Westminster College successfully launched a new domestic travel initiative, Westminster Away, last spring and plans are currently under way for another trip in spring 2025.
Designed to enhance academic learning through immersive travel experiences, Westminster Away kicked off with a weeklong trip to New England last May as part of the spring cluster course, The Birds and the Bees.

The Birds and Bees offered a comprehensive exploration of avian and pollinator ecology, blending theoretical with practical field-based experiences. The inaugural trip to New England allowed students to see conservation practices in action, enriching their classroom learning through real-world encounters.

“The Westminster Away program provides an exceptional opportunity for students to travel outside of our region. Witnessing students make connections between sustainability, conservation and their diverse fields of interest is incredibly rewarding,” said Dr. Kerri Duerr, director of the Harms Center for the Environment, associate professor of biology and cluster course instructor.

The 14 students and two faculty members spent their week visiting working farms and parks in Vermont’s Champlain Valley and Green Mountain National Forest in addition to New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest. They also gained insights into apiary management and the importance of pollinators for agriculture at the University of Vermont Horticulture Research and Education Center.  The locations gave emphasis to the intersection of sustainable practices and conservation of birds and pollinators.

Students practiced banding birds to monitor populations at the Green Mountain Audubon Center in Huntington, Vt.

"This was the most memorable day for me on our trip. Engaging directly with bird research was an unforgettable experience,” said Brody McGuiness, a senior environmental science major from Heber, Utah.

One highlight of the trip was a visit to the 80-acre Geprags Community Park in Hinesburg, Vt., where students focused on shrubland management for golden-winged warblers. The park is an 80-acre property owned and managed by the town of Hinesburg. It hosts many species of birds and Spring ephemeral wildflowers

“Seeing and hearing all the birds throughout the park was amazing. I am more aware of the different types of habitats that birds live in,” said senior Christina Loewe, a political science and international studies major from Austin, Texas. “Overall, Geprags Park and the experience with banding warblers was one of my favorite parts of the trip and really pulled everything together we had learned throughout the semester.”

At Isham Family Farm in Williston, Vt., students learned about Audubon’s bird-friendly maple program.

“Visiting Isham Farm and observing a scarlet tanager in the field—especially since it’s the ‘mascot’ for the maple program—was an incredible experience. It changed my perspective on bird conservation and the practical aspects of sustainable practices,” said McKenzie Means, a junior political science major from Meadville, Pa.

Students navigated through the Vermont Institute of Natural Science’s Forest Canopy Walk, where they viewed the landscape 100 feet above the forest floor to witness birds and animals within their environment at a closer level.

“I am very blessed to have received financial aid through the Westminster Away program,” said Jayden Benjamin, a senior business administration and human resource management major from Munhall, Pa. “The canopy walk was one of the highlights of the trip. Seeing the concepts we studied in class first-hand made everything worthwhile.”

“Experiencing these practices and species in the field made the importance of our studies tangible. I’m deeply grateful to the donors who made this trip possible, as it allowed me to truly understand and appreciate the conservation efforts for birds and pollinators,” said recent biology major graduate Aislinn Andrews ’24.

Westminster Away plans to continue providing students with enriching travel experiences that complement their academic studies. Next year’s travel course to New England is currently being organized.

“The Center for the Environment’s mission aligns perfectly with an experiential learning travel course by fostering deep connections between participants and the natural world through hands-on, immersive experiences,” said Dr. Patrick Krantz, director of Westminster’s Outdoor Laboratory, associate professor of environmental science and cluster course instructor. “By engaging students in real-world environmental challenges, the course cultivates an understanding of how ecosystems function and the human impact on them.”

For more information about the Westminster Away program and future trips, please contact Westminster College Associate Dean Dr. Karen Resendes at resendkk@westminster.edu.

Top photo, students and faculty participating in the Westminster Away program; middle photo, Nydia Johnson, a junior neuroscience major from Willow Grove, Pa., gets up and close with a mourning warbler; third photo, the group takes a break and gathers around the campfire.

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