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About the Program
The three week course through the Department of Plant Sciences and Landscape Architecture and the Environmental Science and Policy Program will engage you in the study of environmental sustainability programs that are being implemented in New Zealand. New Zealand, being geographically isolated, has its own sustainability issues from energy production to invasive species. You will travel throughout New Zealand's diverse ecosystems and learn about how the government approaches several aspects of sustainability, including but not limited to energy production (geothermal, hydropower, wind), ecological conservation programs (biodiversity), tourism, and low-impact urban design including stormwater management and architecture. Additionally, you will interact with Maori peoples to understand how their culture and language has been revived in the recent past and what issues they face both economically and socially. You will have the opportunity to visit museums, national parks, farms, botanical gardens, old growth forests and many other places to gain knowledge about the natural history of the Pacific Island country. Programs learned about in New Zealand will be compared and contrasted to sustainability programs in the United States, with the objective of forming a better appreciation of the program effectiveness in both countries.