�� - Spring Break 2024

Indigenous Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Social Change in Rural Nepal - Spring Break 2025

nicolerh — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 17:37:15 +0000

Currently Unavailable

Nepal

Program Director(s):

Ramesh Balayar, Read more about Dr. Balayar here: Program Director Deep Dive- Dr. Ramesh Balayar

Program dates are tentative and subject to change

Hear from last year’s students! Read the story from CALS news service “A study abroad trip like no other”. about last year’s trip to Nepal!

This study abroad program is part of ISU’s Nepal Learning Lab, which is funded by the U.S. State Department.

Our study abroad program to NEPAL will give students the ability to understand the linkages between climate change, indigenous farming systems, and U.S. development agencies as it relates to: South Asian food security and international trade, co-existence of indigenous knowledge and Western technology adoption, rural human capital and infrastructure challenges, and community social systems related to gender and caste. Will offer firsthand knowledge about the everyday struggles of smallholder farmers, mostly women and the feminization of agriculture.

We will visit small villages and meet with indigenous farmers in two areas of Nepal. The first is the lowlands of Chitwan in the south, where we will also do a jungle safari. The second is in the mountain areas of Kaski in north, where we will also spend 4 days hiking to Mardi Himal base camp (watch a YouTube video). We will also explore Doha, Qatar during our flight layover.

3 credits Soc 4110 during spring 2025 semester

This program was first offered in 2024.

Important Note Regarding Missing Classes
Please note that participation on some travel courses require you to be away from campus for some school days. The College of Agriculture & Life Sciences tries to minimize the number of days missed for this purpose, but in some events, the inflexibility of the travel schedule prevents us from working completely within our breaks. Should you choose to enroll in a travel course that requires missing some class(es) on campus, you will need to contact your instructor directly to inquire whether or not arrangements can be made to make up this class work and/or exams. The CALS �� office can provide you with a letter explaining the dates of the trip. However, it is your responsibility to contact the instructor to determine the potential impact on your grade before signing up for a �� program. The instructor is responsible for determining the impact of any absence from class.

Friday, March 14, 2025 to Sunday, March 30, 2025

Department:

Sociology

Type of Travel:

Travel Course

Application Deadline:

Friday, November 1, 2024

Semester:

Spring

Learn More!

Year:

2025

Hugging Trees & Chasing Chucaos: An Amity Tours & Iowa State University Chilean Adventure

mmgrant — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 17:05:04 +0000

If there’s one thing people know about me, it’s my unabashed pride for all things Chile and the Midwest; so, you can imagine how excited I was when these two great loves combined when I was given the opportunity to join a custom trip that Amity Tours designed for students from Iowa State University to explore the Lakes and Volcano District during their spring break!

This is one of the first opportunities we have had at Amity Tours to work in tandem with a faculty-led program looking to bring the classroom outdoors. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have had the chance to bridge the gap between academics and adventure with this fantastic group of 11 students and 2 professors from Iowa State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. For me in particular, it was especially heartwarming to be reminded of my first introduction to Chile not so long ago through my study abroad experience when getting to know the students throughout this particular program; for many of them, this was their first time out of the country, which made it an even more rewarding experience to join them on such a meaningful trip.

The 8-day adventure started with welcoming the students and professors fresh off an international flight to Santiago that morning at the Temuco airport, followed by a scenic drive through a small town in southern Chile until we reached our first destination: the Truful-Truful waterfall in Conguillío National Park. We took a short walk from the van to stretch our legs and break into our hiking boots. Then, we were greeted by the magnificent sight of a rainbow forming over the small falls. With the Llaima Volcano as our backdrop, we took a few minutes to take in the scenery and explore the area surrounding the falls. Given that this group was quite the scientific bunch, it took less than 5 seconds for most of them to take off searching for local flora and fauna and eagerly call to one another to check out the new species they discovered. I must admit, I had never seen someone get so excited over a tiny plant growing amongst the rocks until that moment! This was certainly the best indication that daily discoveries and pockets of joy would be the theme of this next week.

