Tropical Ecology and Conservation:
Our Costa Rican adventure will start with seven days at the foot of the Monteverde Cloud Forest, at Ecolodge San Luis – a biological research station run by the University of Georgia. At the Ecolodge, you will participate in academic activities throughout the day either while hiking on one of the many rugged trails on the property or listening to a lecture and participating in a discussion in the open-air classroom. You will also have the opportunity to spend time with members of the local community in the surrounding agricultural town of San Luis through planned service projects and spontaneous games of soccer or volleyball. The group will also spend full days in Monteverde exploring the Cloud Forest and visiting other tourist destinations.

We will continue our journey with a three-night stay at Cabo Blanco Absolute Reserve on the Pacific Coast where we’ll have the opportunity to see and learn about the biological diversity living in intertidal and reef marine habitats. We will venture into the coastal forest filled with swinging vines to learn about the plants and animals that make their home in this tropical paradise and then get refreshed in a series of climbable waterfalls. We will also learn how the world renowned National Park System in Costa Rica started in Cabo Blanco.

The last weekend in Costa Rica, students will have the opportunity to travel independently. There are numerous possibilities available to you including canopy tours, rafting, national parks, and museums.

Our last course site is one of the premier facilities for rainforest research in the world: La Selva Biological Station. La Selva is located in the Caribbean lowlands and is home to over 1500 species of plants and 400 species of birds. Students will hike through the lush rainforest trails filled with wildlife to learn about this rapidly disappearing ecosystem. We will also get up close and personal with the beautiful inhabitants of this forest as we conduct research projects. We will end our course with a couple of day-trips to explore the Puerto Viejo River, the wildlife it supports, and the Chiquita banana plantations in the Caribbean lowlands.

Dates:
June 7th – 27th, 2009 during the Second 3-week Summer Session

Courses:
BIO 215 Tropical Ecosystems (4 credit hours)

An interdisciplinary field biology course with focus on tropical ecosystems, natural history, and conservation. The ecological complexity of the tropics, the patterns of species diversity and the types of species interactions that characterize these systems are discussed, as well as how these ecological processes are affected by human activities. The approach is experiential, with emphasis on developing scientific skills of observation, analysis, and critical thinking, and applying them to field research.

Prerequisite: Participants must have completed a lab science.

(The course can fulfill either the Science in Society OR Cultural Perspective General Education electives, but not both).

Successful completion of the program will fulfill the CORE 200 requirements of the General Education program.

Optional Program Extension

Students may want to consider participating in the Costa Rica Language and Culture program to receive an additional 5 credits in Spanish.  Details on this program can be found at http://www.meredith.edu/abroad/CostaRica-LanguageandCulture.htm

Program Cost:
$3,100

Additional costs include your airfare (arranged by the Office of International Programs at a group rate $680 in 2007 and expected to increase significantly), health insurance for international travel ($35), course materials (approximately $150), independent travel expenses ($250-$350) and miscellaneous spending ($50-$300)

Scholarships and financial assistance are available. Contact the office of Study Abroad for further information

Eligibility:

Students must be in good academic standing (2.0 minimum GPA)

Application Deadline:
February 2, 2009

For more information, contact:
Erin Lindquist
Biological Sciences
142 SMB

919-760-8754

Meredith reserves the right to make changes to the program itinerary, schedule, cost, academic program, etc., as necessary.