Welcome to the course website for BIOL 335 Tropical Conservation Biology at MSUM, a.k.a. the “Costa Rica Course”.

If you think you may want to register for the course, email the instructor Dr. Chris Merkord chris.merkord@mnstate.edu now to get on the interest list.

Content:

Course Overview
Spring 2020 Course Information
- Dates and Cost
- Informational Meetings
Course registration
About the course

Instructors

Chris Merkord chris.merkord@mnstate.edu Brian Wisenden wisenden@mnstate.edu

Course Overview

Learn about tropical ecology in one of the most diverse places on Earth
See different social and economic models for conservation biology
Experience Costa Rican culture
Build great friendships and make lasting memories
Fulfill your LASC Goal 10 requirement

Spring 2020 Course Information

Dates and Cost

Travel to Costa Rica Friday, March 6 to Tuesday, March 17.
Class will meet weekly before the trip.
Students will present at the Student Academic Conference April 21
Approximate cost is $2,500 plus tuition
Student financial aid available for full cost

Informational Meetings

Informational meetings are held in the fall to give students a chance to hear more about the course and to ask questions of the instructors. Fall 2020 meetings:

Wednesday, October 30, 11:00 AM in Langseth Hall 102
Friday, November 1, 12:00 PM in Hagen Hall 113
Monday, November 4, 1:00 PM in Langseth Hall 102

If you are unable to attend one of the informational meetings, or if you have any questions, please email one of the instructors.

Course registration

Register on the MSUM website beginning in October
No prerequisites.
Open to all majors.
Tri-college students welcome.
Permission is required to register for this course. Contact an instructor for permission.

About the course

What is the trip like?

Every trip is unique, but we guarantee you’ll have an amazing experience. One of our past participants put together this video to give you an idea of what to expect on the trip.

And this is a slide show showing some of the places and things we’ll see. Click the full screen button to enlarge.

Where do we stay?

The trip is spent at three main locations:

The Monteverde and San Luis area in the mountains of eastern Guanacaste Province.
Cabo Blanco Absolute Reserve on the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, Puntarenas Province.
Santa Rosa National Park in northwestern Guanacaste Province.

What kinds of activities will we do?

The exact list of activities varies from year to year, but here are some examples of things done in the past:

Tour coffee plantation and talk to owners
Tour local sustainable businesses in San Luis
Snorkeling (sea turtles, fish, lobster, etc.)
Tidepooling (sea urchins, brittle stars, octopus, etc.)
Swimming at waterfall
Canopy tour on suspension bridges
Sustainability tour of UGA campus
Milking cows, feeding pigs, etc. on UGA campus
Guided nature walks
Guided birding walks (mornings)
Night hikes to look for animals
Explore La Casona, a historical fort in Santa Rosa
Eating at local restaurants
Exploring towns (e.g. Liberia, Bagaces)
Ziplining (optional, extra fee)
Horseback riding (optional, extra fee)

Here are some photos of some of these activities:

What kinds of plants and animals will we see?

Photos of plants and animals seen on previous trips:

Birds, from eBird
Other plants and animals, from iNaturalist