Biology 301 International Environmental Issues
Brazilian Pantanal
Spring 2010
Lecture: Thursdays, Room 130 Piez Hall, 7:00-8:30 PM
Dr. Cleane Medeiros, Dept. of Biology, SUNY Oswego and
Dr. Vanda Ferreira, Dept. of Biology, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul,
Campo Grande, Brazil.
Field Instruction will be given at EMBRAPA Pantanal ( Nhumirim Research Farm ) and RPPN Alegria Farm , Brazil from June 1 – 11, 2010 .
Office: 235 Piez Hall and Poucher 110
Phone: 312-2792 and 312-6413
Email: Cleane.Medeiros@oswego.edu
Office hours: by appointment
Invited Guests:
Dr. Jeff Himmelstein, William Paterson University, NJ, USA
Dr. Arlete Ballestrin Outeiral, Herpetologist, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Miss Liliana Piatti, MSc , Herpetologist, UFMS, Brazil
Recommended Readings
Please consider beginning your readings using the material below.
The Pantanal, Understanding and Preserving the World’s Largest Wetland
(2000), edited by Frederick Swarts. This book will give you an opportunity to access papers from the World Conference on Preservation and Sustainable
Development in the Pantanal. I bought my copy from amazon.com for $16.96 plus tax.
Brazilian Experiences in Sustainable Reserves (2007), by Cristina Inoue and
Guilherme Lima. This report was produced by the British Council and
Conservation International and can be obtained through the www.conservation.org.br
free of charge as a download PDF file. Go to publicacoes at the bottom of the page, documentos tecnicos, and the Portuguese title is Reservas Sustentaveis: reflexoes sobre a experiencia brasileira. This report is written in both, Portuguese and English.
Several papers will be studied during the duration of our classes and they will be available on angel.
Purpose
This course was design to give science & non-science majors the opportunity to study several aspects of the largest wetland on earth and be part of research projects involving conservation of the Brazilian Pantanal. You will have the unique opportunity to interact with Brazilian students and researchers and work together on a beautiful research station at Southern of the Pantanal. We will stay at the at

the Nhumirim Research Farm and RPPN Alegria Farm during our field work. You will broaden your knowledge of:

environmental science
—including biology, geology, geography, chemistry,
& earth sciences;

environmental issues
–with an emphasis on the Brazilian Pantanal;

the complexity and relevance of environmental issues
 Brazilian efforts to develop and conserve regions considered “hot spots”

working with data obtained daily and make attempts to present them.
This course includes the following components:

On campus 7 weeks classes from March 25 to May 6th designed to provide you with information and ideas pertinent to the various aspects of the environmental issues that face the Brazilian Pantanal
—and how these issues reflect and juxtapose environmental issues in other parts of our planet.

A unique field trip to the Brazilian Pantanal , including experiences in: o the city of Campo Grande, the capital of the Brazilian State of Mato
Grosso do Sul, o Interact with Brazilian undergraduate and graduate students and scientists, o an opportunity to be part of a research project developed by the
Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul in Southern of Brazilian
Pantanal.
Goals
Students who successfully complete this class will have:

manifest and in-depth knowledge regarding global environmental issues in general with a focus on the specific and unique environmental issues that face the Brazilian Pantanal & how these distinctively issues reflect and parallel environmental issues around the globe.

a better knowledge and appreciation of the diversity of human cultures and exposure to the attitudes and beliefs of a distinctively different culture than their own, and

a broad understanding of the complexity that is associated with environmental issues and how these issues intersect in an interdisciplinary manners (e.g. politics, ethics & morality, religion & cultural practices, economics, sociology, psychology, etc.)
Course Meetings
March 25 th – May 6 th , 2010
– lectures on campus
Scheduled Time: Thursdays 7:00
– 8:30 PM
Place: Piez 130
June 1-11, 2010
– field trip – Brazilian Pantanal
Time:
Place:
24 hours/day
Brazilian Pantanal
Seminars
The classroom component of this course will be presented as:
1. Lectures by the instructor about Brazilian culture, geography, history, and language.
2. Introduction about the Brazilian Pantanal in preparation for the field trip.

