Monthly Archives: August 2025

Comparing approaches to resources and sustainability in the US and Chile

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When I began college, I had many different interests and wasn’t sure which path I would ultimately take. The one certainty was that I wanted to spend a semester abroad. That dream came true this past year. While my time abroad brought its fair share of challenges, it was also one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

My original GLI Global Theme was Public and Global Health. However, once I arrived in Chile, I realized that the courses I had planned on taking either didn’t match my Spanish level or required prerequisites I hadn’t met. Because of this, I decided to pivot and change my global theme to Resources and Sustainability, which aligned much more seamlessly with the Biology classes available to me. This change opened up new perspectives that I hadn’t anticipated, and I became curious about the ways the U.S. and Chile approach sustainability topics, as well as the cultural or societal norms that inform those differences.


Living in Concepción was a huge adjustment. I was in a house with 11 other people from all over Europe and South America, and I quickly noticed how flexible things were compared to what I was used to. Punctuality wasn’t treated as rigidly as it is in the U.S., and classes often began 15–30 minutes past the hour. Scheduling conflicts weren’t resolved through an advisor, but rather directly with professors, which often meant classes could change from their original schedule. What first seemed disorganized eventually began to feel like part of the charm of life in Latin America—there was a kind of beauty and magic in the chaos.

It was also a big change to live in a coastal port city. Having grown up in the desert of New Mexico and studied in Montana’s mountains, I had always been landlocked. Suddenly, I was in a place with ocean air, San Francisco–style weather, and the beach only a short drive away. On the surface, this might not sound life-changing, but it shaped both of the Biology classes I took: one on plant diversity (which focused heavily on algae) and another on the genetics of marine organisms. Aquaculture plays a huge role in how Chile thinks about natural resources, and it was fascinating to learn about research on algae or vaccine development for salmonids, which nearly always came back to the importance of marine organisms as both a source of revenue and a local food staple.

This perspective was striking when compared to most of my Biology education in the U.S., which has emphasized conservation and protecting species from habitat loss and climate change. While aquaculture is certainly present in the U.S., the focus often leans more toward land and wildlife conservation. Observing this difference made me grateful for the education I’ve received, even though I am no longer a Wildlife Biology major, because I still hope to work in that realm. Conversations with Chilean students also revealed that their opportunities for research in wildlife biology are much more limited, often requiring a veterinary track first or pushing students toward fisheries and aquaculture. Still, Concepción is becoming a hub for cutting-edge research on how the environment affects genomes, and I had the privilege of learning from one of the leading experts in that field.

My semester abroad was also one of the most challenging things I have ever done. Beyond language immersion and academic differences, I navigated setbacks that tested my independence and resilience, including a two-month student strike and even a dislocated elbow. These experiences forced me to adapt in ways I never expected and gave me a new sense of confidence in what I am capable of.

Looking back, my time in Chile taught me more than I ever anticipated. It gave me new perspectives on sustainability, pushed me to grow as a student and as a person, and helped me discover my passion for education, advocacy, and community engagement. While I am still shaping my career path, I know I want to be a lifelong learner, an educator, and a voice for the environment. My semester abroad was a dream come true—but more than that, it was a turning point in how I see the world and my place in it.

Summer in Ghana

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I spent the summer in Accra, Ghana, as a student at the University of Ghana’s main campus. It’s a pretty large campus, with about 30,000 students taking classes in person. Accra is a city of around 6 million people, which means there’s no shortage of excitement and high energy at any point of the day. My favorite part of living in the city was taking the public transportation. They drive these old rickety minibuses called trotros, and a ride usually costs about 50 cents. Everything is manual, meaning there is a guy hanging outside the window shouting the destination to anyone on the side of the road who wants to board. I used trotros to get around to many destinations within the city but also around the country. I was told you can take them all the way north to Burkina Faso, but I stayed in the south of the country during my time there. My friends and I used our weekends to explore rainforests, mountains, waterfalls, beaches, and all the destinations in between. There’s no shortage of things to do in Ghana if you’re willing to ask, and maybe spend some time waiting.

