Drifting down the river, you are overcome with a sense of isolation. Though the rest of your classmates float all around, and even sit in the same boat, you are at peace in solitude. Moreover, you feel connected to your surroundings. You can see why this particular stretch of river has been used as a […]

  The day began with us taking a 20 minute stroll to the beach from our hostel in Paihia. Going on a rocky boat after several days of traveling and poor sleep was the last thing I wanted to do. As soon as we reached the dock a friendly man named Rowin who also happened […]

Howdy! Our first field trip was rich with cultural learning experiences , during which we traveled to Waitangi treaty grounds, to the Whakapapa (pronounced “fa-ka-pa-pa”) visitor centre, to the Tongariro Crossing, and many other places of cultural significance. Along the way, we were lucky enough to have a wonderful professor called Everard accompany us as our cultural liaison. […]

SASHA BISHOP KOHL KINNING Over the past few weeks, we have begun exploring themes of isolation and colonization in New Zealand. From a biological standpoint, understanding this overarching idea involves biogeographical investigations – studies regarding the patterns of species distributions across New Zealand, and phylogenetic analysis. As an island that was once part of the […]

In the first week that we spent in the far north part of New Zealand, we had the opportunity to snorkel and explore both the Bay of Islands and Goat Island. The Bay of Islands is a very popular tourist destination in the summer and every beautiful beach and bay that we visited while we […]