in cooperation with
Miami Dade College's Earth Ethics Institute
offers you
a graduate course approved by Miami Dade College
for Faculty Maintenance in Rank, Promotion or Endowed Teaching Chair
IPM 545
Exploring and Understanding the Web of Life:
Field Studies in Costa Rica (3 credits)
July 6-13, 2007
with
Chris Migliaccio, Professor of Ecology & Environmental Science, MDC/Wolfson
Dr. Greg Zuschlag, Professor of Religious Studies and Coordinator, St. Thomas University's Healing the Earth Center
Exploring and Understanding the Web of Life
Have you ever wanted to explore the tropical forests you’ve heard so much about? … visit an active volcano from a safe distance? … discover how cosmology and culture are affected by geography and ecosystems?...learn how tropical plants and animals survive, grow and reproduce in the intensely competitive tropical ecosystem?...experience some of the world's greatest diversity firsthand?...and witness Costa Rica’s strong sustainability and conservation ethics in action?
If you answered “yes!”, then here’s the perfect opportunity for you!
In this exciting eight day graduate level, uniquely interdisciplinary field course in Costa Rica, you will pursue a set of three inter-related questions in the effort to understand the nature of ecological interdependence known as “The Web of Life.” How do natural environments shape human cultural environments? How does biodiversity correlate to cultural diversity? and How do nature's narratives as told by science relate to those from social and wisdom traditions? Special attention will be given to the creative tension between mainstream and alternative understandings of the Web of Life from the natural and social sciences as well as the from the humanities.
This course
- offers tremendous opportunities for graduate students and educators in all fields of study to combine classroom learning with hands-on activities in an outdoor setting,
- emphasizes field observation and studies in two unique ecosystems that are World Heritage Sites - the tropical cloud forest and the tropical dry forest,
- features a good balance of group and individual activities, time for collaboration and time for reflection,
- provides students with comfortable, Earth-friendly accommodations and traveling companions that share their love for learning with their love for the natural world and its conservation, and
- includes two classroom sessions prior to departure, Web research, personalized work with the Instructors and a Master Naturalist from Costa Rica to complete daily field observations, personal journaling, cooperative learning activities, and a final curriculum project.
- is part of a series of graduate courses in Earth Literacy offered by St. Thomas University in cooperation with the Miami Dade College Earth Ethics Institute for curriculum development and promotion.
Instructors
Chris Migliaccio is Professor of Ecology & Environmental Sciences at MDC / Wolfson Campus. He has over 30 years of environmental education experience, is a specialist in Central American botany and ecology, has organized over a dozen environmental education field workshops and courses for teachers and college students in Costa Rica, the Galapagos, the Ecuadorian Amazon & Andes, and in Kenya. He has taught numerous workshops and field immersions for the MDC Earth Ethics Institute.
Greg Zuschlag, Ph.D is Professor of Religious Studies, Dirctor of the Healing The Earth Center, and Coordinator of the Environmental Justice major at St. Thomas University. Prior to joining St. Thomas, Greg completed his doctoral dissertation on religious environmentalism, ecology, and Christian theology at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. Besides having academic interests in environmental history, politics, and literature, Greg and his spouse Dana share an interest and commitment to "green living." Together as new arrivals to South Florida, both have begun looking for such opportunities to "root" themselves in such practices.
Roman Odio from Liberia in the northwestern province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica, is our Naturalist / Guide. His college degree is in biology with a specialty in marine aquaculture. Roman's aquaculture work in Costa Rica and Nicaragua (with UN and / or EEU support) involved designing sustainable systems that integrated edible shrimp, brine shrimp and industrial salt production. He's worked with educational groups for over 13 years including the National Science Teachers Association, Cornell University, Costa Rica's University of Peace, University of Washington, Harvard University, The Philadelphia Zoo, The Elderhostel Program and Miami Dade Community College.
The Course Schedule in Costa Rica
This year’s value-packed program in Costa Rica will include visits to the National Museum, San Jose's Central Market, National Institute of Biodiversity's INBioparque, Poas Volcano National Park, Monteverde Biological Reserve, Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, Rincon de la Vieja National Park, and the artisans' centers of Guaitil and Sarchi. Each day has a combination of group activities (usually mornings) included in the course cost and afternoon individual activities (some at your own expense; see the Optional Excursions page for details). Curriculum includes individual and group projects, journaling, (for educators) development of curriculum materials suitable for courses taught back in Miami, reflection paper.
