Community Engagement – School for Field Studies https://fieldstudies.org Fri, 08 Mar 2024 06:40:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 https://fieldstudies.org/wp-content/uploads/cropped-school-for-field-studies-1-jpg-32x32.webp Community Engagement – School for Field Studies https://fieldstudies.org 32 32 Bhutan Honored with the Murie Spirit of Conservation Award https://fieldstudies.org/blog/bhutan-honored-with-the-murie-spirit-of-conservation-award/ Fri, 03 Nov 2023 14:36:55 +0000 https://sfs.local/bhutan-honored-with-the-murie-spirit-of-conservation-award/ In a remarkable moment of global recognition, the Kingdom of Bhutan was honored with the prestigious Murie Spirit of Conservation Award. Named in memory of the influential figures in American conservation, Olaus and Margaret “Mardy” Murie, and Adolph and Louis Murie, this annual award celebrates individuals and nations that exhibit an exceptional commitment to preserving wildlife and safeguarding natural landscapes. The four Muries are renowned for their pivotal roles in historic U.S. wildlife conservation efforts.


Her Majesty Queen Mother Tseyring Pem Wangchuck delivers her remarks at the awards ceremony

This year, the award was presented to Her Majesty Queen Mother Tseyring Pem Wangchuck on behalf of the Kingdom of Bhutan. In addition to this remarkable accolade, Her Majesty was also bestowed with the Champion of Rising Leaders Award, a testament to her outstanding efforts in inspiring and nurturing the next generation of environmental leaders.

The highlight of the evening was Her Majesty’s insightful remarks at the award ceremony.

After the award presentation, Dr. Nawang Norbu, the Center Director of the SFS Bhutan Center for Climate and Sustainable Futures, participated in a compelling panel discussion, sharing the stage with fellow Bhutanese environmental leaders. The panel was expertly moderated by M. Margaret McKeown, a Senior United States Circuit Judge from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Dr. Norbu’s participation was a testament to his expertise and commitment to Bhutan’s agri-food and energy sector, climate justice, and his passionate belief in the importance of every citizen becoming a conservationist to ensure a sustainable future.

The recognition and honor bestowed upon Bhutan and its leaders in the realm of conservation serve as a source of inspiration for all of us. It is a reminder that collective efforts to protect our environment and inspire the next generation of environmental stewards can lead to a brighter, more sustainable future.


Dr. Nawang Norbu (in the middle) engages in a discussion panel with fellow Bhutanese environmental leaders and justice McKeown

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Curious about the SFS Bhutan Center? Click here to read about why we’re based there, our environmental research focus, how we support the local community, and even take a virtual tour of the Center.

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Alumni Return to Kenya for Human-Wildlife Conflict Project https://fieldstudies.org/blog/alumni-return-to-kenya-for-human-wildlife-conflict-project/ Tue, 18 Jul 2023 15:31:58 +0000 https://sfs.local/alumni-return-to-kenya-for-human-wildlife-conflict-project/ Hello! We are Elspeth Collard and Joy Oakes, alumni of the Fall 2021 SFS Kenya program. We were awarded a grant through Davis Projects for Peace to implement a project mitigating human-wildlife conflict using the experience and knowledge we gained while we were abroad. In collaboration with the Born Free Foundation’s Amboseli Team, we’ve installed 178 flashing, solar-powered predator deterrent lights at 19 homesteads (bomas) in a village bordering Amboseli National Park.


Joy installing a light on a boma in Olgulului GR. Photo credit: Elspeth Collard

Our motivation for this project comes from the impactful experiences we had while studying abroad with the SFS Kenya program. During our study abroad we learned about the issue of human-wildlife conflict (HWC) from a scientific, ecological perspective as well as from a local, human perspective. As we interviewed local people, we heard repeatedly about how detrimental this issue was to Maasai pastoralist livelihoods. This was the primary inspiration for our project: implementing a solution that would contribute to the need for coexistence.

