Lee and Carol Grim, of International Falls, were offered the trip to South Africa when a study abroad program was offered by William Bowerman, who studied eagles in Voyageurs National Park.

Renamed Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, it merged with Twee Rivieren Nature Reserve in 2000 to form the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, fostering cross-border conservation efforts with Botswana.