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Reprinted from: Green Bay Press-Gazette
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/

January 28, 2005

School Zone:
Trip to Costa Rica gives students hands-on experience

By Cynthia Hodnett
chodnett@greenbaypressgazette.com

For a dozen University of Wisconsin-Green Bay students, a recent trip to a Costa Rica national park provided not only a brief escape from Wisconsin's brutal winter but also a chance to learn about the land.

The two-week trip was part of a class assignment that examines global issues involving public policy and environmental affairs.

Students worked alongside park employees, helping with construction and trail maintenance, said Troy Abel, assistant professor of public and environmental affairs at UWGB.

They also collected water samples and photographed mammals and birds living in the rain forest, such as scarlet macaws and toucans.

"It was interesting to see the lack of funding that their national parks get and the small budget they have to work with," said Kim Biedermann, a senior who's been on the trip three times now. "They do have struggles with managing the park because they don't have the funding. That's stuff you don't learn in class and that adds on to the experience."

Highlights from the trip included studying exotic species and the chance to learn about a place different from their own.

"It was nice that we got to stay in the same place as the staff and be in the same area," said Grant Johnson, a second-year graduate student studying environmental science and policy. "There wasn't any warm water, only cold water. The first shower I took, I turned around and there were two tree frogs right there."

Students documented these and other experiences in written and photo journals. They will use what they've learned to create proposals that examine maintenance and conservation efforts at other national parks.

Besides helping in the park, the UWGB students donated school supplies and nearly $700 from a fund-raising project to support science-related opportunities for Costa Rican grade-school children.

"In addition to the financial resources, we provided a chalkboard, donated a map of Central America from our department," Abel said. "We don't just talk about how we can rake trails today or about construction. We talk about paying dividends way beyond helping out in the park."