know will help me become a better and more knowledgeable environmentalist, capable of helping to solve some of the greatest challenges of the 21^st century. 

I would like to thank Dr. Rapoport and Randy Diehl for representing and providing financial support through the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation for Multidisciplinary Studies and the College of Liberal Arts Competitive Scholarship respectively.  More than anything, I would like to thank my parents for supporting me in everything I do and for fostering my love of the outdoors and wildlife.  All those hours spent at the zoo in Kansas, the bird watching, and the trips we took as a family to various national parks and the rainforest of Costa Rica.  I would also like to send all my love and gratitude to my sister Marley for being the best listener and friend.  I wish you all the best in your academic journey and your own adventures, Lovely!!!

Safari in the Kalahari

Well well well, it has been quite a week for the Botswana ’18 crew.  Yesterday we returned from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and are staying for two nights in Maun at Camp Kitso.

About our recent adventure:

The CKGR is enormous, so much so that we were only able to explore the northernmost portion of the reserve.  The region is patterned with valleys formed by ancient sand dunes, which has resulted in a huge compositional diversity of vegetation.  Some valleys were dense with tall grass and thick shrubs, while others were seemingly endless expanses of short grass.

For three days we drove around looking for Kalahari wildlife.  Springbok, gemsbok, and steenbok (aka the three ‘boks), were very common.  We were all amazed by the beauty of the gemsbok, or oryx, the agility of the springbok, and the large, black eyes of the tiny steenbok, which looked at us with surprise whenever we drove past them.  We also saw honey badgers, black-backed jackals, and bat-eared foxes.  Everyone was amused by the ground squirrels, which squatted with their little beer bellies, eating the grass that surrounded their burrows. 

All of us saw giraffes and we felt very small when we drove near them. 

To top it off, a handful of us were fortunate enough to see a Kalahari lioness walk purposefully across the savanna to greet her two adolescent cubs.  She passed within 5 feet of the vehicle, and we were in awe of her presence and strength. 

Yesterday was our TA Francisco’s birthday.  We celebrated his 25th with chocolate cake and plenty of laughter.

We’re off to Khwai, where we’ll be able to tour the Okavango delta for the next four days! 

Springbok walking with gemsbok in the background

Springbok males fighting.

Lioness walking across the savanna.

Meet the reseracher (student)!

Hola! My name is Sophia Guirola, and I’m an incoming third-year student majoring in Sustainability Studies and International Relations and Global Studies. Born and raised in El Salvador, I have acquired a passion for sustainable development in the region, especially regarding energy and water for agriculture. Appropriately, I am focusing on the Natural Resource Management and on the International Political Economy (with a focus on development) tracks for both my interdisciplinary majors, respectively. Through this amazing program, I hope to expand my understanding of cultural relations with the environment and of geographic and climate interactions. Quiero darle las gracias a Ms. Paz, quien hizo crecer mi amor hacia nuestro planeta y enriquecio mi sed para el conocimiento del mundo natural. Gracias, papi, por apoyar esta aventura con entusiasmo (despues de superar el miedo inicial). Mom, thank you for raising me to seek new experiences and to enrich my understanding of different cultures—you inspire me to become a citizen of the world. So much thanks to the Martin Dies, Jr. Forty Acres Scholarship for making my participation in this program possible, and to the wonderful Texas Exes staff who offer me so much support. It is a true privilege to be in the beautiful country of Botswana!

Another Baobab pic.

We will not have access to Wi-Fi for several days, so here comes a long post!

Today was our last day at Thakadu, so we thought we would reflect upon our time here in Botswana so far and write about what we look forward to.

After almost two full days of airplanes and layovers, we arrived at the tiny Maun airport. Most of us, except for Alistair and Jenna (who got delayed), spent two nights at the Okavango River Lodge. Many of us slept in family-style chalets which included indoor bathrooms, mosquito nets, and raised beds: the most luxurious accommodations for the forthcoming six weeks. Early in the morning, we packed into open-air safari vehicles and after a 7-hour trek, arrived at Thakadu Bush Camp just outside of Ghanzi, where we have been since. We have been sleeping in tents, cleaning ourselves in open-air showers, and eating in a mess tent for about three weeks in the middle of this private game reserve. As a small group of sixteen students spending so much time together, we have grown incredibly close: we can all recognize each other’s voices and can impersonate each other seamlessly, we can recognize each other’s gait at a distance, and even whose water bottle clanks in which way. We really have become a close-knit, caring community and look forward to continuing our friendships back in Austin.

Aside from fostering meaningful connections, this program has been incredibly academically stimulating and enriching so far. While at Thakadu we had the privilege of engaging with a group of San people who taught us about their culture and allowed us to celebrate it with them. The group led a walk through the bush around camp, digging up roots and showing us special plants while telling us about their traditional medicinal uses. Later that night (Thursday) we attended a cultural dance, learning about San music and even joining in on the physically demanding dance around the fire. 

A large part of our participation in this program has been assisting ongoing research carried out on plots all around the property by conducting vegetation surveys, weighing biomass, and even helping build a fence for one of the research plots–as you can see on previous blog posts. To complement our hands-on field work, we have also prepped data sheets for processing and entered our recorded data onto Excel sheets for the continuation of Dr. Meyer and Dr. Crews’ ongoing research on Kalahari vegetation response to climate change. With all that we have learned, many of us are enjoying thinking about how to apply our newly acquired skills in our own lives: our resumes will see some improvement with real-world experience that can help make us more competitive candidates for research positions.

Here at the camp, we have been lucky enough to have a peek at Botswana’s rich wildlife. Just in the short time we’ve been here, we have seen: ostriches, mongooses, kudu, springbok, impala, eland, wildebeests, Guinea fowls, zebras, and even two giraffes (caught on Dr. Meyer’s wildlife night camera). Our next journey, for which we leave bright and early tomorrow morning, is to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. We are surely going to see many more animals in the protected area with almost no human presence. Keep posted for pictures! We will be staying at Camp Deception, which is where Mark and Delia Owens, authors of our class-assigned book Cry of the Kalahari, conducted seven years of ground-breaking research in the 1970’s. 

We should be getting access to Wi-Fi next Friday or Saturday, 23/24^th of June.

Reflections (and funny quotes) about our time in Botswana so far:

Shawn

“For me, my time here has been especially great for getting real-world, civilian experience relevant to the field I want to enter. I am most looking forward to seeing the larger animals at Camp Deception and later in Khwai: gemsbok, giraffes, lions, elephants, buffalo…”

Kiara

“I’ve had so much fun, and now I can put ‘vegetation analysis’ on my resume!”

Juan

“To be honest… this has been an experience overall. I built a fence. Learned some plants. Cut some grass. Still haven’t seen a giraffe, though. Not gonna lie, I’m looking forward to seeing some!”

Kelsey

“I love sitting around the campfire and listening to stories. My favorite ones are: Shawn’s dung beetle story and Steph not realizing that a pickle is actually a cucumber. We have also played some quality pranks, one being a scavenger hunt that included me climbing a tree to hide something. Ga ke itse. (‘I don’t know’ in Setwana).”

Virginia

“Botswana has enabled my peanut butter addiction… For anyone who cares, Choppie’s is better than SPAR’s.” (different grocery stores in Ghanzi)
“I love what we do to peanut butter.” (we go through a 1 Kg tub per day)
“Our last couple of days have been full of hilarious pranks, including giving Alistair some extra lumbar support.” (Virginia, Stephanie, and Sophia put rocks under his mattress)

Hunter

“You have your peanut butter, I have Squillos.” (the SPAR equivalent of Nutella) 

Casey

“Guess I should go buy some more chips.” Casey, right after he found out that we pranked him by emptying his bag of chips and taping it back shut.

Steph

“My time here has been unreal, as I have indulged in Ricoffee (FAKE COFFEE) and pranking with my fellow cohort. Looking forward to camping out with the lions in the heart of the Kalahari. PS if you ever go camping, give Wilderness Wash a go. Not only does it act as a dish wash, soap, laundry detergent, and body wash but shampoo too!”

Michelle

“Natalie, can you teach me how to French braid? (once the lessons begin) Oh, no… it grows!”

Thalia

“Ooh, grab that plant! We can press it!” (we have acquired an impressive collection of pressed plant species, thanks to Ferny and Thalia)

Natalie

“I love how close and how tan we’ve all gotten together.”
“We should make t-shirts!”

Alistair

“My glasses are updating.”
“These bugs are wack.”  (we started keeping tally of how many bugs got into our soup at dinner)

 Meagan

“You guys are all right.”

Ferny

“KE RATA!” (‘I like’ in Setswana)
“Actually, this tree species is ____.” (everybody would ask Ferny to identify species)

Sophia

“I’m writing this blog post, what’s your quote?”

 Jenna

“Just come up with something… I’m busy watching Germany win.” (redacted)

 Francisco (our T.A.)

“Make sure you name the blog files according to the format I gave y’all. It works with my code.”
“Stay hydrated.”

Daryl

“How can you tell if an elephant has been in your refrigerator? (dramatic pause) You’ll find footprints in the butter.” (an animal tracker joke)
“You see, pranks are the sort of thing that just happen.”

Thoralf
"It's time to get out of here."

To all the awesome dads out there, HAPPY FATHER DAY! (grammar inspired by frosted text on a cake at Choppie’s)

The sun has set on our time here at Thakadu Camp.