Olgulului Group Ranch, the setting of our project, is a rural area in the Amboseli Ecosystem that borders the unfenced Amboseli National Park. The park’s proximity to local Maasai communities creates conflict with wildlife as they disperse from the park. Maasai bomas (compounds that contain both resident shelters and livestock pens) are frequently attacked by predators (e.g. hyenas and lions), usually at night, to prey on the livestock held inside. A week before our project began, 10 lions that had ventured out of Amboseli National Park and preyed on the livestock of multiple local homesteads were killed by local pastoralists in the span of a week (Africa News, 2023; Big Life, 2023). This incident is indicative of the continually mounting tensions between humans and wildlife in the area. Current compensation programs for HWC-related damages and boma fencing programs, while beneficial in addressing HWC, are costly.

This project was designed as a pilot study to determine the effectiveness of a low-cost strategy, predator-deterrent lights, in preventing predator attacks on Maasai bomas in Olgulului Group Ranch (in conjunction with well-maintained natural fencing). The PDLs will be studied over an extended period of time and if they are found to be effective, we have provided further information to community members and local organizations, making it possible to expand the installation of PDLs and protect more bomas from predator attacks.

The idea of installing solar-powered, flashing lights to mitigate predator attacks began in 2014 with a then 11-year-old Maasai boy, Richard Turere. Predator deterrent lights (PDLs) have now been installed across Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia. As the lights have gained popularity, they have been continually enhanced and studied. A 5-month study of the lights in Kimana and Olgulului Group Ranches found that there was a significantly lower number of predator attacks and livestock deaths for bomas that had PDLs in comparison to prior to light installment and control bomas, respectively (Okema, 2018).


Close-up of installed PDL, designed and manufactured by Coexistech Ltd. Photo credit: Elspeth Collard

For this project we collaborated with the local Amboseli branch of the nongovernmental organization, Born Free, which specializes in human-wildlife conflict mitigation. We first engaged with them while studying abroad with SFS in 2021. Based on their familiarity with predation incidence and mitigation strategies in Amboseli, Born Free helped us in selecting a village that had not benefited from other human-wildlife conflict mitigation strategies, such as a compensation program or reinforced fencing, but borders the unfenced Amboseli National Park and experiences high levels of predation. In collaboration with Born Free’s Amboseli Community Engagement Officer, Stephen Melubo, we held a community meeting in the selected village to communicate the goals of the project, introduce the lights and how they function, and facilitate the selection of which homesteads would receive lights. During this meeting, the community discussed which homesteads had the highest incidences of predation and decided which ones would have lights installed. These decisions were also cross referenced with Born Free’s predator attack incidence data for homesteads in the area.

Then, over the course of three days, we installed 178 lights at 19 homesteads. A questionnaire was administered at each participating homestead as well as control bomas (that did not have lights installed) to collect data related to the homestead’s demographics, location, socioeconomic status, and predation incidence. When asked about the status of their living conditions, 100% of respondents reported worsened living conditions, with 100% pointing to livestock loss as a cause of the decrease in living conditions and 77% also selecting wildlife conflict as a cause. 92% of respondents reported their number of livestock decreasing in the last year.


Boma owner with PDL. Photo credit: Elspeth Collard

After installation, there are plans for a wrap-up community meeting to provide further PDL training and to get feedback about the project from the community. At this meeting, energy-saving stoves and plaques with Born Free’s contact information were also given to each participating homestead (including controls).

All participating homesteads (including controls) will have a follow up questionnaire conducted by a Born Free representative every 6 months for 3 years (June 2023 – 2026) to assess the effectiveness and impact of the lights. Born Free has expressed interest expand the PDL program if the lights prove to be effective in Amboseli.
 
Contact

Elspeth Collard elspethcollard@gmail.com
Joy Oakes joakes@zagmail.gonzaga.edu

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Traveling Responsibly in Cambodia: Tourism, Colonialism, and Justice https://fieldstudies.org/blog/traveling-responsibly-in-cambodia-tourism-colonialism-and-justice/ Thu, 10 Nov 2022 20:58:18 +0000 https://sfs.local/traveling-responsibly-in-cambodia-tourism-colonialism-and-justice/
(Student, Zoe Friese, visiting Ta Prohm temple, an ancient Buddhist monastery and popular stop for international visitors. Photo credit: Peaches, Ministry of Tourism guide).

