Galápagos Islands

Picture yourself in the tropical paradise that inspired the works of Charles Darwin!

Back for 2009!

We are excited to be offering this program for another year! As this is a very popular program, make sure that you confirm your acceptance quickly and hand in your forms on time!

Course: BIO 2859

Credits: 3

Dates: January 7-16, 2009

(Please note dates indicate departure and return dates to and from New York)

Explore exotic bird habitats, tour lush tropical rainforests, and hike across the terrain of a volcanic island, all while earning 3 credits!

With this program, you will travel to the tropical destination of the Galápagos Islands, on the Equator and in the Pacific, about 600 miles west of the Ecuadorian coast. This is a world-famous International Heritage site, one of the most unique ecologies in the world, featuring young lava-covered islands and some of the world’s most unusual animals. You also will earn three credits and have the experience of your life!

Consider the life-transforming experience of an expedition to a biological treasure. You will follow in the footsteps (and boat wake) of Charles Darwin as you explore the strange and beautiful world of the Galápagos Islands, a thousand kilometers west of the Ecuadorean coast in the tropical Pacific. Led by faculty members from St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Department of Biological Sciences, with experienced professional naturalist guides based in the Galápagos, you will sail, hike, and snorkel through one of the world's most unique and historic ecosystems.

Upon arriving in Ecuador, you will set off to the San Jorge de Milpe Eco-Lodge, located in the Subtropical Rainforest at San Jorge de Milpe Orchid & Bird Reserve. With San Jorge as your base, you will explore the natural wonders of the region, including a guided nature hike through the network of trails in the Cloud Forest and the Conservation at San Jorge de Tandayapa Hummingbird Reserve. Before traveling to the Galapagos, you will enjoy a Sacred Waterfalls and Medicinal Plants tour, visiting 5 sacred waterfalls and learning about 250 indigenous medicinal plants.

Next, you will journey to the famed Galapagos Islands, where you will embark on a 4 day cruise aboard a chartered yacht. Led by a naturalist guide, you will discover the natural wonders of the Galapagos, experiencing the native flora and fauna through hands on activities that are sure to produce vivid lifelong memories.

Tropical Ecology and Evolution is a three-credit course that introduces students to tropical ecology, biodiversity, and evolution. A required journal documents observations from field trips, and notes from seminar sessions.

Accommodations: San Jorge de Milpe Eco-Lodge; chartered yacht

Meals: Two meals per day, seven days per week

Professor: Dr. Christopher Bazinet

Program fee: $3,490

Program fee includes housing, select meals, excursions and round trip airfare. Unless otherwise indicated, program fee does not include tuition.

Special Notes: Biology majors can get credit for this program

While you don't need a visa for your trip, you still have to submit the forms required by our office!

Important Forms
These documents provide us with important information about you, and ensure that if you have any problems while abroad, the Global Studies staff in Europe and in New York will be able to help you right away. For these reasons, deadlines are important. Handing forms in late—or failing to hand in forms—may jeopardize your ability to participate in the program. Make sure to follow all of our deadlines and be on the lookout here and in your e-mail inbox for important reminders and updates.

Orientation Information
The Office of Global Studies holds a number of different orientations to help prepare you for your trip. For faculty-led programs we provide both a general orientation and a site-specific orientation conducted by the faculty leader. Attending these pre-departure orientation is mandatory. We hold in-person and online orientations, allowing you to choose the one that best fits your schedule. We will also be holding an orientation just for parents.

"Worldwide Wednesdays" - Weekly Email
Each week, we publish a newsletter with important upcoming deadlines, advice on visa applications, travel tips, and other helpful information for you. We will send this newsletter out via email, and then post it here. The first week for the newsletter will be at the end of September, and will continue until your program departs. You can download previous weeks' newsletters here.

Additional Resources
We are always coming across useful and informative websites, articles, products, and travel advice. We have compiled some of our favorites here for you to take advantage of. If you know of anything we should add here, please let us know and we will look into it.