APPLICATION FORM: EES 475 - PERU 2015
Final enrollment in EES 475: Field Studies in Ecology – Peru 2015 is by Permission of the Instructors Only. As the course involves foreign travel in a developing country, we want only mature and responsible students with interests in tropical ecology. Before applying to participate in the course, please do the following:
I. Read the Overview for the course (SEE BELOW).
II. Consider whether you have the time and financial resources to take the course.
III. As this is a 3-credit, Spring Semester course at the University of Maine, consider whether you are willing to put in the effort required by the course. The work load for the course, involving pre-trip classes, readings, and participation in the field aspects of the course, is comparable to a 3-credit course, and we require this credit load for all University of Maine students.
The course prerequisite for EES 475 is a college-level ecology course (BIO 319, WLE 200, or similar courses). Priority for admission into the course will go first to graduate students, seniors and juniors at the University of Maine who are majoring in programs that require or strongly recommend such a field course, second to sophomores in these programs who have the course prerequisite, next to other qualified University of Maine students, and then students from other campuses, faculty, and qualified non-students applying through CED will be considered. If there is a waiting list, priority will be given to those qualified (as outlined above) and then to first-come-first serve within those categories.
Pre-trip class meetings are required. Meeting time and location will be determined.
To apply for permission to enroll in EES 475, please provide the information requested below, in a written or email response to Julie Eubanks (246 Nutting Hall, ) no later than (preferably sooner) Wednesday, Oct. 15. We will review applications within a few days, and notify people who are approved for the course as soon as possible, and they will then be allowed to register for the course through CED, or via the Ecology and Environmental Sciences program. You will have to sign forms to commit to payment, but payment for the course is not due until the SPRING billing from the University of Maine.
1) Name and Student ID #:
Permanent Address:
Local phone number:
Email address:
Class (Jr., Sr., Grad, etc.) and major or department at University of Maine (if not at UM, give info for current or most recent college attended):
2) Do you have a passport valid for the period of the trip? If so, provide number:
If you do not have a passport, you should apply for one as soon as possible. Forms can be obtained in the Orono or Bangor Post Office.
3) The prerequisite for EES 475 is a general, college-level ecology course. What course(s) have you taken to meet this prerequisite? If you do not have this course, do you have other relevant experiences?
4) Briefly describe your reasons for wanting to go on the trip:
5) Provide names, addresses, and phone numbers of two references (preferably faculty or teaching assistants) who can comment on how you are likely to function in this field course:
6) Do you have any physical or mental health issues or constraints?
7) PLEASE NOTE: This course involves field work (hiking, observation, note-taking, group activities, and rustic living conditions) in tropical environments, which may involve considerable physical exertion, exposure to sun, heat, humidity, and insects, and other discomforts over a two-week period. It will also require a willingness to follow a demanding daily schedule and to cooperate in group activities (early rising—some night activities). Have you experienced such conditions before? How will you prepare yourself for these physical and personal aspects of the course? Be specific please.
Selection of Course Participants:
Registration is by Permission of Instructors Only. As the course involves foreign travel in an underdeveloped country, we want only mature, responsible, and interested students. Applicants will do the following: (1) provide information on their University of Maine class and affiliation, identification and contact data, and document they have the ecology course prerequisite or equivalent experience; (2) describe their reasons for wanting to go on the trip; (3) provide two references (preferably faculty) who can comment on how they are likely to function in a field course; (4) acknowledge they have read a statement describing physical demands and risks of the course, and respond in writing how they will prepare for these. Priority for admission into the course will go first to University of Maine students in programs that require or strongly recommend such a field course, next to other qualified University of Maine students, and then faculty, students from other campuses, and qualified non-students applying through CED will be considered.
Course Overview for:
EES 475: Field Studies in Ecology -- Pervuvian Amazon
(Spring Break 2015) – 3 cr.
Instructors: Aram Calhoun Mac Hunter Lindsay Seward
for 2015 EES/ WFCB WFCB EES/ WFCB
240 Nutting Hall 226 Nutting Hall 238 Nutting Hall 581-3010 581-2865 581-2847
Departmental Contacts while class is away:
Dr. Daniel Harrison, Chairperson
Dept. of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology (WFCB)
210 Nutting Hall
581-2907
University of Maine Catalog Description:
EES 475: Field Studies in Ecology
An intensive ecology field trip of one to several weeks to an area of ecologic interest scheduled during Christmas, midyear, spring recess, or summer. Field and living conditions may be rigorous and/or primitive. Prerequisite: a course in ecology. Other preparation and/or recommended prerequisites announced for each trip.
Course History:
The course has been offered every year since 1998: Countries visited include Costa Rica, Honduras, Belize, Brazil, Panama, Peru, Tanzania, Uganda, & South Africa. It has been offered both through departmental listings and through the Continuing Education Division of the university, and has been taught by faculty in Biological Sciences (W. Glanz, R. Davis) and Wildlife Ecology (M. Hunter, M. Hartley, A. Calhoun, L. Seward). Credits have ranged from one to three credits.
General Information and Objectives for Spring Break 2015 Course:
EES 475 for March 2015 will be based at the Amazonia Lodge adjacent to the large Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo tropical forest preserve south of Iquitos in Loreto Province, Peru. We used this site for our EES 475 courses in 2001, 2003, 2008, & 2010 and the facilities and opportunities there were excellent. The Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo is a large reserve known for its biological diversity, with some highlights being its 14 primate species, over 700 bird species, two river dolphins, and a great diversity of riverine and lake fishes. Lowland rainforest and two types of seasonally flooded forest (igapo and varzea) are present, as well as large rivers and oxbow lakes. Several small agricultural communities are located near the Lodge. The course will include weekly classes in Orono before our departure.
We will fly from Boston to Lima, Peru departing the afternoon of February 26, and reaching Iquitos and the Lodge on February 27. We leave from Iquitos March 8th and reach Boston on March 9th. In addition to 3 credits tuition, the course fee, including round-trip airfares, lodging and meals while in Peru will be APPROXIMATELY $2600. Additional details on the preserve can be found at www.perujungle.com and more details about the itinerary will be provided.
Course objectives for 2015 will follow those of the 2008 and 2010 courses in Peru. Students will be introduced to various aspects of the ecology of tropical ecosystems in five class meetings prior to the trip, and in several evening sessions at the Tahuayo Lodge. These meetings will include lectures on: tropical forest structure; rainforest animal ecology; pollination and frugivory; tropical rivers and lakes; tropical agriculture, and rainforest conservation. Students will read specified chapters in the text (A Neotropical Companion, by J. Kricher), and participate in discussions of these topics during the evening sessions on the trip. The itinerary of the trip will be prepared by the instructors and Dr. Paul Beaver, a tropical ecologist who heads Amazonia Expeditions (www.perujungle.com), to expose the students to examples of the tropical ecosystems and conservation problems. Students will visit rainforest, lake, riverine, and village sites. At each site students will receive a short lecture, or take part in discussions on ecological and/ or conservation problems there, and will be expected to take part in related field trips and discussions. Work load for the course, involving pre-trip meetings, readings, participation in the discussions and field activities, and a post-trip paper is comparable to a 3 credit course. All students will keep and submit a journal of the trip. Grades for all students will be based on (1) their participation in class meetings, field trips, and discussion sessions, (2) their understanding of tropical ecology and conservation as revealed in their daily journals and post-trip papers, and (3) their planning and presentation of individual research projects on site in Peru.