GoAbroad

Study Abroad Programs in Tucson, United States

AIFS study abroad

Featured Provider of the Month

Ready for a change of scenery? Study abroad on a life-changing program!
with AIFS Abroad

1 Tucson, United States Study Abroad Programs

Round River Conservation Studies
103 reviews

Round River Conservation Studies

Sky Island Borderlands Conservation Program

Operating from a mobile camp, students will spend most days hikin...

Popular Providers

Latest Program Reviews

Easily the most meaningful experience I've had in college

by: Emma Rosenau - United StatesProgram: Sky Island Borderlands Conservation Program
10

Like Zach, I was initially signed up to go to Mongolia with Round River and only ended up going to the Sky Islands because of Covid. I won't lie, I was apprehensive at first about living in Arizona in the summer and a little disappointed to be studying "abroad" in the US instead of Mongolia. Luckily, it turned out to be one of the most special summers of my life and I'm so glad I chose to go! The image I had in my head of Arizona was a SpongeBobesque wasteland; instead, it was an incredibly beautiful and diverse patchwork of mountains, valleys, and streams. Each Sky Island mountain range that we worked in was covered in Ponderosa forest and the desert valleys in between were like nothing I'd ever seen before. We also got to see everything turn green over the course of the monsoon season from July to August. For academics, we had some readings and homework to do, but most of the work was field-based. We mostly worked with Round River's community partner Sky Island Alliance- the biggest projects were monitoring springs in the mountains, doing riverbank restoration in a canyon, and helping with the US-Mexico border wildlife survey. The border, and its implications for wildlife (and people), is a huge factor in conservation in the Southwest. We talk about socio-ecological systems in my classes at UVM all the time, but there is nothing like actually experiencing and working in that landscape to help you understand the problems faced in this field. It was really cool to get to work with Round River's community partners and know that the research you are doing is solicited by the people who live and work there. A nice part about the Sky Island program specifically is that you get to make connections with people in the conservation world in the US! (I was even able to go back to Arizona this summer to do research with one of the people I met through being on Round River a year before!).

Deals Banner Image
Apply for Scholarships & Deals on GoAbroad

to get exclusive discounts on meaningful travel programs!

Apply Now

Recent Study Abroad Articles