Uni students have a chance to help out the environment when they travel to Costa Rica this summer thanks to a trip organized by biology teacher David Stone and the EcoTeach Foundation

By Deren Kudeki
Gargoyle staff reporter
Posted Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2007, The OG, news

GREECE, JAPAN, ITALY, France, Germany — these are some of the countries Uni students have visited on school-sponsored trips in recent years.

Now you can add Costa Rica to the list of summer destinations.

Biology teacher David Stone will hold an informational meeting about the proposed trip 6 p.m. Wednesday at Uni High for students and parents. The meeting will be held in either Room 301 or one of the multimedia rooms; participants will be informed of the final location when they arrive at the school.

The trip, scheduled for June 17-27, will cost $2,315 per student. So far about 33 students have expressed interest, but Stone is only planning to bring between 12 and 20 students.

Priority for acceptance will be given to past field biology students, followed in priority by seniors through subbies. All of the field bio students who expressed interest have made it in, and spots remain for students not in field bio.

Students will take off from O'Hare Airport and spend their first night in Costa Rica's Central Valley, where they will meet their guides and get adjusted to their surroundings.

They will spend the next three nights involved in turtle projects, patrolling the beaches in search of nesting sea turtles and hatchlings. During the day students will explore local canals and hike in a rain forest, among other activities.

The group will then travel to the Arenal Volcano, which erupts several times a day. The students will spend two days in Fortuna, at the base of the volcano. Activities will include hiking to a waterfall and visiting an organic farm.

The group's remaining itinerary includes a day at a reforestation project near the community of Pital, a one-night homestay with local families, two days on the Pacific Coast swimming and snorkeling, and one day back in the Central Valley before returning to O'Hare.

So how did this trip come about? According to Stone, a representative from the EcoTeach Foundation who was visiting Champaign approached him about the possibility.

The EcoTeach Foundation runs trips to Costa Rica, and Stone says the representative may have discussed the topic with other biology teachers in Champaign as well.

Stone, who had already been interested in planning a summer trip, wanted it to be “something which involved something big and other environments.” He felt the Costa Rican expedition offered students many opportunities for hands-on learning.

Based on the enthusiastic response he's received, many students would seem to agree.

“The Costa Rica trip is especially great for those thinking about majoring in biology,” said sophomore Isaac Chambers. “And even if you aren't thinking about majoring in biology, I'm sure the trip will offer experiences that last a lifetime.”

Besides Costa Rica, Uni students will travel to Italy, France, and Japan on school-sponsored trips this summer.

RELATED

— Uni High: About the trip



— EcoTeach Foundation: About the organization