SDG 15. Life on Land - Study Abroad

SHORT-TERM

Winter
Biology of Neotropical Habitats: Ecuador and Galapagos Islands
This 10-day program includes explorations of the rainforests of the Amazon basin, cloud forests on the slopes of Antisana volcano, the highlands of the Andes mountains, and the Galápagos Islands.

SUMMER

Primates, Ecology, and Conservation in Indonesia
This program offers a unique opportunity for students to gain a hands-on immersive educational experience within Indonesia. The program will consist of two courses: “Advanced Primate Behavior and Ecology” and “Applied Conservation and Ecosystem Management,” each approximately 10 days in duration.
 
The first course will take place at Tuanan Biological Research Station in Central Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. Students will learn how to collect  behavioral data on wild orangutans, quantify  habitat characteristics, collect biological samples, use GPS units and GIS software to generate maps, and analyze and summarize data in the form of a scientific report. While in Borneo, students will also visit Nyaru Menteng, a rehabilitation center for orangutans that have been displaced from their habitat or rescued from the illegal pet trade.
 
The second course will take place in Ujung Kulon National Park in West Java and will present big-picture issues in conservation, environmental policy, and ecosystem management. Practical components related to these large issues will be explored during field-based activities and field trips. Some of the field components will involve field trips focused on the interface between human activities and the ecosystem. These will include visits to a coral reef plantation, where students will assist the restoration program by planting new coral, and the conservation program for the critically endangered Javan rhinoceros. Students will explore the Javan rainforest, which is home to many rare and endangered plants and animals, including three endemic primates.

Primatology, Wildlife Ecology, and Conservation in Kenya
Students will discover and conduct research in environments ranging from the mangroves on the Indian Ocean, to the dry savannas of the Laikipia plateau, to the riverine forest along the Tana River.  With its diversity of habitats, Kenya boasts a particularly wide range of wild species.

Large Animal Veterinary Practice in the Tropics - Belize (offered by third-party provider)
This course is designed for the veterinary, pre-veterinary, animal science or zoology students to gain working knowledge of the husbandry, and health issues confronting farm animals including horses, sheep, pigs, and cattle in Belize.

 

SEMESTER

Origins Anthropology Field School in Kenya
This field school, offered during both Fall and Spring semesters, is designed for students with an interest in Africa, science, and the essence of what makes us human. The Turkana Basin region, made famous over the past five decades through the work of Richard, Meave and Louise Leakey, has produced much of the world's most important fossil evidence for human evolution. Our program addresses the place that humans occupy in the natural world and how they came to occupy that place. It offers fifteen upper-division or graduate credits in geology, ecology, vertebrate paleontology and paleoecology, human evolution, and archaeology.
 

Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosytems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss