Yucatan Conserv Culture Sust

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

In this course, we will examine the conservation of tropical forests, coastal ecosystems and mangroves habitats, the culture of the current and pre-European Mayan communities, and the sustainability of the environment and culture in the Yucatán. The Yucatán Peninsula, located in southern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico. Encompassing the three states of Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo, the peninsula’s forest ecosystem is the largest continuous area of tropical vegetation in the Americas after Amazonia, containing 10 million hectares of diverse forests and serving as a vital carbon sink for the planet. The area has been home to the Mayan civilization for the past 8,000 years, and Mayan descendants and culture continue to persist. The Yucatán is an ideal location to introduce students to a broad range of real-world environmental and sustainability issues while gaining a deep understanding about the challenge of balancing short-term human needs with the long-term health of environmental systems. The class will meet weekly throughout the spring semester. Class meetings will cover content and skills to prepare for the trip and research projects students will undertake while doing field research. We will visit the Yucatán during spring break from February 28- March 8. While on-site in the Yucatán, students will work in small teams to develop and carry out inquiry-based research projects. Students will hear from and work with experts in the field to aid in project development. Upon return from the Yucatán, we will continue to have class meetings where student research teams will meet to complete their research projects and submit their final product by the end of the semester. ***Students are strongly encouraged to have taken either Foundations in Environmental Science I ( ERTH 1050 /1051) or Foundations in Biology II (1204/1214) prior to this course.