My studies in Ghana consisted of African politics and the continent’s relationship to the global system, as well as French, drumming, and a local language (Twi) class. My classes reshaped my understanding of African political perspectives. Much of the current ideology is shaped around attaining self sufficiency, using African solutions for African problems. It was inspiring to hear these ideas bounced around between professors, local students, and international students during my time at the University.

I connected with a local rollerblading influencer, which allowed me some opportunities to find the city’s best skate spots and connect with skaters from the area. Weekday nights I would often find myself on the back of a motorcycle charging through tight lanes of traffic while holding a pair of skates. Skate culture is growing rapidly not just in Ghana, but across the African continent. I feel extremely lucky to have been able to make friends with some of the people at the front lines of growing the sport.

For the fun of it I decided to spend some time each week helping out at the local zoo, specifically in the primate center. This meant that I got to spend a lot of time hanging out one on one with mangabey monkeys. I was fascinated by most everything they did, like their wide range of different calls, their social structure, and their impressive parkour skills.

Easily my favorite part of the trip was the friends I made. Our dorm was a mix of local Ghanaians, people from around West Africa, and international students from all over the world. Most nights some assortment of us would have dinner together, sharing details about wherever it was we were coming from. This meant that at a single table you could have someone from Nigeria, Finland, Canada, France, Togo, and Reunion Island debriefing their day over local Ghanaian food. If I learned anything on my trip it’s that people are all fundamentally the same no matter our origins. The similarities between the way we laugh, cry, and work through our stages of life far outweigh the differences between us.

Research and Conservation in Samos, Greece

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I spent my summer doing Research and Conservation in Samos, Greece for the Archipelagos Marine and Conservation Institute. I had been placed on the terrestrial team, focusing on pollinators and plants. While I was there I conducted research surveys on pollinator abundance and species diversity in urban areas as well as outside of urban areas. I also created an herbarium for the Institution, which entailed going out on surveys and collecting various plant species and preserving them. This project included adding onto a plant field guide for the Island of Samos. Before starting my research, I had to memorize all the pollinator species on the island and their roles in pollination for a test. There are over 10 different bee species and 15 species of butterflies and moths on the island.

My first day on the internship site was a lot to take in, there were about 90 interns to meet from all around the world. About 20 other interns had arrived with me so I did not have to feel alone and out of the loop. Most of the other interns were from the Netherlands, France, the UK, and America. My daily routine begins with waking up early and attending the morning meeting with all the interns and supervisors. These meetings cover updates about the institute, team projects, and any issues—such as those related to our living arrangements. After the meeting, if there are no scheduled surveys, I focus on research for my project.  I especially enjoy the days when I go out on surveys. We hike nearly six miles every other day, identifying pollinators and the flowers they’re attracted to. After surveys, we have lunch from 1:00 to 2:00 PM. The workday ends at 5:00 PM, and afterward, many interns head straight to the beach to cool off with a swim in the hot weather. My language skills are slowly developing—I have the basics down, like “please” and “thank you.” I’ve been using a small pocket dictionary religiously to keep up with practice. Since none of the food is labeled in English, it’s been a fun way to practice reading the alphabet and learning how words are pronounced.

My global theme is resources and sustainability, with the challenge of how we can protect understudied biodiversity and conserve ecosystems. This experience has deepened my understanding of both my GLI theme and challenge by highlighting the difficulties involved in researching understudied biodiversity, such as pollinators and jackals. Since this is primarily a marine institute, the terrestrial research team is still being developed, which means there has been limited research on the island’s terrestrial wildlife. I learned what it’s like to contribute to a small dataset and to collect plant species in order to support the growth and impact of the research institution.

