Tom Kuzmic, associate professor of forestry, invited students to take FOR 4493, International Forestry and Natural Resources. He designed the course to provide an international experience in a natural resource setting. It allowed students to explore culture and forestry on campus ? and in Honduras. 

"It's a nontraditional course with a nontraditional field trip," Kuzmic said. 

A grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture allowed Kuzmic to initiate the course. The 13 students wrote an essay to be selected for the class and embarked on "an adventure of a lifetime." 

"I had never traveled outside of the country, so I thought it would be fun. Central America wouldn't have been my first choice, but for some reason I thought it was interesting," said Todd Burton, forestry junior. 

During the first eight weeks of the semester, students participated in Kuzmic's "very experiential" course that required creativity and active participation in nontraditional lectures. 

Kuzmic's goal was to introduce students to Honduran natural resources and culture. A representative from the Center for International Trade and Development visited the class weekly to teach basic Spanish. 

Kuzmic and other guest presenters addressed survival skills. 

A highlight of a preparatory class was when Kuzmic dressed up to play the role of a waiter and took orders in Spanish. Students also learned how to ask for necessary things (like the bathroom), what vaccinations were necessary and what cultural differences to expect.

"Dr. Kuzmic gave us a good background. I felt really prepared to understand the Honduran way of life," said Charles Gosset, forestry junior. 

In addition to the preparatory research, students also committed to complete a class portfolio of four assignments: a research paper, an oral presentation, a creative component and a journal. Kuzmic said he designed the work load to establish a foundation of knowledge about Latin America and to prepare them for the adventure ahead.

Students selected topics for research papers and creative components at the beginning of the semester. They conducted initial research at OSU, and the rest was obtained in Honduras. Kuzmic said he designed it that way to encourage students to ask questions while in Honduras. Creative components included Web sites, slide shows, a video and magazine articles. 

Gosset had a unique creative approach. He helped to develop and lead a cultural program at a forestry school in Honduras.

"I played ëHome on the Range' and ëTake Me Out to the Ball Game' on my guitar and presented a slide show on U.S. life," Gosset said.

Upon their return, students completed the final course assignment by relating their adventure to community organizations.

"An international experience is not complete until you've shared it with others," Kuzmic said. "Everyone changed a little. I wanted them to share that change to take the first step in making a global impact." 

The 10 day trip was the focal point of the class. It was scheduled during Spring Break, so students missed only two days of class. A packed schedule, described by some as "way too exhaustive," allowed the students to experience the dramatic landscape diversity across the country.

Through Menelio Bardales, a former OSU student from Honduras, Kuzmic formed a relationship with the National Forestry Sciences School, which serves students throughout Central and South America. 

"We relied on their advice and services to coordinate the trip," Kuzmic said.

OSU students and their Honduran hosts visit a giant 
Cieba tree in the Lancetilla Biological Reserve.

One of the stops on the Caribbean coast was the Lancetilla Botanical Garden, which is owned and operated by the forestry school. There, the students hiked into a biological reserve, the heart of the tropical rain forest.

"It was like hiking in a fantasy land ? it was green and lush, and there were plants from the ground up as high as you could see," Kuzmic said. 

"One giant Ceiba tree had a 20 foot span across the base. It was incredible." 

The Honduran school connected OSU with the National Forestry Agency, which is in charge of federal forests and protected areas. The group visited La Tigra National Park in the mountainous region, and Kawas National Park on the Caribbean coast. 

Students found Honduran forestry much different than that of the United States because so many people live in the reserves. Honduran foresters must manage the ecosystem and the people who live there. 

"They develop sustainable practices so people can coexist while still protecting the values of the natural resources," Kuzmic said.

Visiting coffee plantations and other industries allowed the students to look at agri forestry ? the blending of industry and forest production on the same piece of land. 

"The labor intensity of their work is incredible. It's not mechanized like it is here," Kuzmic said.

"They didn't have skidders (to move harvested logs) there. They were using oxen and wagons," Burton said.

Like Kuzmic had hoped, students took home a great deal more than just forestry lessons. By submerging themselves in the culture, they got a candid look at a unique country and its people in a challenging time. 

Six months prior to the students' trip, Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras. Students said makeshift huts lined the medians. Bridges were completely demolished and detours frequently rerouted the OSU group. 

Gosset studied the culture and felt prepared to see the poverty and way of life. 

"What I wasn't prepared for was the compassion and hope these people employ in their daily routines," Gosset said. "It is quite a contrast from the way most Americans live." 

Gosset said the Hondurans were a "very resilient people," and preferred to be called "Catrachos." "It means proud," he said.

Observing the physical and social effects of the hurricane stirred emotions of guilt, helplessness and selfishness in some of the students, said Ed Miller, associate dean of the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, who accompanied the group. 

"It makes me wonder what my responsibilities are to other people," Miller said. 

"Honduras just got slammed by a hurricane but they're happy and rebuilding. It made me so thankful for what I have got," Burton said.

Students repeatedly said the highlights of the trip included close interactions with Hondurans. While visiting Copan, a town of ancient Mayan ruins dating back 1,000 years, students participated in an annual community celebration.

"We played soccer on the square with Honduran kids. It was cool," Burton said. 

On the coast, the students met the Garifuna people, who earn their income by fishing in lagoons and still live in bamboo huts with palm thatched roofs. Burton said they cooked fish and provided coconuts for the OSU group. 

"Dr. Kuzmic bought coconuts from the group, and they sent a 10 year old kid up the tree and he just knocked them down with his feet," Burton said. 

The experiences in Honduras are etched in the hearts of the 13 OSU students. It was an adventure they won't soon forget. Miller said the trip will motivate some to become involved in international affairs, but the experience will be a part of everyone's life forever, regardless of career choice. 

"Even if the students never leave the country again, they have a view of the way at least a segment of the world lives and operates. It is important for us all to understand that our own state and country are unique," Miller said.

Miller said more international opportunities are offered throughout the college. 

"But it's not enough yet. We need to do more," Miller said. "All students ought to have a significant international experience before they receive their bachelor's degree."

The students agreed.

"You can read about a country or watch movies, but until you go, you don't really know what it's like," Gosset said.

"I had a great time. I didn't want to come back (to Oklahoma)," Burton said. 

Later, Burton admitted he was relieved to be home. The first thing he did when he got back was catch up on sleep and enjoy a hamburger and fries at Shortcakes. But he said he'd go back if he could, and he highly recommended the course.

FOR 4493 is available to any student with an interest in natural resources. There are no class standing or course prerequisites, just an exhibited maturity and a desire to learn. Interested students can contact Kuzmic to get on a waiting list or go to the course Web site (www.okstate.edu/OSU_Ag/honduras) for more information.