Dr. Sylvia Vitazkova, Assistant Professor of Conservation Studies at NCC, led a group of nine undergraduates and one Masters student on the inaugural "Rainforest Conservation in Belize" course May 23-30, 2012. The course was offered through New Century College’s Center for Field Studies. The class met several times prior to the field portion of the course to learn about basic tropical ecology and background information on Belizean culture. In Belize, students experienced savannah, littoral forest, coastal and coral reef habitats. They also visited the Belize Zoo during a night tour and even had an opportunity to hold a boa constrictor! Students witnessed first hand the effects of cattle ranching, slash and burn farming, illegal timber logging, and urban sprawl. They also visited the local market, a chocolate factory, a Mayan women's cooperative, a butterfly farm, a local conservation NGO (non-governmental organization), and an ancient Mayan site with an active dig, where they received a tour from the archeologist leading the dig. Students had an opportunity to collect data for a citizen science project on orchid bees and to observe a myriad of birds, amphibians and invertebrates. Despite a flight cancelation by American Airlines and a keys locked in the van by one of our host rangers (a replacement set was flown down via the local airline...), the trip was a rookie success!
Check out these photos from the trip!
Rainforest Conservation in Belize - By Peyton Guerrant
Belize Virtual Scrapbook - By Michelle Pineiro
Digital Version of a Photo Album by Jennifer Souther