Thkadu means “aardvark” in Setswana. We saw a lot of aardvark burrows, but sadly, not a single resident!

Thalia having fun with her new grasshopper friend.

Dancing around the fire at the San cultural dance.

Natalie and Hunter in front of our favorite restaurant!

Virginia, Jenna, and Meagan signing the UT flag at the restaurant.

    Our mobile homes for six weeks.

Beautiful savanna scenery around the Camp.

Meet the researcher (student)!

   Hello from Botswana! I’m Meagan, a junior at UT. As an environmental science major, I love leaning about the human impact on the environment, making this the perfect program for me. I can’t thank my parents enough for their constant help and support despite initial reservations at sending their daughter to Africa for a few months. A huge thanks to the Dr. Rapoport Liberal Arts scholarship and the International Education Fund for helping make this trip a reality for me. I look forward to experiencing the culture, environment, and wildlife of Botswana.

Meet the researcher (student)!

   What’s up everybody!! My name is Stephanie Settle and I am a Geography major at UT. Through this program, I hope to engage in the interactions between culture and the environment, specifically in an ecosystem similar to the one in which we live. With an interest in health and the environment, I look forward to applying the skills and techniques learned here in Botswana to my future studies. I’d like to thank my mom and dad for making this adventure possible and supporting me 100% of the way! Stay tuned. XOXO, Steph

Meet the researcher (student)!

Hello! My name is Casey Cannon. I am an avid sports fan and Geography student entering my senior year at UT. I decided to study in Botswana because it allows me to get out of my comfort zone and have some life-changing experiences, all while working towards a future in environmental science. I am excited about the hands-on opportunities in the field and just having a good time in a new country. I also want to say thank you to my aunt, uncle, and grandmother, who have all made it possible for me to chase my dreams.

From Badminton to Biomass

   And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for… the results from the 2018 Badminton World Cup: everyone brought their A-game as tent-mates battled opposing teams for their claim to fame. All matches were well fought and came down to close wins. Switzerland (Kelsey and Michelle) put up a good fight against Ghana (Juan and Alistair), but in the end, Ghana won the student bracket and faced Dr. Meyer in the final match. The day culminated when Dr. Meyer dropped into the splits to hit the birdie one final time over the net; an epic moment.

   After Sunday’s fun and games, it was back to work. We started on transects that stretch 100 meters each across the ranch. Every 10 meters we removed the biomass from 1m², weighed it, and recorded the value. We also got some practice in the less enjoyable side of field work - data entry - in which we entered all the values for vegetation plots we have been surveying over the last few weeks.

   Last night was the first New Moon since we have been here and we got a beautiful view of the stars. Without any light pollution, we are able to see the Milky Way, hundreds of stars, and some planets. We used star maps to locate constellations and honed our camera skills to capture the breath taking moment. We were able to see the Southern Cross, the False Cross, Venus, Mars and Jupiter. We even named our own bright, twinkling star, the “dancing star”. While star-gazing we were able to see multiple shooting stars light up the sky.

   Today was our last day of field work. In the next few days we will be packing up camp and preparing to head out to our next destination on Monday, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Time to enjoy our last couple of days at Thakadu Bush Camp.

Pictures only begin to capture the beauty of the Botswana night skies.

Teams warming up for the fierce competition.

The highlight of the 2018 Badminton World Cup.

Kelsey and Hunter collecting biomass along a transect.

Meet the researcher (student)!

   Hey! My name is Natalie Regennitter, I am a senior Sustainability Studies major with an emphasis in Natural Resource Management. I am very excited to be spending the summer leading up to my final semester at UT in Botswana with an amazing group of people. After I learned about this program, I knew that it would be perfect for my interests and it was exactly what I was looking for. I’m most intrigued by human-environment interactions and how human perceptions of environmental change shift over time. Being able to study that in a different cultural context is what I’m looking forward to the most. I am also thrilled to see a part of the study area that I have been researching as a small portion of a larger project under Dr. Crews. I want to thank the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Endowment for International and Multidisciplinary Studies, my mom, Rob, my dad, Addy, and my grandma; none of this would be possible without their help and support. Thank you for making this dream a reality!




Natalie measuring biomass in a plot.

Meet the researcher (student)!

   Hello all! My name is Alistair Jones. I am an incoming senior and I am majoring in Sustainability Studies. My interest to study abroad in Botswana came from my passion for the outdoors, eagerness to understand more about the environment, and to obtain real hands-on field work skills and experience. Post-graduation, I plan to either go to graduate school to further my education or to take some time off to get a greater understanding of what I want to pursue with my degree/life. Overall, through Sustainability I am keen to improve the lives of the powerless, increase awareness about the importance of our environment’s health and future, as well as contribute to something greater than myself. I am very thankful for my parents’ ability to make this experience and adventure possible.



Alistair chilling, keen for a day off.