Choose the places you stay and travel to carefully, keeping in mind ways to direct money towards local people…

During our semester at SFS Cambodia, my classmates and I have learned about the impact of tourism on the country’s economy, livelihoods, and environment. With over six million international tourists visiting Cambodia in 2019, one can easily imagine how tourists shape the daily lives and opportunities of local people, particularly in our host city, Siem Reap. As the tourism center of Cambodia, Siem Reap boasts convenient access to the Angkor temples—an iconic symbol of Cambodian nationality and a primary attraction of foreign visitors—just a 15-minute tuktuk ride away. In this city, we can see the role of tourist dollars, and the sudden changes brought by the Covid-19 pandemic, up close.

Yet, we must also analyze how tourism, in addition to an important source of income, can be problematic in its both ecological and cultural impacts. Firstly, masses of tourists have brought sudden, intense pressure on local resources and waste management systems, sometimes causing acute ecological damage and increasing demand for logging and land clearing (Gaughen et. al., 2008). Heavily trafficked sites like Phnom Kulen, according to local interviews, primarily blame tourists for the unmanageable buildup of plastic waste. From a cultural lens, tourist guidebooks will simplify Cambodia’s complex society and history into narrow, marketable labels like “authentic,” “affordable,” and “tragic,” appealing to Western fantasies of exotic discovery rooted in colonialism (Tegelberg, 2010). Further, an emphasis on the glory of the ancient Angkor temples, with minimal regard for current Khmer cultural practices, suggests that modern Cambodians have somehow lost their previously high culture—a harmful narrative sparked by the French protectorate (Tegelberg, 2010). Even the economic benefit of tourism, which made up 10 percent of GDP growth in 2019, is shared too little with ordinary Cambodians (Komar, 2021). For every tourism dollar spent, locals only receive 20 cents of revenue, most funds are hoarded by airlines, large-scale resorts and hotels, and tour companies (Tegelberg, 2010).

The destructive nature of tourism follows neocolonial trends seen in many other industries, where non-Western countries remain in an economically and politically subservient position to the West, having little choice but to participate in disadvantageous trade relationships and sacrifice natural resources for little material benefit. These relationships mimic the role of colonies in Western empires, producing cheap raw materials with low-paid or slave labor to enrich manufacturing centers of the West. Is tourism yet another commodity that wealthy colonial powers extract from places like Cambodia, underpaying local people for a product’s value and perpetuating their low position in the global pecking order?

Many have tried to address this inherently problematic reality with strategies like ecotourism, emphasizing socially responsible, sustainable strategies for engaging tourists with nature and conservation. Community-based ecotourism (CBET) sites are also growing in numbers, with over 56 projects throughout Cambodia today (Komar, 2021). CBET aims to directly involve local stakeholders in projects, rather than merely NGOs and expatriates, and empower these stakeholders with decision-making and leadership roles. However, after visiting numerous ecotourism and CBET sites in Northern and Eastern Cambodia, we have found very few to be both economically viable and socially just. The limited flow of visitors post-pandemic has caused several sites to make virtually no income in the last two years. Other projects have land conflicts with local communities, who often feel robbed of the occupied land or unsatisfied with the benefits of ecotourism schemes. Even the concept of CBET is inherently flawed, as it presumes that locals must rely on NGO presence and expertise to be “empowered” into leadership, rather than being capable of organizing on their own. In short, ecotourism and CBET are far from perfect solutions to the problem.


(Rice fields and surrounding landscape at Koh Pdao village, a community-based ecotourism site in Kratié Province. Photo Credit: Zoe Friese).

So, what is the solution then? If we knew, I wouldn’t be writing this blog post, and Cambodian tourism would be a much more just, equitable industry. There is no easy way to rid tourism of its colonial entanglements. This reality complicates a tourist’s ability to travel responsibly—is the most responsible thing to simply stay at home? Surely, this cannot be the case.

I believe that as individuals, we can take steps to ensure that we avoid the trap of colonial fantasies and resource exploitation while abroad. First, honestly assess your reasons for traveling abroad. Are you ready to meaningfully engage in a cultural exchange with local people, learning about nuanced histories and difficult political problems? Think about your previously held assumptions of Cambodia and what may have influenced those assumptions — what attracts you there, and why? In addition, choose the places you stay and travel to carefully, keeping in mind ways to direct money towards local people instead of multinational corporations. Finally, monitor your environmental footprint, and reduce waste where you can. When done right, tourism can expand our worldviews, facilitate cross-cultural understandings, and inspire meaningful change. But it requires moving beyond your typical guidebooks and tourist attractions towards critical thinking, openminded discourse, and awareness of your role in communities.