We then returned to the van to drive for dinner at our charming boutique hotel in the national park. After an absolutely delicious meal after a long day of travel, we were also gifted an impeccable view of the stars (aided by our expert guides, Igor and Rubén, and trusted driver Kike) to cap off a wonderful first day together.

Our second day (and first full day together) started bright and early with a warm-up hike through the ancient volcanic rock around a tranquil lagoon just a short drive from the lodge. The rock formations were created from previous eruptions, and you could see the difference in A’ā and Pāhoehoe lava flows by the various colors and shapes of the rocks and the different types of fauna that formed in their midst in the aftermath. The quiet surroundings of the aptly named Rainbow Lake (Lago Arcoiris) also allowed us to listen to local birds, spot endemic fauna, and try to identify the types of fish we saw swimming near the shore.

From there, we hopped back in the van for a quick ride to our main attraction of the day: the famous Woodpecker Trail (Sendero de Carpinteros). This was a relatively easy hike and most importantly, a treasure trove for our birdwatchers in the group hoping to spot woodpeckers, chucaos, and if we were very lucky, maybe even a condor along the way. The trail wound its way through ancient araucaria trees and we stopped at various intervals to listen for birds and look for ever elusive araucaria saplings. We also took the time to have our first group circle to formally introduce ourselves and listen to the first of the presentations that each student prepared about a specific topic pertaining to forestry, agriculture, fauna, or culture in Chile.

The trail’s highlight was the famous araucaria madre, an 1800-year-old giant araucaria tree reaching a height of 50 meters. We took the opportunity to pause and have a minute of silence to take in the stunning view and be at one with ourselves and nature, which was an excellent way to recharge before heading to the end of the trail for our eagerly awaited picnic lunch. We were joined for lunch by some curious chimango caracara birds hoping for a quick bite. Then we rested alongside the shore of another pleasant lake overlooked by the Llaima and Sierra Nevada volcanoes before heading back to the lodge for a restful evening ahead of what would be our longest day of hiking.

Day 3 was to be our most challenging yet most rewarding day by far with the exhilarating Sierra Nevada trail. Our group’s goal was to make it all together to the third lookout point, followed by the more experienced hikers moving on to the final lookout point at the end of the trail while the rest of us went at a more leisurely to the halfway point between the second and third lookouts. There was excitement and a slight sense of apprehension amongst the group that morning, as the majority had not done too much hiking prior to this trip and this was going to be our longest trail with most amount of elevation gain on the trip. Regardless, Rubén and Igor knew exactly how to keep us motivated while also respecting everyone’s individual needs and limits, and we were surprised how good we all felt by the time we made it to the second lookout. Some of us who were most nervous about our capabilities even felt empowered enough to carry on to the third lookout despite their initial plan to wait behind!

I joined Igor and the group headed to the halfway point to the third lookout and was in awe of our surroundings; we emerged from the native forest to be bathed in sunlight and could catch unbeatable views of the various volcanoes in the area, including the one home to our next stop on the trip, Villarrica. When we made it to our trail’s end, we were blown away by the view of the valley and slope of Sierra Nevada until something else caught our eye: not one, but two young male condors flying overhead! We couldn’t believe our luck and stared in grateful wonder at their magnificent wingspan as they gracefully glided above our heads, and we knew right then and there that every extra kilometer hiked had been beyond worth it. A veritable feast awaited us back at the van, and we took advantage of the down time to look for more potential condor sightings as we wolfed down the spread our incredible driver (affectionately known as “el capitán”) Kike had so lovingly prepared for us. After lunch, we picked up our bags back at the lodge and enjoyed a much-needed siesta on the van ride to Pucón, which would be our home for the next few days of the journey.

