cal alumni travel

— VIEW OUR 2024 TRAVEL CATALOG —

Dear Cal Discoveries Travelers,

We hope you enjoy perusing the trips we are offering in partnership with Orbridge. We strive to provide the University of California, Berkeley community with an exciting combination of discovery, learning, and adventure through education oriented travel.

Expand your horizons. A time-honored tradition since 1969, Cal Discoveries Travel creates learning opportunities for thoughtful travelers. Join great minds on our world-class journeys.

Visit:  alumni.berkeley.edu/ travel   Questions, call: 510.900.8222 Email:  [email protected] "Like" us on Facebook:  facebook.com/CalDiscoveriesTravel Follow us on Instagram:  instagram.com/CalDiscoveries

Cal Discoveries Travel Team

Upcoming Tours by Departure Date

Southwest National Parks

Flavors of Northern Italy

National Parks & Lodges of the Old West

The Galapagos Islands – Western Itinerary

Discover Southeast Alaska (Sitka to Juneau)

Discover Denali National Park

Discover the Canadian Rockies by Rail

Tanzania Wildlife Safari

Toronto to Vancouver by Rail

Flavors of Provence by Luxury River Ship

Egypt and the Ancient Nile River

The Wolves & Wildlife of Yellowstone (Bozeman to Jackson)

Antarctica Discovery

Aegean Sea Odyssey: The Greek Isles and Historic Türkiye

Around the World by Private Jet

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2024 Solar Eclipse

Day 1 | April 5

• Arrive in Dallas and transfer to your 4-star hotel in the heart of downtown Dallas.
• In the evening, enjoy a welcome reception and dinner with your group in town.

Day 2 | April 6

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Spend the day exploring local museums and other key sites.
• Visit the Perot Museum of Nature and Science where we will receive a private guided tour and discussion in “Expanding Universe” Hall.
• After our group lunch, we’ll transfer to the University of Texas at Arlington’s Planetarium, one of the three largest planetariums in Texas, where we’ll receive a private viewing of what to expect on eclipse day.
• Enjoy a dinner with local alumni tonight.

Day 3 | April 7

• After breakfast, we’ll transfer to the Noble Planetarium, one of the nation’s top spots for stargazing, where we will receive a private tour and lecture within the newly renovated Noble Space Gallery.
• Enjoy lunch with the group nearby before transferring to our private eclipse-viewing accommodations, at Summers Mill Retreat, about 2 hours from Dallas.  
• Free time to settle in, explore the property, and participate in some nature activities.
• In the evening, our astronomy expert will prepare us for the incredible phenomenon we’re all about to witness tomorrow. Savor a traditional Texan dinner with the group.

Day 4 | April 8

• Today’s the day! After breakfast, participate in some fun celestial games and prep activities. Enjoy an early lunch before the big moment, with totality occurring at 1:38pm.
• In the late afternoon, we’ll head over to nearby Waco to participate in some of the festivities the city is putting on in honor of the eclipse.
• Final farewell dinner with the group.

Day 5 | April 9

• After breakfast, enjoy some of the morning to soak up one more nature activity before the group transfers back to Dallas for your return flights home.

Activity-Level Rating: 2

Accommodation

Fairmont dallas, summers mill retreat center, what's included.

• Accommodations for 4 nights
• All meals mentioned in the itinerary
• All listed activities and excursions
• All listed transfers
• Private visit to Perot Museum of Nature and Science and the Noble Space Gallery
• Specially designed eclipse viewing glasses
• Arrival and departure transfers
• Travel insurance
• Any meals/drinks not specifically mentioned in the itinerary
• Expenses of a purely personal nature
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SECURE YOUR PLACE

• A Group of Luxury Catamarans
• A Skipper and Private Chef for Each Boat
• 3 Days of Sailing
• Water Activities and Unbelievable Sunsets

Alumni Travel

Aggie Adventures Travel Program

For many years, UC Davis alumni and friends have discovered the world on Aggie Adventures. Time and time again, we hear from our travelers that their fondest travel memories involve the human element—fellow Aggie travelers, lecturers, guides, staff and the local community members we encounter during our programs. Aggie Adventures travelers have friends all over the world.

