The practice of cooking food underground has been around for a long time, but is not considered common today. New Zealand offers an ideal context for practical, multi-disciplinary studies, says Becker, due to its rich cultural traditions, diverse ecosystems, expansive natural areas, mild climate, and history of innovative approaches to resource management. According to senior Anne Hochsprung, the experience was both challenging and exhilarating for the inaugural group of students who helped lay the groundwork for one of the university's newest exchange programs. Though students spent much of their time outside, hiking through beautiful, untouched land, they weren't on vacation. Hochsprung says six days a week were spent learning in a classroom or working outside on different projects.
Students also work on individual research projects.
One project this past year involved helping a local farmer with mussel aquaculture, while others involved tracking rats and their effects on the endangered Kokaco bird in the Hunua Range, and researching shorebirds and the impact of humans and cattle on their habitat. EcoQuest New Zealand is open to students in all majors and, although admission is open to UNH students first, all qualified students are encouraged to apply.