As Igor cheerfully reminded us on our rather wet fourth morning, “no rain, no rainbow!” We donned our ponchos and braved the elements to check out one of Pucón’s most iconic sites: the volcanic caves near the towering Villarica Volcano, Chile’s most active volcano. After listening to more student presentations around the guest center’s very welcoming fire pit, we put on our safety helmets and trooped into the depths of the caves to learn more about the different types of eruptions that have taken place here. We were lucky enough to spot a couple of endemic blind cave crickets along the way, and our guide, Rodrigo, gave us the chance to spend a minute in complete darkness and silence at the end of the cave’s trail.

Afterwards, we rather comically traipsed across the drawbridge nearby to see the start of what would have been our second trail for the day, but due to the elements would be swapped for a shorter, less exposed option after lunch. Some of the students took advantage of the fire pit to teach Rubén, Kike, and Igor the wonder of s’mores for a very tasty “home away from home” dessert, which was met by slightly confused yet overall approving reviews! Sometimes you don’t realize how “unique” one’s own traditions are until you introduce them to people from other parts of the world, right? Our Plan B trail was an easy walk through the native forest in the Villarica National Park to what would normally be a splendid view of the eponymous volcano, but today was covered in a thick layer of mist and drizzle. Nevertheless, we thoroughly enjoyed our stroll through the woods and the chance to learn even more from Rubén, an expert vulcanologist, about the history of the eruptions here, the last of which was just 9 years ago when I first visited Pucón myself. To our relief (and for some of us, disappointment!), there was no eruption scheduled for today, so we piled back into the van after our walk to have a few hours’ down time in Pucón before the long-awaited cherry on top of the day: an evening spent in a local Mapuche community.

After freshening up, we met up for our short shuttle to dinner. Upon arrival at the ruka, or teepee style residence, we were greeted by our hosts, Rosario and Florencio, with a moving welcome ceremony in which we were invited to try our hand at traditional Mapuche instruments while Rosario kept the beat and sang. After, Florencio beckoned us to prepare for a rousing game of palin, which is a traditional game most similar to field hockey, during which major Mapuche decisions are made. After a rousing back and forth, the winning team celebrated with a traditional Mapuche warrior call, and we then tried our best during a contest to cut a trunk of wood with a typical saw. Rosario happily sat by and watched as we did the hard work for her, and after we managed to whittle away as much as we could, she invited us into the ruka for dinner. Rosario took the time to explain to us the meaning of the setup of the ruka regarding its position in reference to the sun and the layout of where parents and children slept, and toasted us some araucaria pine nuts to snack on as we listened. She showed us traditional woven garments and in a somber moment, expressed concern for the long term safety of the environment as non-indigenous forces continue to disrespect the earth for more and more resources in sacred areas. With another ceremonial song, dinner officially began. Thank goodness we’d been doing so much physical activity these past few days, because the amount of food presented to us could have easily fed three small armies! With very full bellies and even fuller hearts, we gratefully thanked our hosts in the mapudungun words we learned for inviting us to share such a meaningful evening, and off we waddled back to the van for a very good night’s sleep back at base.

Our fifth day together started rainy and overcast once more. Still, the news of a brief window of sunshine encouraged us to get while the getting was good to our last stop in the area: the trail surrounding the Lanin volcano on the border between Chile and Argentina. We were joined by Amity’s CEO, Cristian Levy, who gave us some fantastic local perspectives regarding Amity’s collaboration with local Mapuche collectives to protect the area from the exploratory drilling Rosario had talked about the night before at dinner. We were indeed in luck, and the clouds cleared just in time for us to take in the sight of Lanin looming overhead at the beginning of the hike. After a few Kodak moments, we walked onward through the native forest and stopped at the sight of woodpeckers doing what they do best in the towering trees.

