Study USA

Portal, Arizona

Ecology and Evolution of Sky Island Biodiversity

BISC 479 or ENVS 399

• Credit Hours: 3
• Instructor: Dr. Jason Hoeksema, Associate Professor of Biology
• Dates: May 16-28, 2016
• Cost: $1095
• Application deadline: April 5, 2016
  

To Register

Click here to download registration forms.

Students will:

• Travel to the diverse and beautiful “Sky Island” mountains and deserts of southeastern Arizona
• Gain hands-on field study experience with local researchers, potentially examining plants, bats, reptiles, or insects with a special emphasis on birds
• Visit the world-renowned Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
• Explore the Chiricahua Mountains in the vicinity of the American Museum of Natural History’s Southwestern Research Station
• Learn about the representative organisms and natural history of each local habitat

Location:

Students will spend two days in the immediate Tucson, Arizona area before traveling to the American Museum of Natural History’s Southwestern Research Station in the Chiricahua Mountains near Portal, Arizona for the remainder of the course.

Who should go?

This course is for both biology and non-biology majors. Biology students should have completed BISC 160, 161, 162, and 163 before May Intersession, and should register for BISC 479. There are no pre-requisites for non-biology majors, who should sign up for ENVS 399. Student groups who may be particularly interested include Ole Miss Birders, Ole Miss Outdoors, and the Office of Sustainability.

Dates:

The dates are May 16-28, 2016. The entire course will take place in Arizona, where students will study under the guidance of the instructor and local researchers.

Travel:

Students will make their own travel arrangements to and from Tucson, Arizona.  The University will provide group ground transportation from Tucson to the other sites in Arizona and then back to Tucson for departure on May 28.

Costs:

The course fee is $1095 plus tuition. Included in the course fee are all accommodations, ground transportation in Arizona, meals from May 18-28, tours, and admissions. Excluded from the course fee are the Study USA application fee, tuition, meals from May 16-17, airport transportation, airfare, and personal spending money.

*Please verify specific dates with instructor and confirm that the course has adequate enrollment to make before making travel arrangements.
*Itinerary subject to change.