Tentative dates: May 16 - June 18, 2007
(Plus a required 2- hr seminar during Spring
Semester preceding the trip.)
|
|
Click here for an
application form
A few pictures
to wet the appetite
This course will begin with seminars and
presentations during the spring semester. While at Virginia Tech we
begin with a study of the ecoloical issues and indigenous culture of
North America. We will also learn ow to conduct behavioral reearch in
the laboratory and field, and how to conduct animal censuses in the
field. In addition, you will learn photographic techniques to record
your journey and perceptions of the environment.
After we arrive in Cape Town we will begin our studies with a
visit to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. Then we
will explore Stellenbosch, the historic wine growing region. The off to
the Cape of Good Hope to study jackass penguins.
From there we will travel to the arid environs of
the Karoo and then head south to De Hoop to study the intertidal
communities and a new world biome, the fynbos. From there we will go to
Tsitsikamma where we will study sea otters - it is also highly
recommended that you hike the trail that goes across a suspension
bridge and up the mountain for a beautiful view!
At Addo we will study elephants and other large game
animals. At Bloemfontein we will visit a memorial to the women
and children interred during the Boer Wars, and hear presentations
by faculty at the University of the Free State. Before heading to
Golden Gate National Park in the Drakensberg Mountains, we will
visit Kimberly, the site of the largest diamond mines in the world.
From here we will travel to Kwazulu-Natal to learn
about the notorious Shaka and Zulu culture before we traverse
Swaziland and spend our remaining time in the low, mid and high
veldts of Kruger National Park.
In
Kruger we will go on a bushwalk and may participate in a game count
with the South African Department of Conservation. Our studies will
conclude with a visit to Hoedspruitt, a conservation facility working
with cheetahs, wild dogs, and various bird species.
During this
course, participants will see first hand the effect of climate and
elevation on each ecosystem and the unique relationsihops among the
flora and fauna. In addition, students will experience various aspects
of South African culture and view first hand the effects of the
apartheid.