We watched and photographed their diligent work as long as we could until the threat of rain urged us onward to our picturesque spot for lunch alongside the aptly named “hidden lake.” With the wind warning us that we may not remain dry for long, we picked up the pace through the rest of the trail toward a rushing rapid and scenic lookouts along the way. Our luck thankfully remained intact the rest of the way and we were welcomed at the trail’s end once again by a classic Kike picnic table..

Our last stop of the day before heading back to the hotel ended up being the most unexpectedly incredible highlight of our entire trip. We took a pit stop at where Amity Tours, in partnership with the Lemu Collective, plant native trees in our reforestation commitment to offset our carbon footprint. Cristian showed us how for every international tourist, Amity and Lemu plant 14 native trees to offset their individual carbon emission, as well as how we were also coming up with creative ways to “plant water” in the area and invited us to look at the different types of trees we had already seen the fully grown versions of on our hikes so far. Miguel, one of the Mapuche guardians of this land, then invited us to see the traditional totems they had just built and inaugurated the previous night. He shared with us that his community’s machi, or spiritual leader, had asked them to build these wooden structures in protest of the exploratory drilling threatening the area’s watershed, and the night before, they were consecrated in a traditional ceremony.

What happened next made even the most experienced members of the Amity team widen their eyes in surprise, as Miguel and his fellow guardian, Pablo, invited us to take part in an additional ceremony to continue blessing the land around the structures, as the first 24 hours are the most sacred. Stunned, we gathered in a circle and were invited to drink muday and chicha, two types of fermented indigenous drinks most similar to a fermented wheat drink and apple cider, respectively. Before each sip, we individually poured out a small offering to Ñuke Mapu, or Mother Earth, on the ground. For those of us from the States, we knew just how lucky and privileged we were to be here in such a sacred moment, and many of us (including me) grew a bit emotional as we stood in silence and took in the sight of the structures towering overhead. As we solemnly boarded the van back to town, I quietly asked Cristian if this had been planned, to which he answered with a knowing smile, “nope, but that’s Amity magic for you.” Truly, he couldn’t have said it any better.

Now officially beyond the halfway point, our sixth day together was a much-needed rest and relaxation, with a little celebration thrown in for good measure. We said goodbye to Rubén in Pucón ahead of his journey to Spain for intensive cycling training for Amity’s next season and settled in for a longer shuttle to our highlight of the day: the famous geometric thermal pools. We changed into our swimsuits and gingerly tested each pool before finding the one with just the right temperature to enjoy a good soak. To cool off in between, some of us braver souls jumped into the ice-cold waterfalls nestled between the pools before retreating back to the thermal pools for warmth. Once we were sufficiently relaxed, we enjoyed a casual lunch and wished one of the students a very happy 20th birthday, complete with a traditional Chilean cake. Rested, rejuvenated, and more than nourished, we dozed off in the van for our journey to the final destination of our tour: the city of Valdivia.

After we freshened up at the hotel, we readjusted to civilization with a walking tour through the bustling city to its famous riverside boardwalk. There, we were met by the sights (and smells) of a local fish market and several corpulent sea lions lazing nearby in the hopes of catching a free lunch. We then toasted to our first night in the city and enjoyed each other’s company over good music and pub eats. We capped off the night with a spontaneous accordion rendition of “Happy Birthday” for our birthday girl, and headed back to the hotel to prepare for our final hiking adventure the next morning.

Our last full day was spent exploring a part of the Valdivian Coastal Rainforest that was created with the help of The Nature Conservancy. Before we could do that, we took an early ferry across the river along with local commuters, who were undoubtedly amused by the sight of a gaggle of English-speaking college students playing captain at the helm of the ferry. After a short drive along the Pacific coast, we met our local guide, Juan, at the welcome center of the reserve to learn more about what we would see during the hike, as well as explain the significance of the rainforest to he and other fellow members of the Mapuche community. We ventured in by van through winding, shrouded roads into the belly of the rainforest where the trail began, and after stocking up on our favorite cereal bars, we followed Juan into the lush green forest that awaited. We were greeted by stunning examples of local flora and fauna as we wound our way through the slightly slippery trail, and stopped every so often to listen to Juan’s expertise about each new-to-us species of plant. As cracks of sunlight came through, he then invited us to hug one of the most ancient coihue trees in the forest, which is the sacred tree of the Mapuche people, and make it a personal promise. Now I may not be what most folks would consider a hippie by any stretch of the imagination, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a very peculiar surge of energy as I wrapped my arms around the massive trunk of the coihue looming overhead and silently promised myself to never forget the lessons I’ve learned along the way on this trip.