 

References

Gaughan, A. E., Binford, M.W., & Southworth, J. (2008). Tourism, forest conversion, and land transformations in the Angkor basin, Cambodia. Applied Geography, 29(2), 212- 223.

Komar, K., Pichdara, L., & Sodavy, N. (2021, September). Natural Resource Governance: Challenges and Potentials of Community-Based Ecotourism in Livelihood Improvement: A Case Study of Preah Nimith CBET, Cambodia. Cambodia Development Resource Institute.

Tegelberg, M. (2010). Hidden sights: Tourism, representation and Lonely Planet Cambodia. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 13, 491-509.

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Want to read more about our SFS Cambodia Center? Click here to learn why we’re based there, our environmental research focus, how we connect and support the local community.

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The Story Behind Our TCI Murals https://fieldstudies.org/blog/the-story-behind-our-tci-murals/ Wed, 16 Feb 2022 15:19:26 +0000 https://sfs.local/the-story-behind-our-tci-murals/ Visitors to our Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) Center for Marine Resource Studies have long enjoyed its many vibrant murals, but alums will tell you that there is more to them than meets the eye! Students of SFS’ TCI programs raise funds for schoolbooks and supplies for the local South Caicos community in exchange for wall space for their contribution to the Center’s growing collection of murals.
 

The most recent addition to TCI’s murals, created by the Winter 2022 cohort.
 

In recent months, these murals and students’ efforts have been more important than ever. Since welcoming students back to TCI six months ago for the first time since Covid, contact with local schools has had to remain limited for the safety of the local community. But this has done little to dampen SFS students’ impact! Their connection to the community remains as strong as ever. These murals have raised nearly $6,000 in the past six months, providing for multi-lingual books to the Calgary Baptist School, musical instruments to the Iris Stubbs Elementary School, much needed repairs to the South Caicos children’s playground (materials are on their way to South Caicos, thanks also to the support of Sailrock Resort), and textbooks for Marjorie Basden High School students. Alumni have pitched in too, donating a box of soccer cleats and field equipment that was delivered earlier this week.
 

TCI Health and Wellness Manager Sarah Meyers with donations to the community.
 

A huge thank you from SFS to all those who raised funds, shipped boxes, and rallied their home communities to support their South Caicos community. We may be wearing masks and social distancing, but SFS student impact is as strong as ever!
 

The Fall 2021 cohort’s mural.
 


The Summer 2021 cohort’s mural.
 

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Curious to learn a bit more about the SFS Turks and Caicos Islands Center? Click here to read about why we’re based there, our environmental research focus, how we connect and support the local community, and even take a tour of the Center.

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Trees of Peace https://fieldstudies.org/blog/trees-of-peace/ Wed, 01 Dec 2021 21:07:51 +0000 https://sfs.local/trees-of-peace/

Atomic bomb-surviving trees, Hibaku-jumoku, will grow in Costa Rica as a symbol of peace.

 
On August 6, 1945, the Japanese city of Hiroshima became the first city to be destroyed by an atomic bombing. This was the prelude to the end of the Second World War, one of the most cruel and violent episodes in the history of humankind. Three days later, the second atomic bombing took place in the city of Nagasaki. Approximately 250,000 people died as a direct cause of the explosions. The consequences of radiation exposure caused the slow and painful deaths of many more. From that moment to date, humanity lives under the shadow of the bomb and the risk of total self-destruction.

Much has been written to justify the decision to carry out the first atomic bombing in history, the first event of the use of weapons of mass destruction on a large scale. It is likely that an invasion of the Japanese islands would have had a greater cost in loss of life. It is very difficult to justify these decisions. War, per se, is impossible to justify. We must learn from these painful lessons and avoid repeating the mistakes of the past and to build a culture of peace.