My impression of Greece hasn’t changed much—I came in knowing it would be rich in history, and it has absolutely lived up to that expectation. I visited the Archaeological Museum of Pythagoreion, which showcases the cultural evolution of the ancient city of Samos. There, I saw ancient artifacts such as pottery, coins, and basic stone tools like cups and lamps. One exhibit that stood out included burial urns used for children and other ancient graves. That surprised me, as I’ve always understood burial sites to be places typically left undisturbed for historical reasons. What did surprise me, however, was the number of rundown buildings. I learned that many people purchase property and begin building homes but are unable to complete them due to financial limitations. One of the things I truly admired was the strong sense of collectivism. In Greece, people tend to have close-knit relationships—there’s a strong focus on community and togetherness, rather than individualism. It’s all about “us.” The steps I took to ensure that I became an asset to the organization included, but were not limited to, researching Archipelagos Marine Institute—its mission, values, and the types of projects currently underway. I also researched the island itself and its local wildlife, including pollinators, golden jackals, and seagrass ecosystems.

Reconstructing Past Climates in Ireland

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Sláinte! My name is Sophia Mahoney, and I am a junior majoring in Earth, Water and Climate Sciences, with a minor in Wilderness Studies. For my Beyond the Classroom Experience, I spent part of my sophomore year studying at the University of College Cork (UCC), in southern Ireland. My global theme is Resources and Sustainability, which I was able to study in a past ecological context. Rather than look at resources and sustainability from a current perspective, I took classes focused on paleoecology, palynology and paleoclimatology. Here I studied the ecology and past abundance of vegetative species across Ireland, past climatic events and how they impacted resources without human influence, and how those resources were then managed as human settlers arrived. We looked at vegetative composition dating back to the last glacial maximum, the distribution of trees in comparison to shrubs and grasses, and how that composition shifted as human settlements spread. By studying how these shifts occurred in the past, we gained insight into how resource management could progress and be managed in the present.

A live sample from Irish peat, when doing pollen count analysis for historic native vegetation composition in the area. Two betula (birch) grains are visible.

In addition to the courses I took at UCC, I spent a lot of my time traveling and hiking, to see less traveled parts of the country. One of the most interesting things for me was learning what was considered to be native, or “wild”, from an environmental standpoint. I had completed my Wilderness Studies minor the semester before, which focused on wildland management in the States. In the case of Ireland, the strawberry tree is considered both an introduced species and a native one due to how long it has existed on the island. It is believed to have been brought over about 4,000 years ago from the Iberian Peninsula. Likewise, hazel is considered a wild native plant, but is nowadays more commonly found almost exclusively in hedgerows, as a large amount of it was harvested by early settlers. Ireland is called the Emerald Isle, a name earned from its extensive coverage of grass fields. Though pre-settlement Ireland was around 80% covered by native trees and woodland, now less than 1% of the island is wooded, most of which is a non-native species that have been planted for timber production.

Over 70% of the country of Ireland is now farmland; you can see cleared farmland bordered on the upper left by homogeneous conifer plantations.

I spent half of my spring break backpacking through the Scottish Highlands in Cairngorm National Park, considered to be one of the last wild places in the British Isles. Everywhere I turned, I saw that the park had been stripped and hunted of most of its natural resources, from the trees that were removed during the world wars, to the native deer populations hunted for sport by local communities and nobility alike. In both cases, it allowed me to take a step back and look at how historic resource removal became so commonplace that now that these places lack most of their resources, it is considered normal, wild, and beautiful. What does this mean for other places natural resource extraction? Is the reasoning that something else will replace it, like in the case of Irish woodlands to farm land, an acceptable answer? These are some questions that I wish to explore further.

Hiking through a few remaining trees along the valley floor, with many smaller saplings starting to become established, you can see the bare hills in the background. Historically this would have all been forested by the tall trees on our left.

Looking down on the valley where a few lone trees can be spotted along the valley floor that have started to regenerate following the mass logging of the world wars and over consumption of natural resources. Historically, woodlands would have spanned up the majority of the hillside before the conditions would have become too hostile.