We journeyed onward to our main objective, a 2000 year old alerce tree tucked away in the depths of this forest. Igor invited one of the students to read a selection by Aldo Leopold, a famous naturalist who just so happened to also be from Iowa, and we closed our eyes and listened as his wise words came to life in the forest. When Leopold quoted Thoreau’s dictum, “in wildness is the salvation of the world,” many of us nodded our heads in agreement, some of us with a tear or two in our eyes at just how fitting those words continue to be not just after our tour, but also in our time on Earth. We took a few more minutes to appreciate the majesty of the giant alerce, and then carried on toward another small waterfall before reaching a cluster of ancient alerce trees where we would end our hike. We listened to our final student presentation before Juan invited us to spend a full minute’s silence amidst the ancient forest.

We begrudgingly said goodbye to this unmatched corner of Chilean wilderness and joined Juan for a typical local lunch of seafood stew before catching the ferry back to Valdivia. We happily rode back to the hotel (complete with a bilingual group sing-along) for a much-needed last sleep ahead of our final day together.

Time really did fly while we were having so much fun together, and it was now time to say “Chao for now” after a week of exploring and achieving new heights through this hidden gem amidst Chile’s ample natural offering. After one last leisurely walk through the city and obligatory souvenir haul, we packed up the van and headed to the airport for one last big hug. I joined the Iowa State cohort on their flight back to Santiago to wish them well on their journey back home. As we flew past the impressive Andes mountain range, for the first time in a long time, I remembered what it was that made me fall in love with the country I now call home: it’s that inexplicable feeling of community you find in some of the most hidden corners of the world with folks you never would have dreamed of being lucky enough to break bread or clink a glass with that reminds you of why travel, why people, why life itself really is such a never-ending adventure. How lucky am I that this now gets to be my job 9 years after that first journey to Chile, and how fortunate are we at Amity Tours to make those firsts so memorable for so many people like these students and professors year after year. As Igor assured us as we said our farewells, “All moments lead us to here,” and whether you’re a scientist a student or a free spirit at heart, there’s no better philosophy than that.

Photo Credit: Rubén Paillalef & Caitlin McNamara

Original article posted: https://www.amity-tours.com/hugging-trees-chasing-chucaos-an-amity-tours...

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Hiking Tour of Chile

Spring Break 2024

Author(s):

Caitlin McNamara- Amity Tours

Spring Break in Nepal: A study abroad trip like no other

mmgrant — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 16:28:55 +0000

Iowa State University students and faculty visited with a group of Tharu village farmers in the Chitwan District of Nepal during a study abroad trip to the country in March. The students and local farmers talked about the challenges faced in the country when it comes to growing and providing food and income for families.

By Whitney Baxter

In the first of what is hoped to be regular trips to the country, a group of 10 Iowa State University students got to experience agriculture in Nepal and how it is being impacted by climate change.

Led by Assistant Teaching Professor Ramesh Balayar and Professor David Peters, both rural sociologists in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, the Exploring Ecosystem Services and Subsistence Farming Activities in Rural Nepal study abroad trip took place over spring break last month. The experience was unique because no other study abroad programs are offered at Iowa State that take students to Nepal. And as a native of the country and someone who had worked there with international development organizations for over a decade, Balayar was able to provide his expertise and insights.

“I thought it would be great for a leading agricultural institution to expose students to issues facing the indigenous smallholder farmers, especially women in Nepal,” Balayar said.

The students and instructors visited two groups of farmers – one in the southern part of the country and one in the northern part – and saw first-hand how farming practices differ from those in the United States.

Colby Brandt, sophomore in agricultural and rural policy studies, marveled at the terrace systems used and how the ecosystems varied from one part of the country to another.

“They were just as surprised to see pictures of my family’s Minnesota farm as I was to see their farms,” Brandt said.

Morgan Lang, junior in global resource systems, said it was humbling to see the amount of manual labor used by the Nepali farmers.

Farms are much smaller in Nepal than in the United States, with some no bigger than the average house yard. In talking to the farmers, the students learned how prolonged drought or unexpected flooding linked to climate change can negatively impact farmers’ yields come harvest time.

“They depend so much more on having a successful crop to provide food and income for their families because they do not have crop insurance like we do in the United States,” Lang said.

“It really makes climate change real for students – and humanizes it – when they see the impact it has on people in less developed countries,” Peters said.

One of the topics the group talked about on the trip was the efforts people and organizations make to help the Nepali people. Often, groups will come in for a short period, provide tools to make immediate changes to the way Nepalis people go about various tasks, then leave and never return to do any follow-up.

“We need to look at it from a socio-cultural lens and determine how best to implement changes,” said Shradha Silori, junior in global resource systems and environmental science. “We need to consider if that is what the people in Nepal want, or is it what we think they want?”

Despite all the challenges people in Nepal face, the students agreed that everyone in the country was very friendly and always had a smile to share.

“They have so much hope despite the issues they face,” Brandt said. “It really changed my perspective and has made me do a lot of internal reflection and realize I shouldn’t let the little things get me down.”

As the students heard Balayar say multiple times throughout the trip, “Life is beautiful.”

“By the end of the trip, all of the students were saying that phrase, too,” Silori recalled with a smile.

Plans are already in place to offer the study abroad experience next year during spring break. Balayar and Peters also hope to add a summer-long experience in Nepal. The two recently submitted a U.S. State Department grant to fund these new projects.

“Having these kinds of people-to-people relationships really advances public relationships between Nepal and Iowa State,” Peters said.

Original article posted: https://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/2024/study-abroad-trip-no-other

Tags:

Exploring Ecosystem Services and Subsistence Farming Activities in Rural Nepal

Spring Break 2024

Author(s):

Whitney Baxter

Spring Break in Spain Showcases a Variety of Farming Operations

mmgrant — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 16:24:35 +0000

The group visiting Ramiat winery

Dr. Marshall McDaniel, agronomy, Dr. Ebby Luvaga, economics, and Maggie Norton accompanied a group of 17 CALS students on a spring break travel course to Spain. The group visited many farms including olive, dairy, vineyard, rabbit, snail, almond, peach, a yogurt facility, fruit processing and cultural visits too. McDaniel said it was a “fantastic, edifying trip.”

Agronomy senior Allison Smith said she chose to visit Spain to see how another country practices agriculture. “Spain seemed to be a great choice since they have similar industries to the U.S., but a lot of different ones as well so I was able to compare and contrast but also learn about an industry that is completely new to me” said Smith. Her favorite part of the trip was learning about the Spanish culture and the different agriculture sectors that aren’t as popular in the U.S., such as a snail farm and an olive oil production facility. “I learned so many new things on this trip. One thing that stands out is that their olive/olive oil and wine industries are huge and have a lot of cultural significance,” said Smith.

Agronomy sophomore Tiaira Cordero Lopez liked how “Spain is a culturally rich country that embraces tradition and flair.” Her favorite part of the trip was seeing all the different management systems that Spain has in their farms and production facilities.

Touring a snail farm

Inside the La Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona

Original articles posted: https://www.agron.iastate.edu/2024/04/16/spring-break-in-spain-showcases...

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