Plan Well. Plan Wisely.
We are going to provide you with ample planning information! As a small, student focused organization, we will be there to guide you during each step of the planning process.
Approximately ten to twelve weeks prior to the start of the program, students receive a “Logistics” email with detailed planning information describing each necessary step for participation. This email will provide information regarding travel/flight and visa information, meeting plans, equipment/gear requirements, food costs, group expenses payment, medical and vaccination recommendations, and academic preparations.
Meet us on-site.
Our programs meet on location. Detailed instructions on meeting the team are part of our logistics email. Programs meet at the arrival airport at a specified time unless another location is agreed upon ahead of time. It is very important that students arrive at the meeting location at the established meeting time.
Each student brings their own equipment and clothing on our programs, detailed in the logistics email. Most programs require a tent with waterproof fly, water filter, backpacking stove, sleeping bag, hiking boots, backpacking pack, day pack and clothes suited to living outdoors for an extended period of time. Equipment should be in good working order and suitable for the duration and rigor of the program. Pack wisely—you need only the essentials. Plan on one large backpack or duffle, plus a small daypack. Most programs will only have room to store one large bag in travel vehicles or at the field site, and each student may have to carry all of their own equipment at times between sites.
Book your own ticket.
Students book their own flight to and from our program locations. We have a travel agent we strongly recommend who can help with all travel arrangements.
Using our travel agent will simplify all your ticket and travel insurance purchases, and give you an immediate contact if you need to change travel plans or need to return home quickly. We will provide contact details for our preferred travel agent with our logistics packet. Our travel agent has contracts with airlines for student fares, and special arrangements with airlines for flight or date changes with a very small penalty (usually $50 to change your flight).
Regardless of how your student’s travel is purchased, Wildlands Studies is not responsible for reimbursing travel expenses, nonrefundable airline tickets, or other penalties that are incurred as a result of any program cancellation or rescheduling. We always ask students to wait to make any flight reservations or travel arrangements until they have received our logistics email. We also strongly recommend choosing refundable flights when possible and purchasing travel insurance that will cover those rare incidences when you cannot participate as planned.
Passport.
For international travel, students need a current passport that does not expire until six months after their departure from the host country. When you apply, we will ask for a student’s passport information, including name on the passport, passport number, date of issue and date of expiration. Many countries require this information for reservations and we use it as well for planning purposes.
Visas.
Many of the countries we travel require entry visas. We do not use student visas as they require a direct association and formal relationship with a university abroad. Wildlands Studies is affiliated with a U.S.-based university, Western Washington University, and is not formally hosted by a university abroad. For this reason, we use tourist visas for our international programs.
Students are responsible for obtaining the correct visa before departure. Instructions will be sent to students in the logistics email. When applying for their tourist visa, students should be sure to ask for and receive enough time for their entire stay, especially if they plan to travel before or after the program.
STEP, the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.
Wildlands Studies automatically enrolls participants in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) if you are a U.S. passport holder. STEP is a service sponsored by the U.S. Department of State that enables U.S. citizens and nationals traveling abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate of the country in which they are traveling. By enrolling, you receive all U.S. embassy updates on issues or concerns within the country. We encourage all non-U.S. passport holders to register with your embassy for the country you will visit on our program or travel to afterwards.
We deliberately hold our programs in remote, backcountry wilderness areas. It is common for two weeks to pass with little or no access to communication. Upon arrival, the instructor will ask students to contact their families via either phone or internet to let them know they arrived safely. Instructors will then try to provide access to phone or internet periodically throughout the course, about once every two weeks, and again, encourage students to contact home. As a field-based program, we will frequently be in places where there is no cell phone coverage or manner to charge cell phones and/or have limited internet access for extended periods of time, particularly when we are in the backcountry or at remote research stations. It is very important that family and friends understand that students will have extremely limited communication during the program so that they do not worry about students unnecessarily. The Wildlands Studies office will know how to get in contact with students in the case of an emergency back home.
Independent travel.
What better way to finish out the quarter than to travel independently? Most students choose to travel before or after our programs, either by themselves or with friends they have made on-site. Our instructors escort students to the airport on the last day of the program, or themselves depart from the final accommodation if the student is staying on. Students who choose to travel on their own before or after a Wildlands Studies program do so at their own risk. Once our instructor has departed at the termination of the program, it is important to note that each student is responsible for themselves.
Wildlands Studies requires that all participants be covered by a medical insurance policy, as well as obtain travel insurance for international programs. It is important that students understand that they are financially responsible for all their own personal medical costs while on a Wildlands Studies program. This means that if a student needs to visit a doctor while on the program, or receive emergency care, the student bears the cost and any related costs (such as transport). Thus, it is required to have both medical insurance and travel insurance.
We require our students to purchase a specific travel insurance plan through World Nomads. Details on how to purchase the plan will be provided in the logistics email. This policy provides emergency accident or sickness medical expense up to $100,000; emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains up to $500,000; and covers all our outdoor activities including backpacking, hiking, kayaking, boating, river crossing, and other activities typically referred to as “Adventure Sports” in the insurance world. You are required to purchase this policy for the entire time you are with the Wildlands Studies program and will need to upload proof of your travel insurance and medical insurance.
Immunizations.
We ask all participants to consult a travel nurse or doctor at least six weeks before participation on a program. Be sure to explain to the physician the location(s) our program travels to, so they can appropriately determine which immunizations you need. Students will want to keep immunization records on-hand in case this information is needed to enter into the country or in case of emergency. Information about travel, immunizations, and disease risk is also available at www.cdc.gov, a site maintained by the U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Participant Agreement.
We count on each student to bring their best to the program. How you conduct yourself is critically important. We expect you participate in all classes and field study activities, and adhere to all rules, regulations and policies. Through the online registration process and our logistics email, we will provide required legal documents including a Participant Agreement. These forms are required for participation and set the stage for behavioral expectations. We also ask you to read the Student Program Manual and adhere to our alcohol policy. We expect students to help manage risk and participate fully.
Currently, all our programs are operating as “Dry” without any alcohol allowed. The alcohol policy will be described in detail in the logistics packet. We may adjust our policy as needed. Please be prepared for a “dry” program.
Student Program Manual.
Please read each and every page. This wonderful document describes in detail the responsibilities and expectations we have of each student. It comes with the logistics letter and is available on each program page.
