Australian Nature Guides co-owner, Simon Ling, is also a student at the University of Georgia in the southern U.S.A. Every August he wanders off to the hallowed halls of one of the States' oldest public higher education institutions to "get hisself some learnin".
Simon is working towards a PhD in Natural Resources, Recreation, and Tourism from the Warnell School of Forestry (at left). Specifically, he is looking at learning outcomes in study abroad programs.
Warnell have been bringing students to Carnarvon Gorge for around 16 years to expose them to wilderness and our amazing cultural sites.
The University of Georgia is one of the oldest land-grant institutions in the country. In 1785, the General Assembly set aside 40,000 acres intended for use as a college of learning. Today, the institution hosts a student body upwards of 35,000 and employs over 10,000.
Like Aussies, Simon's seasonal community over there love sports, food that is not so good for you, and combining the two. The university football stadium is bigger than any you'll find in Queensland, seating 92,000.Given that Simon's personal space is measured in kilometres, he has only managed to pluck up the courage to attend one game so far.