Galapagos Field Course
Spring 2013
Maybe some things you
didn’t know about the
Galapagos
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About 25,000 people live permanently on
the islands.
3 airports (2 serve to the mainland).
Receives > 100,000 visitors each year.
There are medical facilities on the
inhabited islands.
Dr.
Bush’s
experience
• I am a professor in the Biological Sciences
department at Florida Tech specializing in tropical
ecology.
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I have been led more than 30 expeditions to the
tropics since 1983.
I have ongoing research projects on the Galapagos
and have been there as a research scientist 5 times.
I have also led 4 tours to the islands for the Florida
Institute of Technology.
My daughter is at Holy Trinity and it seemed to me
that it would be good to offer a trip for the HTEA
community.
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2013 Galapagos Field Course
Information
Led by Dr. Bush, Mr.
Lovelace and Mrs
Hendren.
• Feb 16th - Feb 24th, 2013:
Fieldwork phase.
• The 8 days of field
experience will be
preceded by course work,
and there will be follow-up
projects.
• We will visit 3 inhabited
islands and have day trips
to 3 uninhabited ones.
Objectives
To use the unique setting of the
Galapagos islands to excite students
about Biology, Climatology, Geology,
Geography, and Environmental
Science.
Major topics
 Geology
 Island
biogeography
 The unique plants
and animals
 Marine and land
ecosystems
 Climate impacts
on populations
 Conservation
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Island-hopping
Cost
$3200 (covers all flights, transportation,
accommodation, meals, park fees, and tips).
• $1500 non-refundable deposit due Sep 15th
(first come, first served).
• Passport information due October 20th, 2012
• Balance due October 30th, 2012
• If 15 students do not sign-up, the trip will
not take place and deposits will be
refunded.
Insurance
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Each student will be required to take out
travel and health insurance (usually about
$20).
Dietary
restrictions
are accommodated,
but you must tell us
what they are in
advance
Who can go?
Anyone who can swim and is able to climb
in and out of a boat.
What we do
Every day will feature hiking and/or swimming.
There will be a lot of educational content…this
is not a vacation!
Where we go
We will fly Orlando - Guayaquil, Ecuador, and
overnight there on the way to and from the
Surf and turf
There will be an
equal emphasis on
terrestrial and
marine systems
Snorkeling (not diving)
You will need a wetsuit, snorkel, mask and
fins…..a 3mm full suit (not hood) is
recommended, but a shorty is OK.
We will see sharks (all harmless white-tips
or small Galapagos sharks), rays, sealions, grouper, snapper, surgeonfish,
damsel fish, butterfly fish, puffers, morays,
green sea-turtle and many invertebrates.
On land we will see:
Giant tortoise, land iguana, marine iguana,
lava lizard, Galapagos mockingbird (2 or 3
species), three species of booby, Galapagos
finches (probably 4-6 species), Galapagos
penguin, Giant Opuntia cactus, and many
other unique plants.
We will visit a giant tortoise breeding facility,
an active volcano, and a range of habitats
from misty uplands to dry deserts and lava
flows.
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Typical Day
Start early!
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Snorkel, hike, boat ride, run for your life,
etc. (with lunch somewhere in there)
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Wake up at about 6.30 AM, breakfast
at 7 AM
Note: We do one 12 mile hike. We
hike in rain, cloud, burning sun,
whatever it throws at us
Dinner/Chatting/Project work/Lecture until
~9 PM or later
Sleep and repeat
Accomodation
We stay in small hotels
(triples and quadruples).
Hotels are basic but clean.
Macaw
Hostal,
Guayaq
uil
Casa de Laura, San Cristobal
Hotel Gran Tortuga,
Isabela
La Peregrina,
Santa Cruz
The march to Serra
Negra
Why would you do this to yourself?
Because you can!!!
Local transportation is colorful.
We will also have two local guides
who are trained and employed by
Galapagos National Park.
Make
new
friends
Galápagos Penguins!
Marine Iguana!
Bring your sense of
ADVENTURE!
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Noteworthy points
We are getting a heavily discounted
group rate:
The cheapest 8-day land-based tours available
to a family are $2900 + airfare, tips, and park
fees, i.e. $4300, we are able to offer a better trip
at a $900 discount.
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Flights from Orlando
Expert-led tour
Integration to classwork
Questions?
Send me an e-mail: mbush@fit.edu