Summer 2024: International Environmental Issues & Globalization

 

A visit to the Children's Eternal Rain Forest
in the Tilaran Moutain Range where we enjoyed
the view (top), hiked (right) and learned about
the unique history as well as flora and
fauna of the reserve (below).

In and around the town of San Ramón:
A visit to an ecotourism reserve with a
gorgeous waterfall (above) and learning
about Costa Rican natural and cultural
history at different locations in town (left).

 

Holistic experiential learning activities included
scientific study (e.g., tree-core sampling) and
personal reflection (right), in addition to web
of life modeling, ethnographic research
and a mangrove reforestation field
visit in the Gulf of Nicoya (below).

 

  

 

Learning about tropical beetle diversity from a (passionate) expert at
the Biology Laboratory at the University of Costa Rica.

 

Field visits that provided real-world examples of our discussions about sustainable energy systems included a solar photovoltaic ecotourism business (top left), a historic hydro-mechanical workshop (top right) and a modern hydroelectric plant involved in watershed management reforestation (below).

 

Experiencing the rain forest canopy first-hand (above), the view of Arenal Volcano from the reserve and the town of La Fortuna (right)
and the rustic ecolodge where we stayed,
learned and were immersed in Nature
day and night (below). 

  

Service-learning took place at two
different sites during the course
and included reforestation and
other miscellaneous work at
our ecolodge in Northern
Costa Rica.

 

Wildlife we were especially lucky to see included a sampling of
amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles!