ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE
AFRICANADVENTURE “My first year at RMC I took students to the Galapagos Islands where we studied island biogeography and evolution, read from Darwin’s journals on our trip, and of course snorkeled with penguins, sharks, and seals. Since that trip I have taught courses in tropical ecology in Costa Rica; Arctic ecology, with a trip to see polar bear bears in Churchill, Manitoba; and, most recently, African ecology and conservation with a trip to Tanzania,” he said. Ostovar previously worked as a safari guide and helped co-found a non-profit organization to address the bush meat trade in Kenya. He was comfortable leading students to Tanzania.
“I don’t think I will ever hunt in Montana the same way again,” said Andy Morehead, after helping a group of Maasai warriors butcher a goat. Morehead, a student in environmental science at Rocky Mountain College, had always dreamed of a trip to Africa to see wildlife. Morehead was now learning how to efficiently butcher an animal without wasting any blood. Maasai actually drink the blood from their livestock and use all parts of the animal. Five years ago, Morehead listened to RMC Professor Kayhan Ostovar speak as an invited guest lecturer at Montana State University Billings about an expedition down the Blue Nile in Ethiopia. “I knew after that talk that I had to change schools and learn more about international conservation efforts from Professor Ostovar and hopefully visit Africa,” Morehead said. 4
African Adventure
Ostovar has been teaching at RMC for seven years now. During his time at RMC he has led students on many international trips as a way to develop awareness about international conservation challenges and help students develop problem-solving skills. David Shumway, RMC’s web content manager and photographer, was a coleader on the trip. Shumway, who is also an RMC photography instructor, offered a wildlife photography class last year for students interested in joining this trip. “This trip presented the students and myself with wildlife encounters and scenes we couldn’t see anywhere else, and, for many, it was a once-in-alifetime experience. Africa is visually unique.” Ostovar thinks international exposure for students is an integral part of their learning experience.
“Tanzania is a fabulous country, with a solid tourism infrastructure, that still retains the opportunity to venture into areas with few tourists. On our trip we were able to visit four different tribal groups and sit around the fire and learn about local peoples’ concerns and even field questions from them about our culture. This was a vastly different experience than most safaris offer,” said Ostovar. “Sitting around the fire talking with Maasai warriors was a highpoint of my trip,” said Colin Borchardt, an RMC geology student. “I was initially fascinated with the opportunity to