Sophia Armstrong, 3rd KI student, spent her summer travelling to Cape Town, South Africa, for a new pilot field course, ENV 474: Biodiversity, Climate Change, and Social Justice. Alongside fifteen other students, the Dean of the Faculty of Environment Dr. Bruce Frayne, Dr. Derek Armitage, and PhD Candidate Ella-Kari Muhl, Sophia expanded her undergraduate education internationally, learned about the intersections of these three fundamental concepts, and challenged personal fears.
Sophia reflects on her experience:
“For the ten days we were there, we were based in Kalk Bay, a small fishing town south of the city center. We snorkeled in the Indian Ocean, learned about the decline of the African Penguin, and spoke with locals about the legacy of Apartheid. We also visited Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Table Mountain National Park, Shark Spotters, the Save our Seas Foundation (SOSF) Shark Education Center, the Two Oceans Aquarium, and the University of Cape Town. Through these course activities and visits, I learned about Cape Town’s social environment, explored the rich biodiversity of this beautiful coastal town, and witnessed the ongoing effects of climate change (there was a raging wildfire on Table Mountain for much of our visit).
This field course ignited a passion for marine ecosystems and helped me experience what it would be like to work abroad. I come out of this adventure with new knowledge, new connections, close and far, and a new outlook on the world. I truly can’t speak highly enough of this experience and would encourage anyone who’s able to seek out an experiential learning opportunity during their time at Waterloo!”
Sophia’s extraordinary experience was made possible thanks to the Lewitt Family Foundation’s generous donation to the Knowledge Integration Experience Award.
Read about other KI students' summer experiences: Summer off? No -- summer on!