These questions and my learnings are building blocks of the whole of my education that I will carry with me forever. As I think back on the time I spent in Ireland, I think back on everything I experienced, all the people I met, and all the things I learned, and how I will carry every moment of it forward with me.

Le meilleur semestre en Suisse!

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Bonjour, grüezi, ciao, hello! My name is Hannah Halvorson, and I spent 5 months this spring studying at the University of Fribourg in Fribourg, Switzerland. Fribourg (or, for the Swiss Germans, Freiburg) is located just 20 minutes from the Swiss capital of Bern by train. It is a medium-sized city with an old town dating back to the medieval era, on the border of French and German speaking Switzerland. Switzerland is an incredible country for many reasons, but its four national languages and small size contribute to its unique culture. My Global Theme is Culture and Politics, and I found Fribourg to be a perfect place to dive into that.

I explored my Global Theme in many ways. Most clearly, I focused on my Global Challenge. I wanted to find out what the global perception was of the USA, and specifically, of the American people, in this turbulent time. I took a class called “American Self-Deception and Self-Renewal,” and this was a fascinating starting point to answer my question. This was a literature class, so explored the ways Americans were presented in stories. Yet it also offered interesting commentary on the American lifestyle, and through conversations with my professor, I started to understand the impact that recent political events have had on the people of Switzerland. Another way I learned about global perception was through the friends I made, coming from countries all over Europe. I encountered several stereotypes about Americans through these relationships, some positive and others less so. The final way I explored my Global Challenge was by continuing my studies in French, both through classes at the university and immersion in the language in daily life. Learning about a different culture in their language deepened my experience in an unforgettable way, and I know already that I want to do it again. While studying abroad, I had the opportunity to experience other cultures as well, traveling to many surrounding countries throughout the semester. By visiting friends in their home countries, I got to see how families lived outside of the US, and hear their input on global events. Below are a few photos of these travels!

The cultural perspective I gained by exploring my Global Challenge will stay with me forever. Learning French and hearing about global events from my home country was valuable, but experiencing them in a new environment was something I think everyone should have the opportunity to do. Thank you, GLI, for helping make this experience happen!

Spring into Summer in Malta

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Bonġu, jiena jisimni Fiona! Let me tell you about my experience studying in Malta!

A semester of studying and living in Malta turned out to be different from how I had expected. After doing my research on the country, my expectations consisted of Italian cultural influence, a large Catholic population, lots of old architecture, and after that, just the beach. But it turns out Malta, though it’s just a small island south of Sicily in the heart of the Mediterranean, has stayed rich in its culture, practices, and language, which lent well to my theme of Culture and Politics. Starting with the language, the culture in Malta is alive and well protected/practiced. The Maltese language is a fascinating, partially Semitic language born from a lot of influence from different countries and empires across history. First Arabic, then Italian, and later English, all left their impressions on Maltese. The language is used quite frequently and hasn’t changed much in the past century.

These are a few pictures of Malta. The architecture was so unique, and a lot of buildings had these lights that were used for any special occasion. A good example is in the second photo. Malta loves a party. About every other week, there would be a national holiday where no school in the country was in session, and everyone would meet in a town or a few to have a festival. Bands like in the picture would walk the streets playing music, confetti was thrown from the top stories of buildings, and there were lots of tents with food or small shops. This was one of my favorite unexpected parts of Malta, and it became a frequent tradition for my friends and me.

This is a Maltese dinner, kind of like charcuterie. There are butter beans, capers, kidney beans, water crackers, sundried and fresh tomatoes, goat cheese, a cheese made on the Maltese island Gozo, and a Maltese blended bean dip. The dip was one of my favorite Maltese foods. It tastes almost like refried beans, but thinner and with more salt and fresh garlic. Sometimes it would be served with vegetables or crackers, and it was good every time.

