conservation field courses in Belize in 2016

[[some of these courses can count in the Environmental Science major.  contact me if you are interested in this program and want to see how it fits into your coursework--Lisa]]

The Center for Engaged Learning Abroad (CELA) is offering environmental and conservation field courses in Belize in 2016.  We would be grateful if you would share this information with your students.  Our courses, briefly described below, give students powerful field methods experiences, expose them to areas of science they may want to pursue further, and they gain a lot of confidence in their capabilities.  Each field course last two weeks and carries three hours of credit, transferrable back to home institutions with prior academic approval.

Belize is an easy place to study abroad as it is an English-speaking country and located just south of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.  Our courses are hands-on and take advantage of the rich learning context Belize provides.  It’s a great place to start for first time study abroad students.

Wildlife Health, Ecology and Conservation: This course, taught by a wildlife veterinarian, introduces students to tropical ecology, local conservation efforts, Belizean wildlife and wildlife research techniques, and zoo and wild animal health issues and medicine. Students explore the many factors that affect the management, conservation, habitat and health of wild animals; work alongside zookeepers in the world renowned Belize Zoo; participate in surgeries, animal enrichment and health management at the Zoo; and explore rehabilitation and conservation at a variety of wildlife organizations in Belize.

Tropical Marine Ecology and Conservation: This systems-ecology course includes classroom, field, and laboratory components in terrestrial riparian, estuarine and marine ecosystems, with emphasis on watershed interconnectivity and  reef/mangrove/seagrass ecology and conservation.  .  The Caribbean Sea is explored from Tobacco Caye, a five acre island of sand perched on the reef with  mangroves and grassbeds with mask and snorkel, both day and night.

Watershed Conservation, Ecology and Management:  This course explores the general structure and ecology of watersheds, the movement of surface and sub-surface waters through the landscape, larger integrated interactions of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, overall ecological services provided by watersheds, impact of human activities on watershed structure and function, assessment and monitoring of watersheds, and solutions to human induced impacts while providing students  with hands-on experience in field research techniques.

Health, Belief and Ethnobotany in Belize: This course explores traditional healing, spiritual belief, sustainability, food security and agro-forestry. Through lectures, discussions, visits with healers/elders, and tours to farms and medicinal plant gardens, students will have the opportunity to experience unique and unforgettable traditions as they have been passed down through generations.  

Our summer courses are delivered between May and June.   We also offer a winter program, internships tailored to student’s schedule and academic focus and work with faculty who want to travel abroad with a group of students. 

Please share these short, intense field courses and internships with your students who may benefit from studying abroad.  For more details, contact Cynthia Reece, our Program Director.

Best regards,

Ed Boles, Ph.D.
Faculty Associate
Institute for Sustainable International Studies
San Ignacio, Cayo,
Belize, Central America