Location:

San Jose, Costa Rica

Program Type:

Study Abroad

Degree Level:

Undergraduate

Term:

Winter Semester

Program Overview

Program Description:

This two week course provides students the opportunity to comprehend the relationship between Costa Rica's agricultural development and the sustainability of its tropical ecosystems.

Visits to small and large agricultural production facilities will be interfaced with visits to Costa Rica's natural ecosystems, including the Arenal volcano and Monteverde tropical rainforests. The latter includes an option to view the rainforest from literally a birds eye view via a suspended zip line. Site visits will often be physically demanding.

Three University of Maryland credits.

Setting Description:

Despite its small size, Costa Rica possesses 5 percent of the world’s total biodiversity, in part due to its position as a transition zone between South and North America, and a complex terracing of microclimates created by differences in altitude. With one of the most enlightened and dedicated approaches to conservation in the world, the country has made an impressive effort to preserve its natural resources.