Overview & Course Philosophy

Study Abroad Virgin Islands

              Agroforestry in the Caribbean:

          FORS (ANTH, CRSS, ECOL) 4760

Course Goals:

Increased understanding of:

* agriculture that joins productivity with resource conservation, incorporation of perennial species and use of ecological theory to manage sustainable farming systems;

* steps toward building vibrant communities and achieving long term sustainability within a healthy environment;

* integrated farming practices that can be used by farmers in the Caribbean and other subtropical and tropical areas.

Description:

Agroforestry in the Caribbean is a 15-day Maymester course held on the Island of St. Croix, in the US Virgin Islands. The UGA course group will be accommodated at the Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute (VISFI), a 100+ acre facility that operates educational programs year round. The VISFI site serves as a model for sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation, organic and tropical agriculture. Partnering with UGA, the University of Virgin Islands (UVI) and USDA Agriculture Research Station personnel, VISFI offers a world-class setting for a challenging educational opportunity and a memorable Caribbean experience.

While only a short 3 1/2 hour flight from Atlanta, St. Croix offers a vast opportunity for learning – not only about agroforestry, farming systems and natural resources management but also about cultural heritage and community. This laid-back rural island is a doorway to the Caribbean with a rich agricultural history dating back to 2000 B.C., from a mysterious cassava-staple people to more recent occupations by colonial powers and the Danes, who constructed hundreds of stone windmills that still stand today. On the largest of the Virgin Islands, the VISFI campus offers 360-degree hilltop vistas from the upland watersheds to the sandy beaches and coral reefs. This Caribbean Maymester course is a short distance to the experience of a diverse and interesting world.

Payment Schedule:

PAYMENT SCHEDULE (word doc)