Peace is not only the absence of an armed conflict. The meaning of this term, in my opinion, goes hand in hand with the concept of justice, which makes it a very controversial argument. A peaceful society is a just society, and in a just society all people have the right to pursue happiness. To achieve this, it is necessary not only to satisfy the basic material needs, but also the spiritual ones. From this point of view, a just society provides many goods and services to its inhabitants, including health, a clean, healthy, and ecologically balanced physical space, and opportunities for education and personal fulfillment. Hence, the concept of justice encompasses many other concepts, such as environmental, social, intergenerational, and ecological justice.

A peaceful society is pluralistic and egalitarian. There are no distinctions by concept of religious beliefs, sexual orientation, gender, age, race, and social condition. A just society is honest. Corruption itself is a devious form of violence, normalizing cheaters and ensuring that they are the ones who get the most benefit by stealing resources from the weakest.

The Green Legacy Hiroshima Foundation (https://glh.unitar.org/ ) was established in 2011 to propagate the seeds of the trees that survived the atomic bomb, which are called Hibaku-jumoku. These trees gave Japanese cities, destroyed by atomic bombing, the hope to regenerate and recover. The Foundation propagates these trees in regions that have experienced natural disasters, violence, or are under threat from weapons of mass destruction. With the proliferation of nuclear weapons, it is the entirety of humanity that lives on the brink of annihilation. The message of the Foundation is very compelling. Humanity is thirsty for sources of inspiration and reasons to regenerate, to recover, and to restore peace, be it the kind that comes immediately after a military conflict, a natural disaster, or after political scandals related to corruption and the concentration of power, which move the most intimate fibers of a society.
 


A Ginkgo-biloba seedling. (Photo: Gerardo Avalos)
 
Like the trees that survived one of the culminating acts of human madness, the seeds contain the hope of regeneration, of a better and more ecologically balanced tomorrow, of a return to our original roots, of understanding that we, like nature itself, are capable of recovering from our traumas and mistakes, and that everything begins with a first step, which can be as small and humble as a seed. At a time when decisive and lucid action is required to act against climate change, a product of human greed and selfishness, the Foundation’s message could not be more important. It is urgent to teach our future generations that science must serve humanity for peaceful purposes, and that it should not be at the service of domination or the concentration of power.

For these reasons, I contacted the Foundation in April and requested the donation of seeds. Through the University of Costa Rica, and the School of Biology (where I am also a faculty member), I requested to include Costa Rica as part of the collaborating countries of the Green Legacy Hiroshima Foundation (https://glh.unitar.org/en/countries/CRI ). Then, I received a donation of Ginkgo biloba and Diospyros kaki seeds in November 2021 to disperse this message. The long humanist tradition of Costa Rica is consistent with the goals of the Foundation. This initiative is supported by the Hiroshima Botanical Garden through the Green Legacy Hiroshima Foundation and its founding partners Nassrine Azimi and Tomoko Watanabe. The donation and shipment of the seeds was coordinated through Yuko Baba. From the beginning, the project had the support of the UCR School of Biology through its director, Dr. Cindy Fernández. The Embassy of Costa Rica in Japan, through the Ambassador Alexander Salas Araya and the Consul William Calvo, received the seeds in Tokyo and sent them to Costa Rica; both made it possible for the Embassy of Japan in Costa Rica to also support this initiative. The School for Field Studies, and the Center for Sustainable Development Studies, are providing greenhouse space to germinate part of the seeds. Many national and international colleagues provided suggestions on germination methods and shared their experience. The initiative continues with the hope of obtaining seedlings and propagating these trees in public places to inspire present and future generations about the message of peace of the Hibaku-jumoku trees.

Germination of the Ginkgo biloba seeds recently took place. The trees, once established, must be planted in public places to ensure that the entire country will have access to them.

This message of peace transcends borders, languages, cultural, political, religious, and generational differences, and is an invitation to create an inclusive culture and a society of true peace that inspires future generations to work for the common good and use science for peaceful purposes for the good of all mankind.
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SFS in Action https://fieldstudies.org/blog/sfs-in-action/ Tue, 09 Nov 2021 21:12:21 +0000 https://sfs.local/sfs-in-action/ Last week, a Haitian sloop landed on Long Cay in the Turks and Caicos Islands, where SFS’ Center for Marine Resource Studies is located. Thirty-five people, including one child, were aboard the sloop, which left Haiti three days prior. South Caicos does not typically get this type of landing (although it is the second in three months), therefore Immigrations and Police were not prepared for the number of people that arrived. These individuals must return to Haiti, but wait on South Caicos for transport (on the property next to SFS’ Center). SFS provided much appreciated water, sandwiches, hydration packs, and masks. Students were informed of the situation and helped to prepare sandwiches.
 


