My second elective for the SDM was NR 660 Ecology & Biology of New Zealand. This class was taken in New Zealand with a program called Ecoquest. The program and class was dedicated to "Ecology in Action" which made the learning that much better. Each week we focused on an Ecosystem and studied it on site and learned through an experiential learning platform. There was no better way to learn about an ecosystem than to physical be there and see it with your own eyes. From high alpine ecology to marine ecosystems an hour offshore we learned about them right there. That's easily what stood out the most for me where I've worked in a factory or worked in a laboratory.

I learned how to do on site research as well as extensive field studies in the class. The most important thing I learned in this class is that nature takes its time with stroking a delicate balance with its ecosystems. It took my production driven attitude and relaxed it a bit; which has made me a much better student and worker. NR 660 and Ecoquest as a whole left a positive impact on me personally and as a sustainability student. It was the semester that really drove home the ecosystem studies and how important nature is for us as a society.