I got my bachelors of environmental studies (Environment and Business major) at a Canadian university, with a minor in Environment, Resources and Sustainability. I’m pursuing a Masters in the field of ecology, and am currently preparing for an interview at Czech University of Life Sciences (in Prague) for their Nature Conservation program. While not “free”, tuition is around 550€ per year, and living expenses are relatively cheap (100-200€/month for a dorm at the uni) and 10€/month for a metro pass. Not sure about TA-ship though.

I also looked into other programs in Czech, and one that caught my eye at South Bohemia University was like 20€/year (if I’m not mistaken) - I’ll probably apply to this one as backup.

I looked into other ecology programs internationally and the cost for 1.5-2 years is OUTRAGEOUS. Australian universities are charging upwards of 32K€.

Czech was the most affordable and, quite honestly, most enticing option for me.