Malta is so colorful in both a physical sense and a cultural sense. Live music and dancing can be found anywhere on the island, on any given evening. The beaches were serene, and the towns were filled with welcoming communities and hidden gems of restaurants. The university was tricky to work with sometimes, but my professors were all masters of their subjects and such incredible people to talk to. I met so many great people in the international student housing, and I wouldn’t trade those memories or connections for anything.

I will see you soon, Malta! Because I will surely be back!

Beyond the Classroom Experience in Milan, Italy

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This summer, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Milan, Italy—the heart of the global fashion industry. As a Resources and Sustainability student in the Franke GLI and an Economics student at the University of Montana, I wanted to explore how Italy’s fashion markets balance style with sustainability. Milan provided the perfect backdrop for this research, offering a firsthand look at how practices like recycling, reusing, and maintaining high-quality clothing can reduce the environmental impact of fashion. I chose Italy for my Beyond the Classroom Experience not only because of its reputation for craftsmanship and excellence in the clothing sector, but also because it aligned with my Global Challenge of building a more sustainable planet. Along the way, I gained insights into sustainability, my own role as a consumer, and how to make more intentional investments in the pieces I choose to wear. This opportunity to spend the summer in Italy opened my mind to many different ways of life and perspectives that I will forever be grateful for.

This is an image of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. This historic and elegant shopping arcade connects the Duomo and the Teatro alla Scala and is known for its luxury shops, high-end boutiques, restaurants, and iconic glass-and-iron dome. I spent much time around this area in Milan to better understand shopping and quality trends of products. This is a hot tourist spot for those looking to invest in luxury goods.

While completing research about sustainability practices in Milan, I visited many shops, markets, and vintage stores. I found that the clothing in many of these stores was made much better than the average clothing you might find in the US at a much more affordable price. The clothing didn’t have to be from a high-end brand to be made to last. There were Zara and Mango stores in Milan that I went into, which appeared to be of higher quality than their stores I have visited in the US. The clothing in these stores was very reasonably priced for clothing that was well-designed and stylish. Which was of interest to me because, why is it that the European version of these brands provides a better quality of item to consumers? Could it be that the average American consumer is more consumed with the quantity of product rather than the quality of product? Through some investigation and internet research, I found that this has unfortunately become the case in the US in our relationship to fast fashion and overconsumption. While living in Italy, I decided I would only thrift and invest in quality pieces, avoiding fast fashion and cheaply made clothing.

The images above are the places I learned to explore, ask questions about the quality of the product, make responsible purchases, and help to curb my carbon footprint by investing in items that are meant to last.

I did many other things outside of the learning of my Research in Sustainability. I attended the University of Cattolica in Milan, where I took classes in Global Economics. At Cattolica, I collaborated with students from around the world to craft projects that explained global economic problems that all of our individual countries were facing. I really enjoyed working with all these differing people because of their diversity of ideas and cultures. I learned so much from them all, and now I have couches to crash on in Mexico, Saudi Arabia, England, Canada, France, India, and Italy. These friendships enriched my knowledge of the world outside the comfort of the USA.

On my second day in Italy in May, I met a friend group in Milan that I would spend the majority of my time with. They had no connection to my University, yet they truly made my life in Milan so enjoyable. They all taught me so much about friendship and enjoying the sweet, slow life of Italy.

The family of friends I got to be a member of all summer and hopefully will be a part of the rest of my life!

My opportunity to live in Milan, Italy, provided me with easy access to the airports, buses, and trains that could take me all around Italy and Europe. On my second day in Italy in May, I was rock climbing in the French Alps with my new friends. In June, I stayed for 2 weeks with friends I had made in Sicily and learned about the Italian subculture there. 2 weeks later, I backpacked to Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic. There, I learned so much about the World Wars, politics, and European history. 2 weeks after that, I went all over Southern Italy, visiting Florence, Rome, Naples, the Amalfi Coast, Siena, Mt. Vesuvius, Pompeii, Venice, etc.. I got to see so many amazing places and the cultures that cultivated their abstract beauty.

Here are a few images of Pompeii, Palermo, Pompeii, Hungary, and Rome from my adventures during the summer!

Living abroad in Italy this summer enriched my life and knowledge of the planet that I inhabit. I will forever be grateful to the Franke GLI program and those who worked so hard to give me this amazing opportunity. I feel rich now, though my pockets are empty, for I have seen the world with my own eyes.

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page” – Saint Augustine

Thank you, Franke GLI and the University of Montana, for allowing me to read a different page!

Beyond the Classroom at the Cooper Lab

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Hey guys! My name is Kaelin Thompson and for my beyond the classroom experience I have been working at the Cooper Lab on camps. The Cooper lab is a super amazing research lab that studies a wide variety of issues, in particular the bacteria known as Wolbachia. In the lab I follow a post-doctoral student where I learn many different skills. Currently I am working with fruit flies and how Wolbachia is impacting their reproduction. I attached a typical day of my life to this blog as well as a few photos so that you are all able to see how absolutely amazing this experience has been! 

In the lab today, I was able to learn how to begin the PCR process. The first step of PCR is known as the genome extraction. This process includes collecting your DNA, which in this case includes live flies. The fly selection starts by putting them to sleep with a small amount of CO2, and then in our case separating 21 flies into 7 different tubes. The tubes are then placed on ice where 50ul of a squish buffer is added to each tube per fly resulting in 150ul per tube. The flies are then hand crushed with a small stick for 2-3 minutes, until they are almost completely mixed with the squish buffer. This step can be slightly challenging as the flies may fly out if they haven’t been properly placed to sleep. 

  After being squished, the tubes are placed in a heat bath for 45 minutes at 65 degrees Celsius before raising the temperature to 94 degrees for another four minutes. After the heating process the tubes are placed in a centrifuge where the fly debris sinks to the bottom forming a pellet. The top of the liquid in the tube holds extracted DNA, making it easy for removal while the pellet holds the remaining bodies of the flies. I thought this process was super cool, however I will not lie and say crushing the flies didn’t gross me out a bit. Next a mixture of primers, water, squish buffer and DNA was all mixed together in order to prepare for extraction. The amount of each group was dependent on the quantity of flies and whether or not they were positive for Wolbachia, which we knew from the beginning.  

After being separated and marked, the mixtures were then placed in a PCR machine which thankfully is able to perform a heating and cooling process that would take an eternity by hand. After hours the samples were amplified inside of the machine. The third step in a PCR sequence consisted of creating a gel and then loading it with DNA fragments which have been amplified in order to be visible. Once the DNA was loaded, you are able to hook up the gel inside of a gel box to a charger which allowed for electrical currents to flow through the gel so that we were able to see which DNA fragments amplified. In this case, we were testing DNA from 21 different flies. After running in the gel electrical box for 20 minutes, I took the gel out and went to an area where a light is able to shine on the gel. For the flies that had Wolbachia, a small white bar would shine back at us; those without would not shine. Results of a gel can be seen below.  

Overall, this experience has truely been the best and I am more than grateful I got to work in the Cooper Lab.  

Working as a Wildland Firefighter in Central Montana

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Hello! My name is Megan Vaughn, and I am a Resources and Sustainability fellow in the Franke GLI Program. For my Global Challenge, I decided to focus on how government agencies are addressing climate change and adapting to it. When planning my Beyond the Classroom Experience, I wanted to design an experience that would allow me to learn more about my Global Challenge and gain first-hand work experience. During the Spring of 2025, I applied to become a Wildland Firefighter in Central Montana to learn more about the U.S. Forest Service. While working during the Summer of 2025, I have been able to experience some of the natural disasters caused by climate change and learn how government agencies (such as the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management) are managing natural resources. 

