Center for Community Engagement

Belize 2009

BFREE WEBSITE- MORE INFO HERE!!

Upcomming Due Dates:

April 3rd- $3,100.00 due in Belize Account

April 8th- 5-7pm Written Lesson Plans and Presentations Due

Projects:

Lesson Plans and Presenations:

Health/Wellness- Elizabeth and Danielle

Medicinal Plants of the Bladen (Jungle Walk)- Nisha

Birds of the Bladen (Aviation Station)- Jen and Kady

Aquatic Systems of the Bladen River – Laura and Jen

Course Book:

In Focuse: BELIZE

Couse Blog:

Belize May 2009

General Information:

This field course immerses the student in hands on investigations of Belize’s diverse tropical ecosystems, its remarkable animal and plant communities, and the human cultures they support. Students will become familiar with the scientific investigation of mammals, birds, insects, reptile, amphibians and plants. Exploration will begin with a 6 day stay in the tropical rainforest in the foothills of the Maya Mountains at BFREE, (Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education). During this time, students will have opportunities for field study related to management and conservation of tropical rainforests as well as study of the biological diversity around BFREE. Students then travel to a Mayan ruins followed by a 2 night home stay with a Mayan family. During the home stay, students will visit a banana farm and an organic cacao orchard to learn how the physical environment determines land use, settlement patterns and subsistence practices. Moving to the coast, students will visit the barrier reef and meet a marine biologist who will discuss “Reef Structure and Function” and “Reef Organisms.” Students will then visit a Creole fishing village located on a peninsula surrounded by crocodiles and manatees. Manatee researchers will do a presentation on work being done in the area. Because this is a service-related trip, students will be expected to prepare prior to the travel date for the “Jungle Field Trip day” WVWC students will sponsor for local Mayan elementary students. Four stations are planned: a Health and Wellness station; a Jungle walk (biodiversity of the rainforest with a focus on medicinal plants); an Avian station (birds of the Bladen Nature Reserve); and an Aquatics station (ecosystems of the Bladen River). Wesleyan students will staff these stations along with BFREE personnel. Planning for this activity will take place during the pre-trip classes on campus.

Course Objectives:

Discuss selected components of Belizean history, culture, ecology, and resource management and discuss how cultures define themselves by their position in the landscape.
Analyze and reflect upon various traditions and patterns in Mayan life experiences.
Appreciate the connections among universal human issues and national and local life experiences
Participate in a group service project as a productive member while also enhancing self-confidence and self-reliance
Write reflections on experiences in Belize that have formed through academic pursuits.

Course Requierments:

Daily reflective journal entries (minimum of one page per day) reflecting on the specific travel experience, culminating in a post-travel summative reflection and evaluation essay (minimum of three pages) – 40%
One pre-travel research paper and oral report to the class (minimum of 5 pages with one page class handout) on approved topic related to Jungle Field Trip Service Project – 20%
Final exam; 500 word essay on Mayan culture as they have experienced it and personal spiritual journey in Belize: 20%
Participatory attendance at all activities and events pre-travel and during the trip – 20%

SYLLABUS

ITINERARY

Travel Information:

CDC WEBSITE

What you need:

Passport

Immunizations

Hep A

Tetanus

Hep B

Oral Typhoid

Malaria