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Imagine a place hidden in a dense jungle forest along the Caribbean Sea, a quasi-island surrounded by the ocean and canals. Only accessible by boat, visit Costa Rica like never before. With our partners at Ecology Project International, we spend time in this course immersing in the rainforest and coastal beaches of Pacurare Reserve. Study three species of sea turtles in their native habitat while understanding how ecotourism intersects with research and education.

Costa Rica is one of the key leaders in the "green travel" movement and students will learn directly from local experts in this course. Students will also visit La Selva Biological Station, which has been home to hundreds of leading scientists over its 60 years. The people and forest of La Selva are unmatched as a place to understand lowland rainforest ecology and conservation.

In this course, we will take time to see how ecotourism can truly fulfill the promise of social, economic, and environmental benefits to local communities and global visitors while working to save key species in the process.

Prior to and following the field experience in the Costa Rica, students will complete coursework via Canvas, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University's learning management system as they apply experiences to their home institutions.

Pacuare Station

Pacuare's coastline is hugged by dense rainforest. What was once logged for timber or grazed by cattle is now a protected home for a wide variety of wildlife – more than 32 species of mammals, including jaguar, ocelot, three species of monkeys, and many reptiles call Pacuare home.

With beach, forest, canals and freshwater habitats, Pacuare is also home to a wide variety of birds - 253 species currently! The rare and beautiful Agami heron nests in a small lagoon within the Reserve. It is the only nesting site in Costa Rica and one of only a few accessible nesting sites in the world.

The main trail runs the length of the Reserve through the forests located behind the beach with other shorter trails lead to areas of special interest, making for enjoyable observations the flora and fauna of the area.

La Selva Biological Station

La Selva Research Station offers 1,600 hectares of well-preserved old-growth and recovering wet lowland tropical forest showcasing some of the best-preserved elevational gradients in the tropics.

La Selva sits within a complex biological, socioeconomic, and political landscape that has been significantly transformed over the last 40 years by a continuously expanding agricultural frontier, burgeoning human population, and accompanying major infrastructure. Protected areas, such as La Selva, provide a rich opportunity for studying how natural ecosystems respond to a broader landscape matrix of human uses.

(Course locations are subject to change.)

In addition to covering the price for five graduate credits of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University tuition, field course costs cover all basic expenses, including:

• Meals (incidental snacks and drinks not included)
• Lodging
• Field station fees
• Course activities (optional activities are not included)
• Ground transportation (van, boat, train, etc., as needed)
• Park entrance and guide fees

Course costs do not cover personal expenses, such as airfare to the course, personal gifts, or ancillary costs, such as passport fees, country entry fees, required course readers, and any additional course texts.

Airfare: To estimate fares applicants may wish to visit an online fare finder or call a travel agent. Bear in mind that airlines have seasonal fluctuations in fares.

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University also requires all international workshop participants to purchase travel health insurance for about $40. (Successful applicants will receive more details in their web-based learning community course workshop.) In some classes an additional textbook is required. In some countries, you may have to pay entrance and departure taxes/fees at the airport.

Because of support from ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University, the course costs listed above are a fraction of actual program costs. Earth Expeditions recommends that accepted applicants to the program check with their school district or employer to see if professional development funds are available to further offset costs.

We offer some further ideas on Helping to Fund your Degree and Scholarships for Current Dragonfly Students

The 2-credit follow-on course, Inquiry & Action, puts the Earth Expeditions course ideas and concepts into practice. Students in this course will choose a research topic and construct a multidisciplinary semester-long project of their choice that includes inquiry-driven learning, participatory education, and community-based conservation to experience and promote action in real-world contexts. Students will connect and collaborate with peers and their instructional team throughout the semester working to make a positive difference in their local communities. This class is a required part of the Global Field Program (GFP) master's course sequence. Inquiry & Action is recommended though optional for non-GFP students.

Course cost: $910 (2 credits)

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