Fi e l d - Ba s e d L e a r n i n g S e m i n a rJULY 28 - AUGUST 1, 2013

COSTA RICAThe essential primer for leading a student group

www.holbrooktravel.com/fbls 800-451-7111 travel@holbrooktravel.comPHOTO BY GREG BASCO

Central America’s incredible diversity of habitats, ecosystems, and natural wonders provide the ideal setting for active learning. Only the size of West Virginia, Costa Rica boasts more than 15 distinct life zones, which are home to some 850 species of birds, over 600 species of butterflies, more than 1,200 species of orchids, and 205 species of mammals, including jaguar, tapir, coatamundi, peccaries, and four species of monkeys.

Explore the tropical rainforest with like-minded educators during this short workshop designed to both enhance classroom experiences and prepare you to take your students in the field. The program covers techniques for gaining school board approval, fundraising, grant writing, and curriculum integration, including engaging activities, workshops, and group discussions.

OVERVIEW

• Get the skills you need to plan, design and lead international educational excursions.• Learn how to apply your field experiences to your classroom curriculum.• Participate in hands-on learning techniques.• Meet and work with local environmental groups, educators, students, and their families.• Learn strategies for grant writing, fundraising, marketing to students and parents, and more.• Create the perfect balance of education and adventure for your students.• Exchange ideas and insights with educators and educational travel experts.• Use seminar work to earn graduate school credits.

ITINERARY

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BLD = Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner.

Lodging at Selva Verde Lodge and Rainforest Reserve

DAY 1, JULY 28• Arrivals to Costa Rica• Transfer to Selva Verde Lodge• Orientation the program and introductions• Evening lecture: The Mesoamerican Corridor by

Willy Pineda

DAY 2, JULY 29

• Early morning bird walk• Welcome the Rainforest Workshop

* 10-20 minute orientation in the Selva Verde classroom followed by hike in the primary forest reserve with focus on ecology, structure, function, and trail safety. Discussion: What’s in the Jungle by Dr. Paulo Valerio and Dr. James Danoff-Burg

• Reflection time/possible breakout activity • Introduction the Sarapiqui Conservation Learning

Center (SCLC)• Reforestation (tree planting) service project

organized by the SCLC• Evening lecture: The ABC’s of Student Travel by

Holbrook Travel DAY 3, JULY 30

• Insect walk * Study amazing insect biodiversity and adaptations

with Dr. James Danoff-Burg • Visit a rural school

• Tirimbina Reserve Chocolate interactive tour * During this hands on experience we’ll tie in the

ancestral indigenous traditions with the modern commercial needs and discuss the sustainability of commercial crops, particularly chocolate, which needs shade to grow. Discuss the importance of weaving humans into the conservation landscape to support creating sustainable livelihoods and conservation.

• Whitewater rafting along the Sarapiquí River. * During the rafting adventure collect water samples

along the river and make observations at each location. Use PASCO Probeware to analyze quality of water and discuss observations. Discussion: Will we save what we know? The Importance of Knowing Our Local Ecosystem and the Related Conservation Efforts by Dr. James Danoff-Burg.

• Evening lecture: Grant writing by Fund for Teachers President Karen Kovach-Webb

DAY 4, JULY 31• Wrap up session• Transfer to Poas Caldera• Lunch en route back to San José• Check in at hotel• Farewell dinner

DAY 5, AUGUST 1

• Departure flight home. (B)

EDUCATIONAL GAINS

• Environmental/Science club coordinators• Gifted and talented coordinators• Life and Earth science educators• High school science educators• Science department heads

• Biology AP educators • Geology educators • Ecology educators • Science specialists • Junior high educators

THIS PROGRAM IS IDEAL FOR:

Fi e l d - Ba s e d L e a r n i n g S e m i n a r

20 13C O S TA R I C AThe essential primer for LEADING a student group

Field-Based Learning Seminar participants will have the chance to enjoy two local treasures: Selva Verde Lodge and the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center (SCLC). Both are located in a 500-acre private retreat nestled in the rainforest and offer a combination of comfort, natural beauty and local education practices.

The SCLC is a non-profit organization founded to preserve and improve the cultural integrity of the rural Costa Rican community of Chilamate. With a focus on education and environmental conservation, the Center is an ideal venue for cultural exchange. While there, you may learn about reforestation projects, trail building and

maintenance, butterfly gardening, and medicinal plant cultivation.

Selva Verde Lodge features lush rainforest surroundings and generous Costa Rican hospitality. This eco resort was founded on the principles of environmental conservation and education, and the lodge was a pioneer in Costa Rican ecotourism. Selva Verde’s 500-acre Sarapiquí rainforest preservation area provides habitat for a wide variety of birds, animals, reptiles, insects, and plants. It was recently awarded the fourth level of sustainability by the Costa Rica Tourism Institute Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST).