Thoralf’s Thakadu Taqueria... Now Open!

   Today during field work we finished four vegetation plots that we had started earlier in the week. These plots represent vegetation response in secondary succession after burn events. Basically, this means that some of these plots are burned annually, some are burned in bi-yearly or even longer intervals, and others are not burned. The main goal is to assess how these different plant species grow under such varying conditions.

   In the afternoon, we met with Emree, a photojournalism graduate student from UT, and Alfino, a local musician from D’Kar. Emree is working on a project with Alfino. He is from a San community, and his music blends traditional San music with contemporary styles. He spoke to us about the empowerment and education of San people in modern society. He also shared one of his songs with us and explained the meanings behind his music. 

   Last evening was taco night. Everyone worked together in making a dinner that is a little closer to home. Francisco, our TA, taught us how to put together an authentic Mexican dinner from scratch, with Eland meat. This hardy meal fueled us for our badminton tournament, and our last week of fieldwork here at Thakadu Camp!

Alfino and Emree introducing themselves to the group.

Sophia, Virginia, and the rest of the group preparing tortillas for taco night!

Tortilla assembly line.

Meet the researcher (student)!

    Hi! My name is Jenna Wadman and I’m a third year Environmental Science major with a focus in Biology. I’m interested in the complex interactions between humans, wildlife, and the environment, and I hope to further my knowledge on these issues over the course of this program. While in Botswana I’m most excited to gain some field work experience and enjoy the beautiful sunsets, stars, and wildlife. Thank you so much, Mom and Dad, for encouraging me to go on this adventure and supporting me every step of the way. Also, shout-out to my brother, Jimmy, for cheering me on and letting me borrow his cool camping gear. I’ll see you all in six weeks!



Jenna hangin’ around after a long day of work.

I don’t really want to do the work today

   On Wednesday, we had a change of pace and took a break from field work to visit the San Cultural Center and Kuru Art Project in D’kar. There, we learned about the San people, who were traditionally nomadic hunters and gatherers who lived throughout Botswana. They have since been relocated to villages, causing turbulent shifts in their cultural identity. The Kuru Art Project focuses on providing opportunities to San artists while also portraying their culture through their works of art. If you want to find out more, check out this website: www.kuruart.com. The other half of the day, we learned about GPS systems and how to apply that knowledge in the field.
   Game Cam update: We caught two giraffes drinking from the watering hole last night. It is extremely rare to see these elusive animals on the ranch. We also saw a Black-backed jackal—these are the animals that keep us up at night with their howling.


A group of us standing in front of the San Cultural Center.

Our TA, Francisco, brought a tortilla press for all of us taco-starved Texans.

Light in the Sky...

   On Sunday night we saw a meteor! We were reminiscing on childhood TV shows around the fire when all of the sudden the sky lit up a bright green color. Our eyes were drawn to the burning rock in the sky that rapidly grew in size and intensity and then burned up thousands of miles above our heads. If you would like to see the video, search #MeteoriteZLAF9B2. Sunday was our first true day off and it was well spent at the local restaurant and lounging around the campsite. There were numerous neck and neck badminton games over the laundry lines, stay tuned for riveting tournament results to be posted next week. Can’t wait to tackle week 2 of Thakadu Bush Camp! 



Using a survey stick to take height measurements. 

Virginia taking a mechanical course.

Kelsey and Hunter's football team preparing for the world cup. 

Meet the researcher (student)!

   Hello! My name is Hunter and I will soon be entering my third year at UT as an Environmental Science major following the geography track. I would like to thank my parents for allowing me to go on this trip as well as paying for everything.
   I’m excited to spend my first time abroad learning about environmental issues in a region home to the origins of humanity. As someone who wants to study the impacts of changing climates on global weather patterns and severe storms, Botswana’s extreme seasonal shift in rainfall and dependence on convective thunderstorms for water offers a unique perspective not found back home.
   Additionally, I’m looking forward to bonding and learning with a small group of people that share many of the same interests as me. Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Meyer, Francisco, the camp staff, and UT for making this program a reality.

              

Hunter, enjoying his time around camp.

Field Update...

Today was our fourth day in the field making measurements on woody vegetation and replacing a fence. While drilling holes in the ground with tools and hands, Kelsey proved to be a key helper with her intense rock crushing skills.

Two nights ago it briefly rained for about 10 minutes, the first time in 7 years it has rained at camp during the study abroad program. There was nothing in the forecast or sky that suggested it would rain that night, and even our trusty camp overseer Daryl didn’t see it coming. In the morning everything dried out quickly and there was no sign it had rained.

Overall things are going well and everyone is healthy!

-Hunter

  

Kelsey, slayer of rocks. 

Daily visitors to the water hole.  

Burnt orange, a color that sticks out all over the world.