The group, led by Victor Valley College biology professor Dr. Hinrich Kaiser, will travel to Panama and Costa Rica as part of a class offered at the college, “International Natural History.”

“When somebody needs to learn biology, the best way they can do this is by experience,” Kaiser said. “I want students to understand about biology, but also about travel, culture and history, so it’s a very expansive trip that’s focused on the natural environment.”

Students will spend a fast-paced two weeks exploring biologically diverse environments while practicing field biology techniques and documenting their findings.

On past trips, specimens collected have gone to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Research conducted by the group has been the basis for several scientific publications.

Students have previously discovered a new species of gecko, and behavior that has never been observed before in nature.

In Cuba, for example, they witnessed a certain type of treefrog cannibalizing another. This was behavior thought to have occurred only in captivity, Kaiser said.

Victor Valley College groups have traveled to numerous exotic locales throughout the world, led by Kaiser, who has hosted the trips for VVC for about 10 years.

Last year the class traveled to Malaysia, Singapore, and Borneo, an island in Southeast Asia known as the third-largest in the world.

The trips are more than just about biology, Kaiser said.

“It’s about food, it’s about how do you travel using airlines, boats, buses,” he said. “As a consequence of this, students come away not just knowing more about what’s in the forest, but they get a real good feel for what’s going on out there in the world.”

Kaise said this type of “broad understanding” is important because statistics show that students who study abroad excel in certain areas.

Kaiser also said that traveling is important because it “really opens the mind and ultimately allows better interactions between people from the U.S. and elsewhere.”

“If you ignore what’s out there, then you really aren’t creating that awareness necessary to build a strong country,” he added.

Several students find the experience so enlightening, they return for more trips, Kaiser said.

One such student is 24-year-old Cal State San Bernardino biology major Ruby Resendez, who transferred from VVC and will be going on her fourth trip.

Among the places she’s traveled with Kaiser have been Southeast Asia, Cuba, and multiple islands in the Pacific including Hawaii, Japan, and Guam.

“These trips are very important to me because I discovered my passion for traveling and animals and these travels have helped me grow as a person tremendously,” she said.

Students are required to pay their own way, but a variety of options such as financial aid, fundraising, and contributions from the Associated Student Body help them foot the bill.

Resendez said she had assistance from financial aid, ASB, and her parents, but also had to save. She said it’s a small price to pay, though.

“If you ever have the chance to go and travel, do it,” she said. “Money will always come and go, but the experience and memories you get from these life changing trips are unforgettable and worth every penny.”

Abroad survey, study abroad students were almost twice as likely to find a job within 12 months of graduation than those that didn’t. They also earned an average of $6,000 more in starting salary.According to an IES