|
CON 2233 MEXICAN ECOLOGY AND CULTURE
Bruce
G. Stewart |
 |
|
CON 2233 MEXICAN ECOLOGY AND CULTURE
Bruce
G. Stewart |
|
Ready
for the educational experience of a lifetime? Really! Mexican Ecology and Culture
is truly a special course. In addition to stimulating readings and weekly discussions
on diverse topics in ecology and culture, this course includes participation
in a collaborative tropical field zoology course with the Centro
de Investigaciones Biologicas of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de
Morelos and the Red Regional en Recursos Bióticos. We join our Latin
American friends and colleagues in a tropical setting in southern Mexico.
Since 1996 this has been on the beautiful Pacific Coast of the State of
Nayarit in southwestern Mexico, and we will follow this tradition in March 2011. We will also be running a trip for half the students in May 2011 with the exact details and dates to be arranged.
Murray State College is the only USA "Charter Member" of this program, and for the first three years was the only US institution participating! However, students from East Central University in Oklahoma and the University of Oklahoma in Norman have taken the MSC course. In 1998, we were happy to have Dr. Dwight Moore as a visiting faculty member, and he and his students from Emporia State University (Kansas) have joined the program each year since. In 2000, Dr. Dick Durtsche (now at Northern Kentucky University) brought students from the University of Central Oklahoma. In 2002, Dr. Christopher Taylor of Mississippi State University joined us as a visiting faculty member and has since brought his own students each year after. Dr. Mark Pyron of Ball State University joined us by way of the MSU group in 2003. Dr. Tim Patton of Southeastern Oklahoma State University joined for the 2006 program along with four SOSU students. In 2007, one of Dr. Patton's senior wildlife majors joined us as a teaching assistant. From the Latin American side, there are typically students and faculty from up to nine Mexican universities plus a number of students from any of the seven Central American countries. Plans are already underway for a great course in Spring 2011.
| The cultural experiences and the studies in tropical field vertebrate biology are unparalleled. Here is a photograph of most of the 1998 students and faculty (some were wandering somewhere else along the beach!). Upon arrival at our field site, our students (Mexican and U.S.) are joined and then divided into four groups. Each group rotates daily to one of the following field subjects: *birds, *reptiles and amphibians, *mammals, and *freshwater and marine fishes and habitats. At the end of four days, all students have had the opportunity to experience each subject. Amongst the activities are mist-netting for birds, mist-netting for bats, live-trapping for mammals, snorkeling for fish in crystal clear springs, ocean seining, and a host of other field activities. Some years (including 1996, 2009 and 2010) we have had the opportunity to see humpback whales during whale-watching excursions in the Pacific Ocean! See the photograph below that was taken by Stewart during the 2010 trip. |  |
 |
|
|
My good friend and colleague, Dr. Dwight Moore of Emporia State University joined us in 1998 as a Visiting Professor. In 1999, he brought some of his own students to join the program. Dr. Moore students from ESU in 2001 and had nine enrolled for Spring 2007... and similar numbers almost ever year since. We meet in Oklahoma and then caravan down in our respective university vehicles. Here is a picture of this dedicated biologist at our field site on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. Dr. Moore's specialty is mammalogy, but he is an avid birder and well-rounded naturalist, too. Click HERE to see his homepage. |
Dr. Chris Taylor is also a good friend and talented colleague whose speciality is in the general field of ichthyology, particularly fish community ecology. We will meet the Mississippi contingent in Laredo before continuing our trip south. Here is a link to Dr. Tayor's web site at MSU: Homepage of Dr. Christopher Taylor
Please explore my website for more information about our program. I would appreciate any comments you may have about this site. And, I would be happy to answer any questions you might have about our past, present and future activities in global education in Mexico.
Bruce G. Stewart: e-mail bstewart@mscok.edu
