Students to view flora, fauna while traveling to learn
by Diana De Leon
managing editor

   Adventure and learning while traveling in Alaska for 14 days or a tropical rainforest for 12 days are possible through the NW Campus Eco-Geological experience and the Eco-Linguistic experience.
   Both trips offer students class credit for traveling through some beautiful and exciting places.
   “It’s a learning experience,” Jan Mercer, professor emeritus, said. “You will see things you have never seen before.”
   Alaska  
   Mercer, along with Ken Griffin, professor of biology and physical science will head up the Alaska trip.
   The Alaska itinerary starts students in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where they spend one day and night, and also includes a trip to Stanley Park.
   “I want the students to see the white beluga whales at Stanley Park,” Mercer said.
   In the afternoon students will board the Sun Princess to begin their Alaskan adventure. The day will be spent cruising the Inside Passage.
   “It’s like a floating classroom,” Griffin said. “We can enjoy the great environmental benefits.”
   Griffin described the time spent on the ship as a chance to get to know the students and get into activities.
   “It gets prettier every day,” Mercer said of the scenery along the cruise route. “It’s exhilarating.”
   Stops at Juneau and Ketchikan, the tribal home of the Tlingit Indians who are known for their colorful totem poles, are included in the itinerary.
   The ship cruises through Glacier National Park and College Fjords, with more than a dozen glaciers named after Ivy League colleges.
   The itinerary includes a scenic motor coach ride to Anchorage, a riverboat cruise and a rail journey to Denali National Park.
   “It’s an awesome experience,” Griffin said. “I enjoy traveling, but I do this for the students.”
   Students must keep a journal and attend lectures on what they are seeing. Classes before the trip will prepare students for the BIOL 2603 and GEOL 1305 aspects.
   Everything on board the Sun Princess is included in the price of the trip, but not all meals are included on land.
   “It’s a busman’s holiday,” Griffin said, “an old expression that means it’s an opportunity.”
   Anyone can sign up for both trips, but Mercer feels credit students will get more out of the trips.
   The Alaska trip starts on June 26 with return scheduled for July 9 while the Costa Rica and Panama trip runs May 11-22.
   Costa Rica
   The Costa Rica trip starts in San Jose, where students will tour the Café Britt coffee plantation.
   The Selva Verde Lodge in a tropical rainforest is the next stop on this trip.
   “You will know what it feels like to be wet,” Mercer said about spending the night in a rainforest. “Hearing the rainfall in a jungle, it’s neat.”
   Mercer and Paul Sexton, associate professor of Spanish, will lead this trip, which also offers students credit in BIOL 2603 and SPAN 1100a, b and d.
   The itinerary includes the cities of Bocas Del Toro and Boquete, Panama, as well as ferry and bus rides.
   Mercer said the food is great and the people are wonderful in these Latin countries.
   The scenery and the flowers as well as the local wildlife are colorful and beautiful, Mercer said.
   Students will spend a day and night at the Las Cruces Biological Station, which is owned and operated by an organization of 50 universities and research institutions.
   Finances, Deadlines
   The deadline for both trips is March 15, and students must pay a deposit at sign-up.
   The Costa Rica trip deposit is $200 with the total cost of $2,447 including everything except a $25 airport tax.
   Students can receive three hours credit for beginning Spanish conversation in oral expression, listening comprehension and vocabulary building as well as three hours of environmental biology.
   Students will have required assignments, such as a journal kept during the trip and attendance at lectures onboard ship.
   Students must attend some class time before departing on their chosen trips. And they will complete a final exam upon return.
   The Alaskan trip requires a $350 deposit. The total cost is $3,725 per person double occupancy and $3,425 per person triple occupancy. Students will be responsible for some meals.
   Deposits are due at sign-up, and payments can be arranged. For more information, call Mercer at 817-284-1818, Griffin at 817-515-7284 or Sexton at 817-515-7210.