Exploring the globe with a spirit of relationship building is the foundation of every Aggie Adventures tour. Together we delve into the art, music, culture, industry, politics and community life of regions worlds apart from our own, getting to know the heart and soul of a place from the most credible source—the people who live there. Their mutual interest in our way of life often leads to rich cultural exchanges.

View Our 2024/2025 Hosted Trips 

View our 2024/2025 Trips

Travel Insurance Offer

"The trip to China and Tibet was incredible!"

The entire group was comprised of twelve alums with an English speaking Chinese tour guide who was with us the entire time in China and Tibet, sharing customs, history and personal family life in China. UC Davis takes excellent care of their travel group in a professional and joyful fashion.  I highly recommend CAAA Travel. -  Diane Carlson Biggs ‘81

Alumni Wine Club

Enjoy a rich network of alumni wine makers through lively tastings, food pairings and educational events.

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Caltech Alumni Association offers trips, travel programs, and adventurous excursions for Techers to connect and explore the world together. ‍

Sold Out: Galápagos Expedition - August 23 - September 1, 2024

This trip is currently sold out. Journey to the pristine islands that inspired Charles Darwin's The Origin of the Species. This special expedition features special curriculum before departure and during the trip guided by Caltech's Rob Phillips, Fred and Nancy Morris Professor of Biophysics, Biology, and Physics. This trip is co-presented by the Caltech Alumni Association and the Caltech Associates

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Veneto Walk

Walk your way through the Veneto in the shadow of the Dolomites and discover the country houses of Europe’s great architect, Andrea Palladio.

History, architecture, and natural beauty

The landscape inland from Venice is both beautiful and serene. Embark on walks through superb northern Italian hill country and discover the work of Antonio Canova, one of the greatest Neoclassical artists. We also enjoy the fresh food of the northeast: porcini and other wild mushrooms, wonderful fish and game from the mountains, and the best polenta.

Guided by walk expert Peter Watson, our route takes us to Vicenza, where we have time to wander through the enchanting town center and examine Palladio’s palaces. Traverse the countryside and marvel at the majesty of the Dolomites before our trek leads us to the dramatic Asolo hills, home of Palladio’s Villa Maser, an almost perfect combination of architecture, painting, and statuary.

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College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences

Learn by doing, cultivate magazine.

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Students Take a Walk on the Wild Side

BY LAUREN MCEWEN , third-year agricultural communication major

Entering a small barn with windows open to shed natural light, students step into antiseptic foot baths and diligently wash their hands before greeting the tortoises. The leopard tortoise colony expands the Learn by Doing species experience to meet the diverse and evolving interests of Cal Poly students. More than 40 animal science undergraduates participate in the program annually, many of whom go on to provide care to the more than 750,000 animals in facilities accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Cal Poly’s program stands unrivaled by any other university in the United States for its student-led animal care and research elements. Through the course, students learn to manage long-term animal care including practicing observational skills, using the metric system, developing a detail-oriented work ethic and working as a team to provide consistent, quality care for the tortoises.

RESEARCH AND STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

Leopard tortoises, whose natural habitat is on the savanna in southern Africa, are not well documented. Research done on the colony at Cal Poly has paved the way for improved nutrition, as students have conducted studies on the composition, as well as flavor, color and aroma of feed with these animals. These findings were shared with Purina, which then developed an exotic animal feed through its Mazuri line. Products produced through these collaborations have now been on the market for more than 10 years and are used by professional animal care specialists in zoos and aquariums globally.

The tortoises have also served a critical purpose since relocating to Cal Poly – providing a pathway into animal agriculture for students eager to learn but without past experience. The program promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, with students partnering with computer science students to improve data collection and engineering students on facility enhancements.

Edwards noted that there is a demographic shift in the types of students coming to Cal Poly, reflective of the adaptations happening across the agriculture industry. “We aren’t getting as many students coming from family farms anymore, but rather, students who come from big cities without much experience in animal care,” he said. “The tortoises are a gateway into animal care because they are very forgiving and easily approachable and are helping newer students from diverse backgrounds comfortably gain experience and confidence.”Maya Tjan, a second-year animal science major, serves as the tortoise colony student manager coordinating student schedules, animal care, as well as topics related to facilities, equipment and supplies. She said that the skills she has gained are applicable to other jobs on and off campus. Because management of the colony is done within a small group, she has learned how to “efficiently communicate with others the standard procedures of animal care.”

Every Thursday, the students meet at the unit to meticulously weigh and measure each tortoise. The students work in assembly line fashion, taking great care in handling the tortoises. They record each measurement, from the animal’s length to the width of individual scales on the carapace (shell) called scutes, as a part of the research and data collection on the colony.

Austin Tinsley, a first-year animal science major, said that despite only having experience with domestic dogs and cats, he specifically expressed interest in exotic animals when coming to Cal Poly. One of the most valuable aspects of the enterprise for him included developing a schedule and consistency in management, measurements and atmosphere. “For me, it is very relaxing to spend time with the animals and I find it very enjoyable to work with them," he said. "It’s a really nice introduction to the enterprise system at Cal Poly.”

ALUMNI ATTEST TO VALUE OF LEARNING ABOUT EXOTIC ANIMALS

Zoos and aquariums where Cal Poly graduates now work are reaping the benefits of the Learn by Doing facet of the leopard tortoise enterprise.

At the San Diego Zoo, Zoe Strachan-Payne (Animal Science, ’18) works as a wildlife care specialist in the Safari Park. There, “the wildlife in my care travel all over the park participating in a variety of programs and events and serve as ambassadors for their species,” she said. Since starting her position at the zoo, “everything I’ve done in the past assists me every day.”

I learned about following standard operating procedure protocols, providing enrichment and the general husbandry of an exotic species—things I do every day at work now. I also got a chance to see how research projects run alongside the husbandry of the species which I’ve experienced in my career.” — Zoe Strachan-Payne (Animal Science, ’18), wildlife care  specialist at the San Diego Zoo

Strachan-Payne said that her time at Cal Poly, especially with the tortoise colony, opened her heart to working with exotic animals as a profession. While the leopard tortoises were her first encounter with exotic animals, she says she appreciated how Edwards runs the program as a zoo husbandry team would. “I learned about following standard operating procedure protocols, providing enrichment and the general husbandry of an exotic species, things I do every day at work now,” Strachan-Payne said. “I also got a chance to see how research projects run alongside the husbandry of the species which I’ve experienced in my career.”

She credits her Cal Poly degree with supporting her through challenges and team decisions at the Safari Park, all which began in a similar environment under Edwards' direction. “My education from Cal Poly allows me to work more effectively with these teams and understand the decisions they help us make for the care of our wildlife,” she said.

Alumna Xana Luehs (Animal Science, ‘18), works as an animal care specialist at the Oakland Zoo. Participating in the reptile husbandry enterprise was a highlight of her time at Cal Poly. “I enjoyed it so much that I even came back and helped out during breaks when other students were out of town. It was the epitome of Learn by Doing in all aspects,” she said.

The skills she learned during her time at Cal Poly directly transferred to many of her duties as an animal keeper, Luehs said. “A lot of what I do every day at work, I had already began building a foundation for during my time with the tortoises at Cal Poly, and for that, I am forever grateful.”Edwards recently launched a $500,000 fundraising campaign to build a new on-campus facility for the tortoises as part of the new Animal Health Center, which is slated to open in fall 2025.

Enhancing their living conditions, such as imitating their natural savanna with native plants and adding heated surfaces to suit their ectothermic bodies, will increase their quality of life and longevity, and therefore the efficacy the students experience alongside them, he said.

Edwards hopes the new location will one day benefit the local community as a learning opportunity which extends beyond the classroom and campus. “Even the most timid student warms up to an unassuming animal,” he said.

To learn more about donating to the project, contact Tim Northrop, senior director of development, at [email protected] or by calling 805-801-6662

Visit  Cultivate Spring 2024  to read more stories.

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