SFS TCI students prepare sandwiches for those who have arrived in South Caicos aboard a sloop from Haiti.

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Hallo! from Kenya https://fieldstudies.org/blog/hallo-from-kenya/ Fri, 08 Oct 2021 20:41:54 +0000 https://sfs.local/hallo-from-kenya/

When we arrived at camp, stumbling out of the car after the 4-hour drive from the Nairobi airport, I was in no way prepared for the line of elbows reaching out to bump mine. It was, of course, every staff member that keeps the place running.

 
Hallo!

I start with hallo! because it is the accented version of hello in Kenya. Our professors say it often. Whenever people are losing focus or something is really obvious in class, they will suddenly stop, mid-sentence, if necessary, and say: Hallo! It, without fail, turns every head in the room. Barely pronouncing the h, more breathing it out than anything, it produces this chirp of an ‘ah-low.’ It’s never said in a frustrated way, the sound instead being subtly startling, in the kindest way. I think it is representative of my first days here in Kenya.

When we arrived at camp, stumbling out of the car after the 4-hour drive from the Nairobi airport, I was in no way prepared for the line of elbows reaching out to bump mine. It was, of course, every staff member that keeps the place running.

The director, a man who never stops talking, laughing, or gesticulating, admonished himself the next day, saying we deserved a real welcome. The staff had gone into town, bought a goat, and planned a goat roast for that evening.

This is how I ended up attending a goat slaughter as a full-on vegetarian (very voluntarily, of course). We went and watched the goat be killed and then helped to skin it under the tutelage of two Maasai (the main tribe in our area) staff members. For them, the skinning of a goat is a skill passed on through generations. They cut across the tissue without hesitation and smiled as they placed the knives into our much, much shakier hands.

We proceeded to get an anatomy lesson from the camp director (when in Rome). I quickly learned that our program, without a doubt, was full of nerds. We watched as they extracted every viable piece of meat from the goat, stretched it across sticks, and stuck it in the ground around the fire. Infectious, excited energy built throughout process.

 

The SFS Kenya Center. Photo by Katherine Foree.

Nevertheless, I wouldn’t be participating in the culmination of that anticipation. I was secretly glad because meat, especially this kind of hardcore meat (for lack of a better word), is something I have not eaten in over two years. However, the director looked at me (and the other vegetarian, who I silently thanked for her existence) with utter consternation on his face. He said the most heartbreaking thing: ‘How can I welcome you if we cannot share in eating this meat?’ I sat there and reckoned with one of my biggest life choices for a moment. Then he asked, somehow looking even more concerned, “What do you eat instead of meat?!” He couldn’t imagine it. This man’s love of meat knew no bounds. For him, it was home. I saw us from his seat by the fire, an utterly confounding duo. In response to him, I said the first thing that came to mind: “Lentils?” We had been eating them in abundance at meals. I started to mention beans as well, but his face was already contorting with laughter.

‘LENTILS?!?’ Everybody was laughing.

 

The goat roast. Photo by Katherine Foree.
 

But, after that brief discourse, he seemed to have made peace, at least momentarily, with the fact that we weren’t eating. The lentils had settled it somehow. Then, later on in the evening, as sodas were passed around, people asked him which brand he recommended. He smiled, placing his hands atop what he likes to call his singular love handle. Then he announced simply, “Whatever makes your cup of joy overflow!” So I sipped my bitter ginger ale, sat back, and listened as everyone argued over the true texture of goat liver with a stupid grin on my face.
 

SFS Kenya Center Director Moses Okello and professor John Kiringe. Photo by Katherine Foree.
 

 

Fellow student Joy Oakes. Photo by Katherine Foree.

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Curious to learn a bit more about the SFS Kenya Center? Click here to read about why we’re based there, our environmental research focus, how we connect and support the local community, and even take a tour of the Center.