During the Summer of 2025, I worked as a Wildland Firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service in the Judith Musselshell Ranger District as part of the Helena-Lewis and Clark Forest. This is a picture of Stanford, Montana, where I was stationed for the summer. Although I had the opportunity to travel on assignments occasionally, this was my home district where I spent most of my time working. 

Despite being stationed in Stanford, MT, I have had the opportunity to also travel and work in other ranger districts across the country. During June, I was sent to Grants, NM, on a fire assignment with a couple of other members from my crew. This assignment was 14 days, not including the two days of travel to New Mexico and to Montana. The first seven days were spent on a severity assignment where we assisted the fire crew in Grants, NM, and served as a resource for any possible future fires. During this time, we were able to visit several areas of cultural importance that allowed us to learn more about the history and culture of New Mexico. 

This is a picture of the ruins at Chaco Canyon National Park. During our time in New Mexico, my crew took one of our travel days to visit cultural sites and learn more about the history of the area we were working in. 

After seven days, though, my crew was requested to assist with a fire complex in Los Lunas, NM. Working on this fire complex was a valuable opportunity because it allowed me to learn more about the diverse natural resources in the Southwest United States and experience interagency cooperation firsthand. The Desert Willow Complex threatened several homes and natural resources around the Rio Grande and was extremely close to a heavily populated area. Many federal and state organizations came together to handle the situation and prevented it from escalating quickly and causing additional damage. Although state resources managed operations, resources from federal and county agencies also cooperated with one another to prevent further destruction and protect the remaining natural resources. 

Engaging with a different culture and environment on this assignment shifted my perspective on the culture I am accustomed to in Montana and allowed me to learn more about the environment in the New Mexico area. History and cultural identity, for example, play an important role in rural communities, such as Grants, NM. Natural resources are also managed differently in the Southwest United States compared to the Northern Rockies region, since there are several different fuel types in each respective area. 

This is a picture of the Cibola National Forest from the La Mosca lookout near Grants, NM. The fuel types in the region include timber, sage brush, and grass lands. 

This experience provided me with a large array of diverse perspectives surrounding climate change and managing natural resources. For example, a common argument is that climate change is causing wildfires to become more destructive and wildfire seasons to last longer. Although rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns are contributing to the change in fire behavior, they are not the only factors. Over time, efforts to protect forests have prevented large areas from experiencing wildfires for many years. This has caused large regions to become severe fire hazards and allowed smaller wildfires to begin expanding rapidly once they are started. Fuels that have not been burned or thinned for many years are contributing to the growth of wildfires and allowing them to expand beyond containment efforts. 

This experience has tremendously improved my leadership ability as I have been able to frequently incorporate my leadership skills into daily tasks. Working on the fire line has allowed me to learn how to take initiative when action is needed and rely on those around me to support the mission at hand. Engaging with diverse crews from across the nation on each new incident has allowed me to gain a new perspective on interagency cooperation and different leadership styles from across the United States. Staffing a small crew has also allowed me to improve my communication skills, as it has been necessary for me to communicate clearly and effectively with those around me to improve my situational awareness and ensure the safety of my coworkers. Taking action, engaging with different groups of people, and communicating effectively are all important aspects of leadership. This experience has shown me areas for improvement in my leadership style while also allowing me to continue developing as a leader and prepare to return to Missoula this upcoming Fall.  

I have gained an extended understanding of natural resources, agency management, and environmental values from my Beyond the Classroom Experience. However, my time working as a wildland firefighter has also made me more curious about the management of other natural resources. My experience required me to focus on different types of terrain and fuels, such as mountains, timber, desert, brush, grasslands, etc. But after working around these fuel types, I am interested to learn how different climates affect fuels found across the United States and how fire crews in other regions of the globe are responding to climate change. 

Overall, I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in this incredible Beyond the Classroom Experience. My time spent working for the U.S. Forest Service has forever changed how I view my surroundings and completely reshaped who I am today.

