Format of the course sequence
- Fall 2023: lecture course (2 credits) focused on preparation for field trip
- January 1-15: 2-week field trip to Costa Rica
- Spring 2024: laboratory course (2 credits) focused on post-trip discussions, write-up of field observations, analysis of field project data from the trip, presentation of project results (oral & written reports)
Requirements
- The lecture, field trip, and laboratory components are all required
- Prerequisite for the course sequence
- One or more courses in ecology, behavior, evolution, environmental science, or relevant organismal biology (e.g., entomology)
- AND permission of the instructor
Cost
Students will be responsible for extra costs of the embedded travel portion. The total cost of the field trip will be about $2400 (including all airfare, accommodations, food, etc.). This is a pretty standard cost for a 2-week tropical ecology course like this at many universities.
Plans for the field trip component, January 2024 (tentative!!)
| 2 Jan | Flight departing from PHL to Liberia, CR; transfer by bus to Santa Rosa National Park (Guanacaste Province lowland tropical dry forest) |
| 3 Jan | Santa Rosa National Park |
| 4-9 Jan | Camaquiri Conservation Initiative (Caribbean lowland tropical rainforest; includes student project phase) |
| 10-11 Jan | Paraiso Quetzal Lodge, San Gerardo de Dota (montane cloud forests) |
| 12-13 Jan | Rio de Sueños (Puntarenas Province Pacific lowland tropical rainforest) |
| 14 Jan | Manuel Antonio National Park (Puntarenas Province Pacific lowland tropical transitional forest) |
| 15 Jan | depart San Jose (SJO) for home |