Lee Burras and Amber Anderson lead the Soils, Crops, and Natural Resources study abroad trip to Costa Rica. They recently led a group on this trip over Thanksgiving break and are gearing up to take another group over spring break. This upcoming trip will be ten days long and begin on March 9th. On this specific study abroad trip, students learn about agricultural systems, natural resources, and resource management in Costa Rica. They will get the opportunity to interact with farmers and participate in tours to coffee, highland fruits, organic vegetables, sugarcane, pineapple, and chocolate farms. Not only will these students learn about agriculture in a different country, but they will also be able to learn about the culture and language of Costa Rica.
Lee has been leading study abroad trips since 2002; since he started, he has led over 20 trips. Of course, within the past year, study abroad trips were either canceled or altered somehow. I asked Lee how the pandemic affected his most recent trip. He shared that 鈥渆ven with Covid19, it was very similar to past trips given our goal always includes participant health and well-being.鈥� Going to a different country comes with challenges during a normal time which helped Lee to deal with the changes caused by the pandemic. It is always a top priority to ensure ISU faculty and students stay safe and healthy on study abroad trips. Lee shares that on the last trip, the only major changes were the mask mandates and extra travel insurance needed if one of the travelers needed to quarantine. Upon returning to the country, they had to be tested for Covid-19 before leaving Costa Rica. Another challenge that the pandemic presented was the backlog of passports, causing a lamination on the number of students that could go.
A senior in agronomy, Carly Strauser, attended the last study abroad trip to Costa Rica over Thanksgiving break. This trip presented a lot of firsts for Carly, her first study abroad experience, her first time out of the country, and her first time on an airplane. When asked what the experience was like, Carly responded with, 鈥淭he trip to Costa Rica was a total of 10 days; it was the perfect amount of time for a beginner traveler, like myself. We got to see a lot of what the country had to offer while also not missing too much school or life at home. It was a great mix of adventures and downtime; we got to see what students were interested in while also exploring some on our own. This made the trip much more relaxing and enjoyable; we were able to learn a lot while also having fun.鈥�
Carly shared that it was very interesting how Costa Rica was focusing on sustainability in agriculture because this is something that she is passionate about. She shares, 鈥淭he farms we visited were making their compost, feeding cows fermented pineapple tops, using biologicals, and experimenting with other innovative practices as well.鈥� One of Carly鈥檚 highlights from the trips was their in-country host, Gabby, visiting her farm. The students were able to provide recommendations on what she should do with her land. The students could use the information they learned in their agronomy classes and transfer it over and apply it to Costa Rica鈥檚 agriculture practices.
Lee and Carly both share similar advice for students thinking about participating in a study abroad program. Lee shares, 鈥淔irst, do it! Second, work with the CALS 草榴社区 Office in setting it up.鈥� Carly shares, 鈥淚f you are at all considering, I would recommend stepping out of your comfort zone and signing up for a trip. The shortened breaks over Thanksgiving or Spring break are an awesome way to have a great experience in a short amount of time!鈥�
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