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By: Jacob Filipkowski, University of Vermont
Kaziikini was an unforgettable first chapter in Botswana. In just two short weeks, the learning curve has been steep, rewarding, and packed with once-in-a-lifetime moments. Watching a pride of lions dialed in for a hunt, catching a rare glimpse of a caracal vanishing into the grass, and navigating the Delta’s backwaters in a mokoro are memories that will stick with me for good. It set an incredible foundation for the rest of our season in the field.
This past spring, students in our Patagonia and Botswana cohorts joined ongoing research initiatives with our partner organizations, contributing to fieldwork and data collection on topics ranging from elephant habitat preference to guanaco population trends.
Explore their capstone research projects here!
By: Sebastian Janowitz, University of Vermont
Our time in Botswana is beginning to wind down, but we have still been treated to some incredible new sights and experiences. Close encounters with a pride of lions, playing wiffleball at sunset with a bat hand-carved from Mopane, and catching a glimpse of the elusive and almost mythical Sable Antelope are just a few things that made Khwai a magical place to spend some of our last days in the field.
By: Ansel Spitler, Montana State University
I was about to go to bed, when I heard a growl behind my tent. Not a tame growl, not a small growl, but a full-bodied, rumbling growl. I was already halfway out of my tent, and as soon as I heard that, I sped walked away towards the rest of camp. That was totally a lion.
By: Nora Ferguson, Montana State University
A looming shadow stood outside our tent, sniffing intensely with glowing green eyes… we made eye contact and I froze in my sleeping bag. The moonlight was the only thing illuminating its silhouette as it ducked its head down and carefully picked up my left shoe before slowly walking off with its prize.