NAMIBIA: Endangered Species and the Kalahari People (Expedition #78)
Experience authentic wildlife safaris and bush camping with Kalahari and Damaraland peoples! Learn how local communities live along among elephants, lions, rhinos, and hippos. Immerse yourself within the African bush and get up close to some of the most iconic wild animals in our world!
A surreal African safari immersion experience. Namibia is home to the oldest hunter-gather culture in the world and to the largest elephants in the world. Namibia is also a refuge for remaining black rhinos, white rhinos, pangolin, desert elephant, desert lion and cheetah. This expedition includes visits to Damaraland and the Namib Desert, the oldest desert in the world. We also visit traditional bushmen land, the Erongo Mountains, and Etosha National Park, the flagship park of Namibia. Our adventure includes intimate encounters with lions feeding and visits with orphaned rhinos to learn about their stories and challenges that Namibians face in protecting them. We will have soccer matches with local communities in the Kalahari, Damaraland and Erongo Region. Additionally, we also get the rare experience of tracking Damaraland’s rare desert elephants (only about 70 left in the world). We will participate in EHRA’s (Elephant and Human Relations Aid) community-based initiatives to protect both local peoples and endangered elephants, both of which share the same primary sources of water and vegetation. Finally, we do game drive safaris to see wild hippo, rhinos, and matriarchal herds of elephants as well as cheetah, oryx, kudu, wildebeest, zebra, impala, springbok, baboon, jackal, giraffe, and lion prides. It is undoubtedly a memorable, “bucket-list” experience! You will also receive 6 CORE CREDITS towards your undergraduate degree. Students can choose any 2 of 3 course offerings: ART 111 (Creative Perspectives, Photography); PHIL 200 or 250; and/or THEO 332. Limit: 13 Students. Registration Deadline: February 1, 2026.
BOTSWANA: Endangered Species and the Okavango Delta People (Expedition #79)
Explore the famous Okavango Delta the way Sir David Attenborough and wildlife documentarians from the BBC, Nat Geo and PBS Nature have done! This is the ultimate African Safari experience. The Delta—a pristine inland delta is the ending point of the Okavango River that drains into the Kalahari (instead of the ocean)—is a sanctuary for some of the most iconic wildlife—mammals and birds—in the world!
An unforgettable african wildlife safari experience. Botswana is home to the largest population of elephants in the world as well as the oldest hunter-gather culture in the world. The Okavango Delta is a haven for endemic birds (birds that exist here and not elsewhere) as well as lions, leopards, hyenna, hippo, crocodile, giraffe, zebra, rhino, painted dog, pangolin and cheetah. Like Namibia, this is one of the least human-populated areas in Africa and our 8 day mobile-tented camping safari experience is beyond what most universities are capable of offering. It includes game drives and boat safaris to see crocodiles and hippos on the banks as well as canoe-based bird-watching, game-trekking on foot and nights by a fire under the stars. And we conclude with a night at one of the most famous waterfalls in the world: Victoria Falls in Zambia! Get your passport stamps from South Africa, Botswana and Zambia! It is undoubtedly an irreplaceable experience which offers 6 CORE CREDITS (THEO 388 and BIOL 108/109 or BIOL 280). LIMIT: 14 Students. Registration Deadline: February 1, 2026.