Presentation #1: During my Winter term Sabbatical, I lived in Costa Rica for 12 weeks. I enrolled in an intensive Spanish class for the first 2 weeks, and then pursued 2 major volunteer projects. The first project was with an organization which provided environmental education, technology and English training to local school children. My responsibilities included helping to develop biology/ ecology materials for the students, and designing and planting an interpretive native plant garden to help students and visiting ecotourists learn more about the ecology, natural history and conservation of the area. During my stay with this organization, I had the opportunity to visit many reserves and parks where I could study and learn about the biology of this region of Costa Rica (tropical rainforest). My second project was with an organization that was developing a long nature/ hiking trail through Northwestern Costa Rica (similar to the Pacific Crest Trail). My duties included researching and developing interpretive materials and signs for the trail. I again had the opportunity to hike and explore an entirely different ecosystem (higher elevation montaine cloudforests of Monteverde) to learn about the natural history of the area. This part of the Sabbatical provided me with an ongoing love of learning the Spanish language, a huge body of information about tropical ecology to enhance my classes, and a great appreciation for a warm, friendly culture and beautiful country.

 

Presentation #2:During my Spring term Sabbatical, I work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. I received training in the visual and auditory identification of bird species, including the techniques for using mist nets to trap, collect data on, and band migrating and local birds. I then applied my training to several projects involved in the research and monitoring of local bird populations, as part of ongoing studies to develop and apply conservation and management strategies. These projects consisted of visual and auditory surveys and mist netting birds throughout various locations and habitats in Lane County. I come away from these projects with a much greater knowledge of avian biology, an enhanced ability to identify birds, and an understanding and appreciation for the many conservation and management projects going on in this area.