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First Impressions: The Panama Center https://fieldstudies.org/blog/first-impressions-the-panama-center/ Thu, 07 Oct 2021 22:55:46 +0000 https://sfs.local/first-impressions-the-panama-center/ Why did you choose to study abroad with SFS?

I chose to study abroad with SFS because I wanted to engage with a learning experience that bases classroom lectures on the lived and natural environment right outside the classroom door. I was initially surprised to find a program that spoke to so many interdisciplinary environmental issues while still basing curricula in the context of each center and found it difficult to choose which location to immerse myself in when each seemed so rich. I was excited to have the opportunity to go ‘off the grid’ during my abroad experience and partake in the hands-on field focused academic programs and tight knit community SFS is known for.
 

What are your first impressions of the Center?

So far, my experience at our field studies site in Bocas del Toro, Panama has felt like an academically rigorous paradise, but one where we are always asking, “Paradise for whom?”. The center is located in a beautiful bay of Isla Colon near Bocas Town, with a beautiful waterfront pool and lots of shady student study and social spaces. Our cohort has discussed the privileges we have as students taking part in both the tourist and more community-based activities that we hope will make this experience as helpful (not hurtful) to the local people of Bocas as it can be. That said, we’ve really enjoyed going out to dinner and dancing as a group, as well as frequenting local beach clubs and volunteering opportunities.

 

Our Fall 2021 TIBS cohort
 

What do you think the biggest challenge will be for you this semester both academically and culturally?

I think my biggest challenge academically will be time management, because in such a beautiful place, it can be tempting to jump in the pool or ocean at the end of each day instead of hitting the books. But having our whole group work on the same homework makes learning more of a communal activity and I have not felt isolated or overwhelmed academically so far. The staff and professors at SFS genuinely want us to succeed and have been more than willing to spend time providing more context and information on assignments and readings. Culturally, I think the biggest challenge here will be making a better effort to have more meaningful engagements with the local community outside of the center. It can be easy to be a bit isolated from local people in Bocas del Toro, but our classes at Habla Ya have given me much more confidence in my Spanish communication skills.
 

What are you looking forward to the most about the semester?

I am really looking forward to continuing to get to know our cohort and staff as well as experience the rich natural environment of Bocas. From trips to Bluff beach to hiking in Boquete, to volunteering with the Hope Spot mangrove protection project, there is much to see and do inside the boundaries of our ‘school week’, as well as on time off. Our group is truly wonderful so far and I hope we continue to get to know each other better in the next few weeks especially during off program time!

 

Photo by Nina Hulet.
 

Give three adjectives that best describe how you are feeling right now.

Content. Excited. Immersed!
 
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Curious to learn a bit more about the SFS Panama Center? Click here to read about why we’re based there, our environmental research focus, how we connect and support the local community, and even take a tour of the Center.

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Final Reflections: Living on Bocas Time https://fieldstudies.org/blog/final-reflections-living-on-bocas-time/ Wed, 11 Aug 2021 13:49:24 +0000 https://sfs.local/final-reflections-living-on-bocas-time/

After flying over tiny palm tree beaches and driving through downtown Bocas, it still didn’t feel real that I would be living in this area for an entire month.

Coming into this program, I had no idea what to expect. I had never studied abroad before, and I had only been outside of the country once as a tourist. After flying over tiny palm tree beaches and driving through downtown Bocas, it still didn’t feel real that I would be living in this area for an entire month.
 

Aerial view of Zapatillas Island.
 
As an ocean lover, I have found it so exciting to be able to identify the fish that we learned about in the classroom while on our snorkels. Yet, I never anticipated that I would gain just as much, if not more, from my interactions with members of the community. Taking trips to local sites allowed us to see more than your everyday tourist attractions. My most memorable experience was when we visited Oreba, a local cacao farm. We got to learn about the cacao making process from the farmers and workers themselves. As a result, I now value the people that enable commercial goods to be produced and think about them while eating chocolate.
 

Our trip to Oreba with a cacao farm owner and worker.
 

Cacao fruits before workers ground their roasted beans into cacao powder.
 
