Program Location
Quick Links
Contact the Program Director
Dr. Dennis Wilson
Life Science Department
P: 480-654-7731
Office: RDM S - 264
dennis.wilson@mesacc.edu
May 27-June 20, 2025
A trek through the wilds of Africa will probably be the single most adventurous and exciting thing that you will ever do! In true safari style, you’ll travel Namibia in 4x4's, exploring Africa’s amazing wildlife, breathtaking landscapes, unique people and ecosystems. Accommodations will be a mixture of camping, staying in an authentic Himba village, hostels, and bed and breakfasts.
You’ll visit Etosha National Park with Africa’s big five (lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino, leopard), come face to face with cheetahs at the Cheetah Conservation Fund, building an elephant-proof stone wall and track the very rare desert elephants at EHRA, stay at a Himba village, and bushcamp in the world's oldest desert. By exploring the wildlife, flora, people, and landscapes of Namibia you’ll learn about global conservation, biodiversity and environmental issues, as well as the impact of expanding human populations and climate change. You’ll use field techniques to census wildlife and examine environmental topics such as biodiversity loss and human-wildlife conflict.
To complement the environmental and conservation biology themes, you will also learn about the birds of Namibia with an introduction to ornithology.
With a mix of wilderness bush camping, rest camps, relaxing starlight campfires, BBQ’s, and unique wildlife everywhere, this will be the learning adventure of a lifetime! But you’ll also have down time for optional activities like dune surfing and adventure sports at Swakopmund on Namibia’s coast.
Namibia is located on the southwestern coast of Africa, sharing borders with South Africa and Botswana to the east and Angola to the north. Namibia's landscape includes open grasslands, pans, dry riverbeds and dense woodlands. See a map here. Namibia has the oldest desert in the world, the Namib, a long coastline dotted with shipwrecks and diamond mines, as well as abundant wildlife.
Namibia Program Excursions
- Visit Etosha National Park with Africa's big 5 (lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino, and leopard).
- Get up close with cheetahs at the Cheetah Conservation Fund.
- Stay at a Himba Village.
- Track desert elephants and build a water source protection structure at the EHRA.
- Opportunities for optional activities like dune surfing and adventure sports at Swakopmund.
Summer Courses You Will Take During Program
- 5 credit program - Registration for courses will begin in March.
- BIO105: LEC 16630 & LAB 16649 Environmental Biology Lec/Lab (4 cr) [SQ]; requires $10 lab fee
- Instructor: Dr. Dennis Wilson
- BIO149SV: 16613 Field Biology: Ecological and Environmental Field Experience - Birds of Namibia (1 cr)
- Instructor: Andy Bridges
- REQUIRED predeparture coursework in person at MCC Red Mountain campus or live online: May 12-23, 2025
- Mandatory study abroad orientation on Saturday, April 12, 2025 from 9 am - 2 pm at MCC.
- Gear checklist for trip
