UWL Research Trip Options
Transform your life through meaningful scientific exploration and international research
UWL Winter Trip Ideas
The sun is rising over a tropical reef, and you’re slipping into the water to help answer a question that brought your research team halfway around the world. By afternoon, you’re mapping coral habitats, comparing discoveries with new friends, and hearing local perspectives that change how you understand this place. You become part of the story, contributing to meaningful science, immersing yourself in another culture, and building field skills while discovering who you are.
Program Cost: $2,400 + $1,200 airfare = $3,600 total
Dates: January 8-15 (1 stop flights from Minneapolis and Chicago)
13.5 hr flight from Chicago to Tokyo, 3 hour layover 3 hr flight to Okinawa
Can get flights from Minneapolis and Madison for $1,100 but have 2 layovers.
Program Cost: $2,950 + $850 airfare = $3,800 total
Dates: January 16-23 (direct 4.5 hr flights from Minneapolis and Chicago)
January 6-13 (1 stop flights from Madison)
Okinawa, Japan
Beyond Japan’s bustling cities lies Okinawa, where subtropical forests, dramatic coastlines, and centuries of Ryukyuan culture offer a different kind of discovery. January’s cooler days invite you to hike forest trails, explore coastal villages, and paddle through mangroves. Alongside your research team, you’re documenting wildlife, mapping habitats, and sharing discoveries over bowls of Okinawa soba. From historic castle ruins to conversations with local people, each day brings a new perspective, contributing to meaningful science, immersing yourself in another culture.
Program Cost: $2,500 + $1,350 airfare = $3,850 total
Dates: January 2-9 (1 stop flights from Minneapolis and Chicago)
1 stop flights: 4 hr flight to LAX then 3 hr layover then 8 hr flight to Tahiti
Fly into Tahiti and the group will take a ferry together for 1 hour to the island of Moorea.
Moorea’s jagged green peaks rise above a turquoise lagoon, inviting you into a landscape you’ll come to know through discovery. On this island near Tahiti in French Polynesia, you’re hiking tropical valleys, documenting wildlife, and mapping coastal habitats alongside your research team. Beyond the fieldwork, paddle across clear waters, explore village markets, and learn from local perspectives on the connections between land, ocean, and Polynesian culture. Each day brings opportunities to contribute to meaningful science, build field skills, and discover who you are along the way.
Program Cost: $2,500 + $800 airfare = $3,300 total
Dates: January 13-20 (1 stop flights from Chicago)
1 stop in Lisbon, Portugal: 8 hour flight, 2 hr layover, 2 hour flight
Mist drifts through Madeira’s mountain forests as you follow a levada trail, pausing with your research team to document the plants and wildlife around you. On this Portuguese island, volcanic peaks, lush valleys, and coastal villages become your classroom. You’re mapping habitats, investigating island ecology, and turning field observations into discoveries you can share. Between research days, explore Funchal’s markets, sample local foods, and connect with the people who call Madeira home, building field skills, contributing to meaningful science, and discovering who you are along the way.
Moorea, French Polynesia
Belize Barrier Reef