3. Roundtable discussions and presentation lead by the students of previously released topics.
Additional presentations, laboratory work and discussions will take place at the research station and will be made by the students and instructors.
Reading Assignments
Reading assignments will be focused on the course textbook and books/articles suggested by the instructor.
Class Attendance
Come to class. Participate. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to obtain the notes from someone in class. I will use a lot of figures, information translated from Brazilian books only published in Portuguese, my own material obtained in my summer trip to the Pantanal. Come to learn about the Brazilian Pantanal and get prepared to contribute to the conservation of Pantanal.
Engaging with Brazilian Biology Students and Researchers from Brazil and
USA
Arriving in Brazil we will join a senior class of 7 Biology students from the Federal
University of Mato Grosso do Sul. Our host, Prof. Vanda Ferreira is an expert in amphibians and reptiles of Pantanal and has 12 years of significant work there.
Grading
Your final semester grade is based on the following:

Seminar Presentation 30%

Written Paper

Field Trip Participation
35%
35%
Seminar Presentation (30%): Each student will make a ppt presentation of a topic in consultation with the instructor.

Seminars presented are expected to engage the class in discussion.

Seminar should be organized to last for 20-25 minutes and have 10-15 minutes of discussion.

Presenters will share your ppt slides with class prior to your presentation.

The instructor will make available to all students the topics to be presented by each student, so you can search it and come prepared for class discussion.

A copy of your written research paper will also be provided to each student as part of their materials for this presentation and for this course.

Each student is expected to orally participate in each class. Students will be assessed in each class for this attribute.
Written Paper (35%): Topics will be written into a paper format. Final papers will be due on our last class meeting on May 6, 2010.

All papers will follow the following format:
Title Page: Papers will have a title page with your name, the course name
& number, your credentials.
Table of Contents: Each paper will have a table of contents, largely based on the headers and sub-headers you use to organize your presentation and information.
References: Papers should be liberally referenced. Use books and scientific articles, reviews. Consider using at least 10 sources of references and cite them using standard APA format.
Paper Length:
Graphics: enrich your work.
Papers should be 8-10 typed pages, standard.
Use graphics such as tables, figures, maps, pictures, etc. to
Obtaining information: You can consult Mary Bennett, our science
Librarian ( bennettm@oswego.edu
) or I can guide you to access the information you need.
To write a successful research paper, you must engage in a process. The following is a suggested process for you to follow.

Reading —allow yourself the time to read the materials you acquire.

Thinking —think about how you want to organize & present your topic.

First Draft —prepare a first draft of your presentation.

Revision and editing (2 nd draft) —once completed, revise and edit your paper.

Get peer review —once your revised draft is complete, ask someone who you think is capable of critical evaluation to read and critique your paper.

Revise again (3 rd draft) —once you receive this input, integrate your reviewers comments into your paper.

Consult Writing Center at Poucher
Field Trip Participation (35%): Each student is expected to participate in all field trips, day trips and other planned activities of this class and will evaluated according to your participation . Requirements & activities for “field trip participation” will be further clarified in class.
Each student will keep a field notebook of their experiences and scientific collections, data & observations during the field component of this class.
Instruction on how a field notebook should be kept will be given in class.
Your final letter grade will be based on the percentage of points derived from the following scale:
A: 90-100%
B: 80-89%
C: 70-79%
D: 60-69%
E: 0-59 %
Lastly, but not at least, come with open mind to learn, contribute, participate, discuss and to make your trip an awesome experience! Do not forget, have fun!
________________________________________________________________

Biology 301 Special Topics in Biology
Brazilian Pantanal
Spring 2010
Room 2130 Piez Hall Thursdays 7:00-8:30 PM
Readings from The Pantanal, edited by Frederick A. Swarts, 2000
Brazilian Experiences in Sustainable Reserves, free report by Conservation
International and British Council in Brazil.
Date Topics
March 25 Course overview – trip planning, activities planned in Campo Grande and at the field station.
Passports and visas
Health Issues (yellow fever shots, antimalaria tablets, Hep A, etc)
April 1
Seminar assignments: Topics
1. Biofuels in Brazil and its consequences for the Pantanal
2. Threats to the Pantanal
3. Amphibians and Reptiles in the Pantanal
4. Giant anteater in South America
6. Tapir Conservation
7. Blue hyacinth macaw in the Pantanal
An overview of Brazil. Geography and History
April 8
April 15
April 22
What did we learn from the Everglades and other systems?
Round table discussion lead by 1 and 2
Round table discussion lead by 3 and 4
April 29 Round table discussion lead by 5 and 6
May 6 Round table discussion lead by 7
Final remarks!
Yellow fever shots