SNR leads many trips domestically and internationally for experiences outside the classroom. SNR Travel Information Night with representatives from all the trips will be Thursday September 17 from 4:50 to 7:30 PM in 107 South Hardin Hall (Auditorium).
Global Experiences will be in attendance to answer questions regarding finances. Multiple breakout sessions will be available to interact with each trips leaders or representatives.
Free Pizza will be available. Please RSVP at https://go.unl.edu/snrtravel
The following are some of the trips that will be represented:
Bisons & Waterfalls - October 17-21, 2025
Tour the Nature Conservancy's bison herd, learn from diverse federal, state, and local conservation professionals on-site, and paddle the wild and scenic Niobrara River during a stunning color-changing season in northern Nebraska! Trip limited to 12 students.
Trip Leaders: Platte Basin Timelapse & Outdoor Adventures (Carlee Moates, Michael Forsberg, Jordan Messerer)
Prairie Cranes & Sandhill Chickens - March 14-19, 2026
View thousands of sandhill cranes during their spring migration stopover on the Platte River and observe prairie chickens and sharp-tailed grouse dancing on their spring leks. Students stay on-site at the Crane Trust and in the sandhills on the Switzer Ranch. See this diverse display of landscape and wildlife in Nebraska and learn from conservation professionals in the field! Trip limited to 12 students.
Trip Leaders: Platte Basin Timelapse & SNR (Carlee Moates, Michael Forsberg, Larkin Powell)
Puerto Rico, (Spring Break) March 11 - 20, 2026
Students will have the opportunity to experience the rain and dry forests, snorkel on a tropical reef and bioluminescent bay and explore the tropical rivers, underground caves and beaches of Puerto Rico. They will also visit research stations and interact with locals while observing the components of tropical ecosystems on a major island system.
Trip Leaders: Dennis Ferarro
Informational Meeting: September 18 from 3:30 to 7:30pm (new sessions every 15 minutes) in 228 South Hardin Hall
Wildlife Conservation in Namibia - May 12 to June 4, 2026
• Join us in exploring communities across Namibia, from its bustling capital to remote rural areas, as we examine how people meet essential needs for food and shelter while protecting the ecosystems and wildlife that sustain life.
• Gain first-hand insight into the human dimensions of conservation—how cultural values, livelihoods, and governance structures shape decisions about wildlife and natural resources, and how these differ from North American practices.
• Experience the diversity of conservation approaches in Namibia, including community-based natural resource management and the role of tourism, contrasting with North America’s reliance on license sales, federal and state agencies, and private lands.
• Watch cheetahs run at the Cheetah Conservation Fund, an innovative NGO that blends science, education, and local engagement.
• Climb some of the world’s oldest dunes in the Namib Desert, visit a Himba village to experience indigenous culture, and meet a farm family using ecotourism to sustain both their livelihood and local wildlife.
• Explore Etosha National Park, one of Africa’s premier wildlife refuges, home to elephants, lions, rhinos, giraffes, and hundreds of bird species, and learn how its unique salt pan ecosystem supports an incredible diversity of life.
Trip Leaders: Lindsey & Chris Chiziniski
Additional Informational Meetings: 9/17 @ noon and 9/22 @ 5 PM in 901 South Hardin Hall
More info: https://go.unl.edu/Namibia2026
Bahamas: Marine Ecology: May 17 - 26, 2026
This trip is out of country while still being close to home, only a 30 minute plane ride from Florida. It offers a shorter 1-week study abroad course that may be more feasible for students unable to participate in longer courses. Additionally, students learn from world-renowned scientists about tropical marine ecosystems, conservation, and get to swim with sharks and other marine organisms during numerous outings throughout the week. Previous student attendees have deemed it a life changing trip!
Trip Leaders: Dr. Rene Martin
More info: rmartin52@unl.edu
Southern Africa: Wildlife Conservation (May 23 to June 23, 2026)
Spend a month camping in the South Africa bush learning about the national history of the bushveld. The Makuleke Concession of Kruger National Park represents the diversity of modern conservation issues in Africa with enormous numbers of wildlife that conflict with local villages and agriculture. Students in the course will experience phenomenal wildlife and learn about the challenges South Africa faces during this period of rapid change.
Trip Leaders: John Carroll and Lord Ameyaw
More Information: jcarroll2@unl.edu
Botswana: Wilderness in the 21st Century: Okavango Delta (August 2027)
This class will explore the concept of wilderness with a particular focus on how wilderness is impacted by human behavior and social structures (culture, laws, economies of tourism, farming, industry, etc.). We will explore topics related to a specific wilderness area – the Okavango Delta in rural Botswana – as a case study to consider wilderness in the 21st century. In doing so, we will utilize social science-based research approaches and theories to understand the range of ways human interaction with the Delta impacts it as a wilderness area.
Trip Leaders: Gwendŵr Meredith & John Carroll
Australia: Managing Diverse Ecosystems (Winter Break 2026-2027)
Immerse yourself in Australia's bountiful natural wonders while also learning about agricultural enterprises in the Down Under. For three weeks, students learn about Australia's wildlife conservation efforts, including those to save the endangered Tasmanian devil, while exploring food industries from vineyards and lavender fields to fisheries and oyster farms.
Trip Leader: Mark Burbach