uncw travel
UNCW Group Trip to Iceland Influences Sustainability in the Cape Fear by Shelby Diehl She’d led similar trips before, but only in the summer, never in winter. In early 2020, Amy Long, an environmental science professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), was inspired to lead a class to Iceland with The GREEN Program that December. However, this time her plans were delayed by the pandemic for almost two years. Then, in December 2021, she finally had the chance to embark for Iceland alongside seven UNCW students. But what is The GREEN Program? The GREEN Program (TGP) is an award-winning, experiential education program focused on the world’s most pressing problems in sustainable development. The minorityand woman-owned business centers their programs around the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and balances sustainability-focused course work, exclusive industry exposure and bucket-list adventures in just 8 to 10 days.
“I first learned about TGP from an upper-classman who had taken their Iceland program back in 2015,” said Long. “I was looking for an applied learning opportunity to extend the course content of EVS 195 and/or 205 and TGP fit the bill. Good track record; shared goals and objectives; student endorsement; and safety of the country and trained guides all influenced my decision to partner with them. I was fortunate enough to attend a faculty recruiting trip in June 2016 to see the program in action first-hand. Not only did I fall in love with the country, but working with Melissa Lee’s TGP and Iceland and Midgard [Base Camp] gave me the confidence to build custom program extensions for UNCW students from their existing program.” Iceland is among five destinations offered by the company with more planned in the near-future. The Iceland program’s aim is to discover the successes and challenges of Iceland given that the country
sources nearly 100% of its energy from renewable energy. Additionally, students witness the effects of climate change firsthand, gain exclusive access into Iceland’s renewable energy and biofuel industries and hike through Iceland’s highlands.
The GREEN Program Experience On Sunday, December 12, 2021, students arrived in the western region’s Keflavik airport and drove east to their first destination, Hotel Hjarðarból. The students explored the grazing lands and snow-capped mountains nearby while they became acquainted. After dinner, the students formed groups to brainstorm their capstone projects—assignments that act as a culmination of an academic and/or intellectual experience. The group spent their first morning at Reykjavik University (RU) touring the civil and energy labs, having lectures from professors at RU and walking along the waters of Nauthólsvík Geothermal Beach. That afternoon, the students visited Hellisheiði Power Station where they saw a geothermal power plant firsthand. Their day ended with a hike to a geothermal river—guided by headlamps, given that sunset was at 3:30 p.m.—through valleys and along mountainsides. “As a rather shy person not having any friends going with me, the beginning of the program was, quite frankly, a little terrifying,” said Jess Elliott, a UNCW junior. “The excitement levels were palpable when the group did a round of introductions, and although the group became more comfortable around each other, I think the excitement remained throughout the day, and the whole trip.” On the third day, students explored the Golden Circle, a popular route featuring Iceland’s most visited attractions: Gullfoss Falls, Strokkur geyser and Þingvellir National Park. The route included (continued on page 15)
photo by Neha Awasthi
The GREEN Program students hike to the top of Sólheimajökull glacier in southern Iceland, located between the volcanoes Katla and Eyjafjallajökull.
* EVS 195/205: EVS is UNCW’s code for courses offered by their Environmental Sciences department.
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Cape Fear’s Going Green • Spring 2022