Intersections Between Culture and Science in Chile

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Hello! My name is Katia, and I am a senior double majoring in Wildlife Biology and Spanish with a certificate in Global Leadership. My Global Theme is Resources and Sustainability and my Global Challenge looks at what social justice or sustainability techniques can Latin America employ to combat climate change. For my Beyond the Classroom Experience, I studied abroad in Valparaíso, Chile. I had the incredible opportunity to stay with a Chilean host family which gave me a beautiful window into the culture. When I initially decided to study Wildlife Biology and Spanish, I went into college thinking there would be little to no overlap between the two areas of study. Later, I realized that studying abroad in a Spanish speaking country and taking science classes could be a great way to merge these two interests. Most of my classes will transfer back for my Spanish major, but I also had the opportunity to take a climate change class called “Medioambiente y justicia social: nuevos caminos contra el cambio climático en América Latina” where we learned about the major ways climate change is impacting Latin America and the ways in which we can begin to combat them. 

Much of what I have learned about climate change has come from a more science related perspective, and this class combined a little bit of science and philosophy which created some really eye-opening points of views for me. One of my favorite units of the class involved reading an article written about the relationship between the Mapuche, an indigenous group in Chile, and the Araucaria, a tree endemic to southern Chile and Argentina. The Mapuche have a reciprocal relationship with this beautiful tree; they sustainably harvest the seeds for food, and in exchange, they protect, care for, and honor the spaces that the trees occupy. Sadly though, a much more extractivist mindset dominates the world and the natural spaces we live in. The Mapuche can teach us an important lesson that in terms of combating climate change, perhaps one of the best places to start is a change in mindset. Instead of taking resources solely for consumption, maybe we express gratitude to the earth and its natural gifts. What ways can we express gratitude or give back to the earth?

A picture of my dad grinding wheat to make flour using Mapuche tools in a traditional home. 

Another part of that class involved a field trip to a community close to Concón, Chile, designated as a “zona de sacrificio” or “sacrifice zone.” Coal plants were built in this area, contaminating the ocean and killing ocean life, interfering with important local food sources and the economy of this town. We met with a few local women who meet several times a week to discuss ways to fight back against the government, demanding the right to a clean and safe environment. Seeing the love that these women have for their community was inspiring. After many defeats, they are still fighting for their families, their communities, and their way of life. Those women remind us of the importance of the collective voice. 

My favorite part of the study abroad experience were the moments I shared with my Chilean host family. I spoke only in Spanish with my host mom and created a relationship with her that will last well beyond my time in Chile. While abroad, I had the opportunity to reflect on the importance of cross-cultural, cross-country communication, skills that I strengthened particularly with my host mom. We went to the mercado to shop for fruits and vegetables, we went to local ferías to thrift clothes, we walked on the beach together, she taught me Chilean words like bacán, fome, cachai’, and chascona, we shared deep conversations at meals, and so much more. I know that I have a home in Chile when I want to go back and visit my new family. There are aspects of Chilean culture that are quite different. Public transportation is incredible and used by pretty much everyone. Chileans show affection and greet people using physical touch (a hug and kiss on the cheek). I think the important thing for me though was to try to not compare Chile to my life in the United States. We can appreciate the differences and try to learn about a new culture in a respectful way. 

My Chilean host mom goes by Paty, but I always call her mi querida Patita. 

My time in Chile was truly a life changing experience. I was constantly immersed in the culture, speaking Spanish and expanding my vocabulary, trying new foods, and making new friends. Chile is also unique in its geography; the Atacama desert in the north, Patagonia and huge glaciers in the south, la cordillera de los Andes to the east, and the Pacific ocean to the west. The environmental diversity is astounding, and is one of the reasons why I would love to visit Chile again. 

Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, Patagonia

Climbing the most active volcano in Chile with my fellow GLIer Rayne!

Endemic flamingo species that live in the Atacama desert feeding on crustaceans living in salt flats. Hasta pronto, Chile!