What others say

Nathaniel Maekawa

EcoQuest 2017

"EcoQuest was one of the most profound learning experiences that I’ve had. It united people of different life journeys under a passion for planetary wellness. It inspired me to educate myself so that I can be an agent for positive global change. It was a place for friendship and it was a place for memories. When I think about EcoQuest, I think of what I accomplished and who the program helped me to become. I am deeply grateful for the EcoQuest community.”

Nathaniel Maekawa
University of Michigan 18'

Schyler Bennett

Ecology in Action spring 2019 program.

Nathan Roe

EcoQuest Fall 2011

"A decade later, I continue to learn from my experience at EcoQuest. That is the power of experiential learning. Long after you forget the names of the courses you were enrolled in at EcoQuest, you will remember the places that exemplified ecological theory, the people whose cultural practices expanded your perspective, and the enduring relationships with fellow students and faculty.

EcoQuest gave me the experience and confidence to continue traveling the world and to find jobs that fulfilled my love of nature and ecology. Whether monitoring salmon populations in Southeast Alaska, looking for orangutans in Malaysian Borneo, or completing a master's degree studying understory plants in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, I truly do look back and see EcoQuest as my starting point"

Nathan Roe

“One of the greatest things I learned at EcoQuest is the idea that meaningful science has human dimensions. EcoQuest faculty invested years nesting the program into broader communities, allowing students to make personal connections and gain a deeper understanding of the role of science. In doing so, they illuminated the broader context of our ecological research. Many inspirations pushed me to where I am currently, but EcoQuest was the first to set me on this trajectory. Thank you for helping me get in touch with my passion!”

Natalie Lowell.
BS Univerity of California at Berkeley; MS, School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, PhD student, Molecular Ecology Lab, University of Washington

EcoQuest is outstanding on so many levels – from its visionary outlook on education, its leadership and team, to the implementation of the vision in a practical Kiwi way. The manner in which they integrate science, ecology, culture, Māoritanga, learning and self-discipline, transforms students. I have talked with many alumni and I am convinced the best measure of success of EcoQuest is its legacy of bright young students, whose work enriches New Zealand and who are themselves enriched by the experience, becoming life-long friends of, and ambassadors for New Zealand.

Simon C. Leeming MNZM, New Zealand Honorary Consul to New England.