In addition to recognizing the hard work that goes into manufacturing some of the foods that we eat every day, I also gained an appreciation for Boca’s relaxed way of living. Coming from the bustling Northeast, I found it hard to adapt to this mindset at first. At the SFS Center, we used the expression “living on Bocas time” very often to describe being a few minutes late. There were also many days that we would wake up and change plans due to the unpredictable weather, but it never phased anyone here. I can honestly say that as I practice living with this attitude, I have gained a greater appreciation for the simple things in life.
 

One of my favorite things each day was our chef, Hugo, and his cooking. We never rushed through our meals, which let us enjoy all of the rich flavors that he created.
 
That being said, come in with an open mind. I found that I got the most out of the things I wasn’t expecting from this trip. If you allow yourself to live in the moment, whatever it ends up being at the time, this will truly be a life-changing experience.
 
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Curious to learn a bit more about the SFS Panama Center? Click here to read about why we’re based there, our environmental research focus, how we connect and support the local community, and even take a tour of the Center.

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Buenos dias from Bocas Town! https://fieldstudies.org/blog/buenos-dias-from-bocas-town/ Fri, 30 Jul 2021 17:22:05 +0000 https://sfs.local/buenos-dias-from-bocas-town/

This program really gives students an understanding of marine environments, terrestrial environments, social environments, and the intricate way they are all intertwined.

 
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to study abroad. I spent so much time considering where I may spend my time abroad and what I may want to do there. Would I want to explore the windy streets of old European cities or would I maybe find myself in the outback of Australia? Never once did I think I would find myself studying the human impact on ecosystems in Panama, but I can now confidently tell you – there is not one place I would rather be.

The program in Panama focuses on ecosystem health and the potential impact of the human world. The Center for Tropical Island Biodiversity Studies (TIBS) is located just a short boat ride away from Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park, which is the area the bulk of our studies are focused on. This area is incredibly beautiful on and off the land. There is such rich biodiversity in this area and for this reason, it is super cool to have hands-on fieldwork. One of my favorite parts of this program so far is being able to identify different species of the area. For example, here is a ginglymostomatidae (nurse shark):
 

 
I still think this is the most incredible thing ever. Instead of sitting in a lecture hall, I get to swim with sharks and learn about the environment they live in. We have learned about the degradation of corals in the Bocas area due to increasing water temperatures, hypoxia, and potential human negligence. We also have learned about the impact of overfishing not only on the ecosystems here but also the way it affects local communities’ economic well-being. We also focus on the terrestrial environment of the region. We have spent time talking about the ways banana plantations have led to deforestation and the loss of biodiversity in the area. Fortunately, after some time, many forests have grown back and the forest biodiversity is now beginning to flourish!
 

Strawberry Poison Dart Frog. Photo by Laura Bruce-Rodriguez.
 
We have also been lucky enough to safely interact with the community during COVID! This part of the program has also been one of my favorites. We have come to understand the history of this area and the way it affected the local and Indigenous people. One of the community activities we have done is a tour of the Timorogo community. Rotilio, one of the community leaders, explained the dynamics of their Indigenous communities and their sustainable tourism pursuits. He took us on a long boat ride through the mangroves where we saw different species of sloths, crabs, and birds. Rotilio walked us through the terrestrial part of Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park, which was beautiful, and we even got to see the entrance of a bat cave! Through these experiences and in-depth lectures, SFS has educated us on the social dynamics of conservation. I think this has helped me understand how to ethically pursue protecting the environment.
 

 
This program really gives students an understanding of marine environments, terrestrial environments, social environments, and the intricate way they are all intertwined. SFS has provided such a unique and hands-on experience that I don’t think I would have experienced all of college if I did not opt to study with them. The program structure allows you to learn from your professors in ways you could not even imagine. Not only are you learning from them, but I feel like all the other students you are surrounded by are all super engaged and creative thinkers, which has only enhanced my learning experience more. I do not think I can speak more highly of SFS Panama. If you are thinking of studying here, you absolutely should. It is something that I know will help form what I do in the future and really gives you a great understanding of what you love. This experience is engaging and will teach you more than you could ever learn in a lecture hall. I cannot express the gratitude I feel towards everyone here at TIBS. It is an inspiring experience and if you are considering it, I can promise it will be the best decision you will ever make.
 

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Curious to learn a bit more about the SFS Panama Center? Click here to read about why we’re based there, our environmental research focus, how we connect and support the local community, and even take a tour of the Center.

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