Earn & Learn Options
Every Broadreach program combines your thirst for fun and adventure with tangible skill development, real-world educational opportunities and a genuine commitment to service. We offer an array of certifications and credentials on every trip. It’s what we call “Earn & Learn,” and it’s what you’ll take home as evidence of your many accomplishments.
Costa Rica Sea Turtles offers 3 natural science college credits through Lesley University. Additionally, students earn 25+ hours of documented community service.
ACADEMICS & COLLEGE CREDIT
Course Description
Students are introduced to the fundamentals of sea turtle biology including evolution, anatomy, species identification, life history, reproduction, and nesting behavior. Students learn about research and monitoring techniques that they will partake in during their time at the Sea Turtle Conservancy. Students will be working with the Sea Turtle Conservancy assisting biologists on the longest continuing sea turtle research program in the world by helping to measure turtles counting eggs, marking nests, recording data, conducting track surveys and nest.
Course Objectives
- The main objective of the course is for students to achieve a working knowledge of sea turtle biology and the conservation issues facing turtle populations today.
- Students will be able to identify various types of sea turtles and be able to interpret and understand their behaviors.
- Students will develop an in depth knowledge of local sea turtle populations including lifecycles, feeding, mating and nesting behaviors and migratory patterns.
- Current conservation issues facing these populations, including the role of culture and social issues in developing conservation strategies will be examined.
- Students will develop an understanding of conservation techniques and theories being used to recover depleted sea turtle populations along with a working knowledge of standard monitoring techniques.
- The history of Tortuguero National Park and the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s role in establishing current environmental policies in Tortuguero, in Costa Rica and internationally will be explored.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Through service, we gain a more meaningful connection to the cultures and communities we explore while taking an active role to address important global issues that impact the communities. In Costa Rica we work with the Sea Turtle Conservancy at the John H. Phipps Biological Field Station collecting data for conservation projects on nesting sea turtles Tortuguero. The projects give us the opportunity to use the methods we learned in class to make real life contributions to conservation.
- Patrol the beaches monitoring sea turtle activity
- Collect data on nesting sea turtles
- Work on an environmental project with the local elementary school
What are my next steps?
At a Glance
Earn & Learn More information about credit >
- 3 College Credits
- 25 Community Service Hours
Contact Hours
- 50 Hours
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