|
Insect & Bird Natural History:
International Service-Learning
 see more photos
The intention of this course is for students to obtain a meaningful experience relevant to
their program of study in such a way as to enhance their global awareness of environmental
and cultural issues through the use of insects as teaching tools, coupled with structured
public outreach experiences.
The University of Georgia offers several study abroad trips to Costa Rica, but this interdisciplinary program offers an introduction to a variety of Latin American culture and the biodiversity of tropical insects and birds and. From the coastal Caribbean lowlands of Tortuguero to the cloud forests of Monteverde, students will be exposed to many of the migrant and native species of insects and birds that Costa Rica has to offer.
This study abroad program is designed for juniors and seniors or students with credit in Biol 1108/L.
Faculty
Courses
All students will register for 8 hours.
- ENTO 3140-3140L Insect Natural History (4 hours)
- ENTO 8900 Special Problems
The intention of this course is for students to obtain a meaningful tropical field experience to enhance their global awareness of environmental and cultural issues by learning about insect natural history. Insect biology, with emphasis on factors that have made insects one of the most abundant and successful animal groups. Topics include the behavior, ecology, and evolution of the major insect groups.
- WILD 4060/6060-4060L/6060L Field Ornithology (4 credit hours)
Course objectives: To familiarize students with the biology of New World (Neotropical) birds, including taxonomy, behavior, ecology, evolution, and conservation. Much of the course will involve field exercises and will emphasize taxonomy and identification of Neotropical birds. Additional exercises will emphasize habitat associations and effects of land use on birds, as well as avian ecology and behavior.
Places of Study
This course will start in Athens where students will actively learn the basics of insect collecting and birding.
- Tortuguero
After flying into San Jose we will travel along the Eastern coast, students will visit Tortuguero, a city that is accessible solely by boat. On one side is the Caribbean Sea with black sand beaches and on the other is a twisting network of rivers. These rivers allow for extraordinary bird watching from boats, as well as transportation to nearby hiking areas that provide remarkable views of the surrounding lowlands.
- La Selva
The La Selva Biological Station is a research facility at the confluence of two major rivers in the Caribbean lowlands and comprises tropical wet and pre montane rain forests. The station has over sixteen kilometers of paved trails that allow close encounters with hundreds of species of birds, mammals, and insects. La Selva is unique in that it is located in a corridor of protected land ranging from lowland rain forest to the highlands.
- Monteverde/San Luis
Located in the central mountainous region of Costa Rica, the cloud forests of Monteverde are home to many unique species of flora and fauna. Excursions such as guided hikes, canopy tours, and canopy ziplines will allow us to encounter the monkeys, sloths and high elevation birds of the cloud forest.
- Rafiki Safari Lodge
Rafiki is a wilderness tent camp lodge and conservation project focusing on adventurous sustainable tourism. The lodge is nestled on 842 acres of pristine jungle along the Savegre River, 30 km south of Quepos and Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica. Students will enjoy a variety of activities such as whitewater rafting, waterfalls, hiking, and world-class birding.
- Facilities and Teaching
Lodging will be a combination of hotels and bunkhouses. Meals will mostly be tico food served cafeteria/family style with restaurants between locations. Most of the instruction will be active learning in the field with personal interaction with faculty and teaching assistants and individualized learning. Lab facilities are available as well. All sites are located at research stations or in rural areas.
Costs
The program costs approximately $1800 plus in-state UGA tuition and fees.
The cost of the program covers lodging, meals, study abroad insurance, entry fees,
and transportation on program excursions. Additional costs include personal items and
airfare.
***Note: Out-of-state students pay in-state tuition. The HOPE scholarship applies.
Payment Methods & Schedule
The program fees will be charged to your student account. You may pay online with a credit card or mail a check to the Office of the Bursar. Access your student account here.
| March 5th |
$300 |
Deposit due with application. |
| March 31st |
$500 |
|
| April 30th |
$500 |
|
| May 31st |
$500 |
Final balance due. |
Through the UGA Costa Rica Office flexible payment options for program fees are available. The balance MUST BE PAID IN FULL before your program's departure. Please contact Matt Stevens for more information at 706-425-3316.
Tuition is not included in the program fee and will be posted to your student account as well. If you receive a scholarship or financial aid please notify the UGA Costa Rica Office if any payments will need to be submitted after the deadlines. Tuition payments must be paid in full a week before your program's departure.
Non-UGA Student Costs & Transient Application
An additional application and $50 processing fee is required for non-UGA students to enroll.
Click here for
instructions and to download the Transient Student applicaiton. Contact the UGA Costa Rica
Office to confirm when you have started the application process.
Non-UGA students will be charged $250, in addition to their tuition, which is assessed by the
UGA Bursar's office.
Application Process
To apply, students must submit a complete application, transient application (if applicable) and a $300 deposit. No application is complete without the deposit, which will be deducted from the total cost of the program. Deposit will be made payable via the UGA student accounts system the week following submission of this application. The deposit will be refunded if the applicant is not accepted, or if the applicant withdraws by the program's withdrawal deadline. Transient students need to include a check for the deposit amount along with their application, click here for complete instructions for transient students.
Enrollment is limted to 15 qualified students.
Target Dates / Deadlines
Application & $300 deposit deadline: March 5th, 2010
Withdrawal deadline: March 19th
After this date students who withdraw from the program will be responsible to cover program setup costs that have been spent on the student's behalf, i.e. hotel reservation, transportation and other payments to local vendors.
Final Balance Due: May 31st, 2010
Contact Us
Email Matt Stevens at ugacr@uga.edu or call 706-425-3318.
Program Director:
Marianne Robinette
Entomology
413 Biological Science
Athens, GA 30602
entomolo@uga.edu
706-542-1238
|
|