SELVA VERDE LODGE & SARAPIQUÍ CONSERVATION LEARNING CENTER

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Fi e l d - Ba s e d L e a r n i n g S e m i n a r

2013C O S TA R I C A

Biodiversity of Neotropics - Discuss biological structures, biodiversity of flora and fauna, and conservation.

Tropical Ecosystems - Explore ecosystem structures and assess implications to the animal and plant life within them.

Cultural Understanding - Interact with local communities to better understand the educational structures and opportunities offered to Costa Ricans.

Local Geology - Visit Poas Volcano and examine plate tectonics, diverse soil compositions, and more.

Reserve Management - See firsthand examples of the human dimensions of conservation, such as the economic and environmental benefits of responsible reserve management and its effect on local communities.

TOPICS EXPLORED

The essential primer for LEADING a student group

PHOTO BY JOANNA LIVINGSTONE

PAULO VALERIOTropical Biologist, DirectorBest Adventure TravelPaulo Valerio is a tropical biologist and naturalist tour

guide from Costa Rica. Paulo is bilingual and holds a BSC in Tropical Biology and a MSC in Natural Resources Management and Ecotourism from Universidad Nacional. After years of experience working as a naturalist tour guide, he is now based in San José, Costa Rica, where he is the Director of the tour operator Best Adventure Travel. Paulo is also an Adjunct Professor of Tropical Biology at Pepperdine University and has been a distinguished lecturer at events for organizations including Road Scholar (Elderhostel), One Earth One People, and the National Science Teachers Association.

KAREN KOVACH-WEBB Executive DirectorFund for TeachersFund for Teachers’ goal is to enrich teachers’ lives by offering them the opportunity to

self-design summer sabbatical experiences, returning to the classroom re-energized in ways which impact students on a daily basis. To date, Fund for Teachers has granted over $20 million in grants to over 5,500 teachers working in 47 states. In addition to positions in the corporate arena and as a small business owner, Karen has worked in non-profit management, strategic planning and development for over 25 years. She has served on various community school boards and concerned citizens and advocacy groups that seek to ensure adequate resources and opportunities for basic services and education.

JAMES DANOFF- BURG, PH. D. Director of Conservation EducationSan Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research

James Danoff-Burg is Director of the Conservation Education Division at San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, where he and his staff help popularize conservation success stories by the Institute through local and national education and outreach efforts, as well as international online campaigns. James earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Kansas. He was a Research Fellow of the American Museum of Natural History and then a faculty member at Columbia University for 14 years before his current position at the Institute.

ABOUT THE LECTURERS

1. Online: www.holbrooktravel.com/fbls2. Phone: 800-451-71113. Fax: 352-371-37104. Mail: 3540 NW 13th St., Gainesville, FL 32609

FOUR EASY WAYS TO REGISTER:

Name:___________________________________________ Position: ________________ (as it appears on passport)

School:___________________________________________________________________

Address:______________________________________________ ☐ Home ☐ School

City:______________________________ State:_________ Zip:____________________

Tel. (_____)_________________ Ext._________ Fax (_____)_____________________

Email address: _____________________________________________________________

I would like to pay my $200 deposit per person by:

o Check/money order o Purchase order o Discover

o American Express o Visa o Mastercard o Diner’s Club

Card Number:_____________________________________________ Exp:______ /______

Billing Address______________________________________________________________

City:__________________________________ State:_________ Zip:___________________

Carholder Name: ___________________________________________________________

Signature:__________________________________________________________________

PRICE: $999 PER PERSON FROM MIAMIIncludes round-trip international air travel between Miami and Costa Rica, activities, lodging, and meals. $350 credit if you choose to make your own air arrangements.

BRING A GROUP OF SEVEN STUDENTS INTO THE FIELD WITHIN TWO YEARS OF PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROGRAM AND RECEIVE A $600 CREDIT

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www.holbrooktravel.com/fbls 800-451-7111 travel@holbrooktravel.com

“I am hoping after I take my students on a journey next summer they will start an environmental group that is active and motivated. High school students can learn the statistics in the classroom, but to truly take in the incredible grandeur of the rainforest they need the inspiration of a real field experience. I want them to become determined that this paradise does not disappear.”- K.M., Tennessee Earth Science and Life Science Teacher

“This was a wonderful opportunity to sample activities available for our students in Latin American countries — thank you for making it possible. I felt our guides were sharing parts of themselves. Their love of Costa Rica and pride in its beauty and culture made our visit a rich experience.”- P.J., Virginia High School Science Teacher

“I loved exploring the rainforest and developing an appreciation for this endangered ecosystem. I returned inspired to create a feeling of stewardship in my students. I was truly impressed by your stated goals to become global educators. More specifically about the ideas of understanding and appreciation, and creating individuals to become agents for global change.”- T.K., Private School Science and Math Teacher for 6-8 Graders

WHAT EDUCATORS ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS PROGRAM: