Wanganui's association with Earlham College in Indiana, United States, continues this year with the recent arrival of 15 students and two tutors.
The students will be in New Zealand for several months to experience New Zealand culture and environment.
The students and their tutors, Meg and Chris Smith, spent yesterday at Bushy Park, learning about New Zealand biodiversity.
Mrs Smith told the Wanganui Chronicle the students were studying a variety of majors including biology, politics and neuroscience.
"Any student at Earlham College can choose to study for a semester in New Zealand, and learn about a different environment and culture," Mrs Smith said.
The students take three classes while they are in New Zealand. They learn about environmental issues and New Zealand culture with Wanganui-based tutors Peter Frost and Nigel Brooke, and geology from Mr and Mrs Smith. They also do work placements in places such as Bushy Park, Whanganui Regional Museum, and the Resource Recovery Centre.
Mrs Smith said the students had already visited Tongariro National Park and canoed the Whanganui River.
"It's such a beautiful place, and we're really enjoying it here," she said.
Mr Frost said he was teaching the students about environment issues including mining, dairy farming, energy, environmental legislation and solutions to environmental problems.
The students will spend March travelling around the South Island, looking at practical applications of what they learned in class. They will return to Wanganui in April to continue classes.
Between 2008 and 2011, Earlham College's New Zealand programme was based in Christchurch and the students visited Wanganui during their travels throughout New Zealand. However, in 2011, the students were in Christchurch during the February 22 earthquake and were evacuated back to Wanganui.
The programme has since been based in Wanganui at the Quaker Settlement.