A backpacking trip to South America yielded the theme for my Masters Degree in Geography. In the Bolivian lowlands, in Santa Cruz area, I studied the consequences of large-scale deforestation on regional climate and soil erosion. I was fascinated to see sand dunes in the midst of subtropical forests. My master’s project involved the interpretation of satellite images, countless interviews and extensive fieldwork on motorbike covering a study area of 17000 square kilometres.