The University of Georgia Costa Rica 2014-2015 Sustainability Report UGA Costa Rica 2014 - 2015 Sustainability Report | Page 30

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UGA Costa Rica has hosted up
to 61 different groups from the
around the world.

A wide variety of disciplines are
represented in UGA programs,
and while not all courses offered
are centered on sustainability,
all integrate Costa Rican ecology
and culture into the curriculum
through experiential education
activities. Programs combine
both theoretical knowledge
and applied fieldwork, which is
custom tailored for each course.
For example, as part of an Ecology
course led by Dr. Quint Newcomer,
Kyushu University students used
the WorldWatch Institute’s 2013
State of the World Report to
study sustainability challenges
facing the world, discussed the
perception of these issues in
Japan, and addressed alternatives
for handling environmental
and social problems. As part
of an Anthropology course,
UGA professor Pete Brosius led
students on a 30-day exploration
of the impacts of development
on coastal communities on the
Pacific side of Costa Rica. In UGA
Costa Rica’s longest running
program, Tropical Ecology,
students study biotic features
across the Costa Rican landscape,
with a final course symposium
showcasing their research. In the
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University of Georgia Costa Rica

Spatial Analysis for Integrative
Natural Resource Problem
Solving course, offered by the
Warnell School of Forestry and
Natural Resources, students use
Geographic Information Systems
(GIS) to study natural resources
in Costa Rica, with each student
executing a personal research
project. Examples of such research
projects include the impact of
wind exposure on leaf cutter ant
colonies and the relationship
between vegetation richness
and life zone placement. Overall,
students enroll in a variety of
courses, ranging from outdoor
recreation to political ecology.
A critical aspe