UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Sustainability and conservation efforts vary around the globe, but education still can be gleaned from far-flung places — as students in a Penn State travel abroad class recently learned on a trip to South America.

Emma Luksic, a fourth-year biological engineering major with a minor in environmental engineering, recently traveled with classmates to Chile and the Patagonia region of South America, where she learned about environmental conservation efforts aimed at protecting Chile’s ecosystems.

Offered by the College of Agricultural Sciences during the fall semester, the embedded course — Environmental Resource Management 499: Sustainability and Natural Resources Chile/Patagonia — enables students to travel throughout Chile and the Patagonia region over winter break.

The most recent trip took place over the course of several days and included urban, lake and volcanic regions, as well as remote northern ice fields of Patagonia. The group ended its journey with a backpacking excursion in which they went off the grid for several days in the Chilean wilderness.

Luksic said the experience opened her eyes to sustainability and conservation efforts underway in other parts of the world, an opportunity she may not have had without the help of Penn State.

“The University was instrumental in helping me find scholarships to pay for half the trip, which allowed me to feel less stressed and to really enjoy my time there,” she said. “The professors who attended the journey are some of the nicest and most educated people, and I loved learning from them. The community that Penn State provides, and the fact that we can all relate to the same things because we had similar majors, is amazing.”

On the first day of the trip, Luksic spoke with representatives from the Ministry of the Environment in Santiago, the capital city of Chile. Through government policy that helps fund local community projects, such as installing green roofs or starting a community garden, the ministry aims not only to support the people’s efforts to protect Chile’s natural resources, but also to provide foundational education regarding conservation.

When Luksic asked what they believe the United States could learn from Chilean environmental policy, ministry representatives answered that efforts to increase citizen engagement should start within smaller communities. Making sure that everyone is provided with the necessary resources and tools to make a difference within their communities is crucial, they explained.

“Taking in what I learned on this trip, I believe that once we become more aware of the great amount of biodiversity and natural resources on American soil, we’ll become even more prepared to deal with environmental justice issues,” Luksic said. “Whether that means reducing individual carbon footprints or educating family and friends, the mission to increase environmental awareness starts within our communities. Starting close and growing a network is the first step.”

In the following days, the group visited Patagonia National Park, as well as a variety of other national parks where they learned about local flora and fauna and what actions are being taken to protect them.

Additionally, they stopped by a salmon farm that upset the local community many years ago by discharging dirty water back into the river that contributed much of the population’s fresh water supply. Because of the uproar this caused within the community, the salmon farm responded by installing a water treatment plant directly next door so that the water could be filtered before being discharged back into the river.

As part of the group’s itinerary, Luksic went rafting and kayaking on Lake Llanquihue — a location with a scenic view of the neighboring Osorno volcano, which Luksic said was her favorite spot on the trip. She also trekked to Calbuco volcano, which erupted in 2015.

Finally, the group flew to Balmaceda, where they made an additional seven-hour drive to a dock. There, they boarded a boat that took them one more hour south to a ranch, where they stayed until embarking on their backpacking trip through the northern icefields of remote Patagonia.

Tammy Shannon, academic advising coordinator and environmental resource management course instructor, said that she was pleased that Luksic was able to embark on this journey.

“I’m really glad that she was able to be a part of the course,” Shannon said. “This was the first time that she traveled abroad, and through it, she was able to strengthen her interests in a greener planet, biodiversity and environmental sustainability.”

Looking back, Luksic recalled how nervous she was to go on her first-ever backpacking hike — a portion of the trip that ended up being the highlight of her entire experience. She said that by completing this difficult part of the journey, it made her realize her strength and that she could do anything she set her mind to.

“Whoever sees this story,” Luksic said, “I would encourage them to just try something they’ve never done before and to have the mindset of ‘Okay, I’m going to try this and see how it goes. And if I’m not the best at it, who cares? I’m going to make sure I have fun, and that’s all that matters.’”