We always have faculty and staff working on potential TREKs. We share them here with an important note: these TREKs are being planned, but could be postponed or completely abandoned for a variety of reasons. There is never a guarantee that any TREK will happen as scheduled.
For Summer 2026
Climate Justice and Religion in the Fiji and Tuvaluerial view of Tuvalu’s capital, Funafuti, 2011. Tuvalu is a remote country of low lying atolls, making it vulnerable to climate change. Photo: Lily-Anne Homasi / DFAT
Climate Justice and Religion in the Fiji and Tuvalu
with Brian Webb and Dr. Susan Clayton
Hopeful dates: mid-May-early June, 2026
This TREK explores the rich intersections between faith, spirituality, and climate justice in the South Pacific. We will examine the relationship between Pacific culture and the natural environment, with an emphasis on the role that both organized religion and indigenous spirituality play in shaping their views of the natural world. Students will experience first-hand the ways the climate crisis is changing the Pacific through visits with frontline communities, conversations with regional leaders, and direct observation from one of the lowest lying nations in the world. We will learn from climate activists, religious leaders, scientists, indigenous teachers, and ordinary people who are daily being impacted by the challenges of a changing climate.
Global Tokyo – EAST 20200
with Drs. Margaret Ng and Jim Bonk
Hopeful dates: 3 weeks in May 2026
In the context of Tokyo, Japan, students will learn about the complexity of Asian history, politics, identities and ways of knowing, analyze cross-cultural interactions in Asian and their legacies, and learn how the urban and rural geographies influenced the manga and anime artists in production. Students will visit sites that have historic significance in nation-building, sites that reflect or memorialize major shifts in Japanese and East Asian history, and sites serving as inspiration for artistic production in manga and anime (anime pilgrimage sites).
The Future is Slow: Foodways and Landscape in Central Italy
with Drs. Matt Mariola & Evan Riley
We expect students to engage with and learn about another culture –that of Italy, and specifically of Umbria, with a focus on foodways and politics, in some depth. Students will learning by doing, for example, by cooking collaboratively in the instructional kitchen at the Umbra Institute and through participating in multiple outings together, beyond the traditional classroom experience.