Note: Students will make their own flight and lodging arrangements in order to begin the Costa Rican portion of the course at 8:30am at the Hotel Buena Vista in Alajuela. We suggest you arrive the day before and spend the night there; many half day excursions in the Central Valley can be arranged.
Day 1 – 8:30am post-breakfast orientation meeting at the Hotel Buena Vista followed by visits to San Jose's Central Market and the National Museum, then lunch and an afternoon tour of INBioparque. Overnight at the Hotel Buena Vista, a beautiful hotel in the hills above Alajuela with a spectacular panoramic view of the Central Valley.
Day 2 – morning visit to Volcan Poas National Park – exploring the cloud forest around crater rim; lunch en route to Monteverde area. Afternoon in Monteverde village visiting CASEM Women’s Cooperative, Cafe Monteverde Cooperative and the Monteverde Cheese Factory. Optional afternoon walk or evening hike. Overnight at Finca Valverde in the small town of Santa Elena.
Day 3 – full day hiking in Monteverde Biological Reserve on cloud forest trails along the Continental Divide. Box lunch provided. Overnight at Finca Valverde.
Day 4 – full day in the Monteverde / Santa Elena area; many options to choose from at student's expense. Overnight at Finca Valverde.
Day 5 – morning Sky Walk in Santa Elena then drive down the mountains and north on the Pan American Highway to Liberia. Highway view of the spectacular Tierras Morenas wind farm at the west end of Lake Arenal; drive through the geothermal fields at the Miravalle Geothermal Power Station; lunch at Pizzeria Pronto in Liberia. Drive up the gentle slope of Rincon de la Vieja Volcano within the Guanacaste Conservation Area - a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Overnight at Hacienda Guachipelin.
Day 6 – morning hike in the spectacular primary forest on the Crater Trail in Rincon de la Vieja National Park; afternoon stay in the Park or return to the lodge for other activities at student expense. Overnight at Hacienda Guachipelin
Day 7 - morning hike through the mudpots and dry forest of Las Pailas Trail in Rincon de la Vieja National Park; afternoon stay in the Park or return to the lodge for other activities at student expense. Overnight at Hacienda Guachipelin.
Day 8 - drive back to San Jose with a visit to the potters' cooperative in Guaitil, and stop for a traditional lunch at Coope-Tortillas in Santa Cruz. Cross the Rio Tempisque Bridge and stop at the artisans’ cooperative in Sarchi. Overnight in the Hotel Buena Vista.
Day 9 – students free to return to Miami or extend their stay in Costa Rica. Optional activities in Alajuela or San Jose, etc. depending on flight time.
Registration
All students
- should be in good physical health and be able to walk for up to 4 hours each day on irregular ground. This is not an "expedition", however and there will be ample time for leisure activity in the communities and properties around the lodges.
- must be able to exit and reenter the United States with valid immigration documents. US passports must be valid through January 31, 2008.
- must complete the STU Registration Package (Course Registration Confirmation Form, Special Student Registration Form and Release Form and turn in an initial deposit (see table below for dates).
- Land costs: $1,450 per person for the land cost in Costa Rica; includes all lodging in double rooms, 3 meals daily except on Miami departure and final San Jose days, all Musuem, Park & Reserve group admissions, environmental mitigation fee, ground transportation in our own bus; guiding and tips to Costa Rican naturalist/guide and driver
- Airfare: ~$650 per person roundtrip (Nov 2006 estimate), non stop airfare Miami-San Jose; students are responsible for making their own flight arrangements in order to begin the Costa Rican portion of the course at Hotel Buena Vista in Alajuela at 8:30am on July 6. Chris Migliaccio is happy to suggest pre- or post-course activities in Costa Rica if you wish to extend your stay before or after the course.
- St. Thomas University tuition: by special arrangement: $680 course fee for MDC faculty (entirely reimbursable by MDC), staff & administrators; $1,125 for all other teachers; $1,875 for St. Thomas University students who may apply financial aid to this expense;
- Textbooks: (~$40) Tropical Nature: Life and Death in the Rain Forests of Central and South America by Forsyth & Miyata (~$11); Costa Rica: A Traveler's Literary Companion by Ras & Arias (Editors) (~$10); and Insight Guide Costa Rica by Paul Murphy (~$16). Other readings will provided at no charge to students.
- Not included: airfare (see above); 2 days of optional activities (see Program Schedule above for details) and personal expenses.We suggest you consider purchasing travel insurance in case of any last minute emergencies.
Payment Schedule and Course Calendar
| Date | Activity | Notes |
| February 2, 2007 | Reservation-Confirmation Form and Initial Deposit of $250 due | deposit is refundable; |
| March 1, 2007 | $600 payment due along with STU Release Form | non-refundable; balance of land costs may be paid at any time after this date |
| April 16, 2007 | $600 payment due | non-refundable |
| May 11, 2007 | St. Thomas University Special Student Registration Form and tuition due | see Costs section above for applicable amount |
| May TBA, 2007 | Pretrip meeting #1 at St. Thomas University | Rm, time TBA |
| June TBA, 2007 | Final Pretrip meeting at St. Thomas University; | Rm, time TBA |
| July 6-13, 2007 | Coursework in Costa Rica | see Course Schedule above for details |
| July TBA, 2007 | Post trip Wrap Up at St. Thomas University; | Rm, time TBA |
Registration and Course Materials
You may download Registration pdf files, print, complete and submit via email or fax to Dr. Greg Zuschlag at STU (information below) by the dates in the Calendar above. Once registered, download or read the Course Curriculum Package but be sure to print and assemble the Daily Curriculum Planner to bring with you to Costa Rica. Get a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader here so you can read / print pdf files.
- Course Reservation Confirmation Form (required)
- Credit Card Payment Form (optional)
- Special Student Registration Form (required)
- STU Graduate Study Abroad Release Form (required)
- Course Curriculum Package (syllabus, textbooks, travel information) - available March, 2007
- Daily Curriculum Planner (course objectives, daily activities) - available March, 2007
- A collection of readings will be mailed to you in March, 2007
Alternately, you may email Chris Migliaccio or Greg Zuschlag and ask for the "Costa Rica Application Package" or
Print copies of the Registration Package will be available at the Multimedia Presentation / Information Sessions, from Dr. Zuschlag at STU and from Chris Migliaccio at MDC.
- Contact Dr. Greg Zuschlag, Professor of Religious Studies, St. Thomas University; tel. 305-474-6876 / fax 305-628-6764; gzuschlag@stu.edu (questions about registration, payments; curriculum, financial aid and procedures for STU students, faculty, staff, administrators). Mail Course Reservation Rorm, Special Student Registration Form, STU Graduate Study Abroad Release Form and checks to Prof. Greg Zuschlag, Dept. of Religious Studies, St. Thomas University, 16401 NW 37th Avenue, Miami Gardens, FL 33054.
- Contact Chris Migliaccio, Professor of Ecology & Environmental Science, Miami Dade College / Wolfson Campus; Rm 1603; 305-237-3269; chris.migliaccio@mdc.edu; photos from the study sites may be viewed at in my Photo Gallery at CR Cloud Forests and CR Tropical Dry Forests (questions about curriculum; CR travel, and procedures for MDC faculty, staff, administrators and other teachers in MDCPS and the private/parochial systems)
- Attend a multimedia informational presentation at: (full details of date, time & place coming soon; pls revisit this site)
- St. Thomas University in Rm TBA on Date TBA / Time TBA
- MDC Wolfson Campus in Rm 2209 on Wednesday, Jan 17 from 12:10-1:10pm.
- MDC Kendall Campus in Rm K-422 on Wednesday, Jan 24 from 12:00-1:00pm
- MDC North Campus in Rm 1208 on Wednesday, Jan 31 from 12:00-1:00pm
- other dates / locations TBA; visit this site later or email Chris Migliaccio for details
Chris Migliaccio's Home Page | Educational Page | Personal Page | Spending Time with Nature in South Florida
BSC 1050 Page | PCB 2033 Page | IDH 2935 Page | Classic Rock List | Readings List | Photo Gallery | Contact Me
This page was updated on 12.01.06