A first time biology trip for West Liberty University students offered a close look at biodiversity and the Republic of Costa Rica.

“This was the first international trip for the natural sciences and mathematics department. Students were very pleased with the experience and learned so much. We hope to do it again in the next year or two,” said Assistant Professor Heather Kalb, who was one of three professors who accompanied the students on the study trip.

From left, kneeling: Marie du Toit, Heather Kalb, Makayla Smith, Fernando Perez Fonseca (guide), standing: Theunis van Aardt, Audrey Sykes, Katie Scott, Zac Dillard, Nicki Mihalik, Krista Emch, Kelsey Robertson, Mackenzie Davis, Jillian Laslo, Taylor Rogerson Wendi Wentzell-Cuc and Kristin Fijalkowski.

Assistant Professor of Nursing Marie Du Toit and Assistant Professor of Chemistry Theunis van Aardt also attended. Thirteen students went on the travel trip including, Wendi Wentzell-Cuc, Mackenzie Davis, Zachary Dillard, Krista Emch, Kristen Fijalkowski, Lori Henry, Jillian Laslo, Nicki Mihalik, Kelsey Robertson, Taylor Rogerson, Katie Scott, Makayla Smith and Audrey Sykes.

Since Kalb did her graduate work in Costa Rica while enrolled at Texas A&M, she was the trip coordinator. She earned her doctoral degree in zoology, spending 3 – 6 months annually for four years in the Central American country known for its lush jungles and rare wildlife.

“I wanted an adventure and a life-changing experience,” said Laslo, a pre-med major who is in her third year of undergraduate study. “I stepped out of my comfort-zone and learned so much about the wildlife, ecology and culture of Costa Rica.”

Students were able to see a 100-pound olive ridley sea turtle nesting as well as snorkel with them offshore. They also saw Howler monkeys, sea snakes, sloths, poison dart frogs and toucans.

The students spent 12 days traveling and exploring the main land of Costa Rica, including San Jose and both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. They left the United States Aug. 1 and returned on Aug. 13.

“Since I want to continue my education after graduating from WLU and earn a master’s degree in ecology, this trip was perfect,” said Dillard.

“Costa Rica has a great amount of biodiversity and so the goal was to expose the students first hand to the biodiversity as well as to give them a cultural experience. It was very successful,” Kalb said. “We visited rain forests, cloud forests, dry forests, sea turtle nesting beach, enjoyed off-shore scuba, snorkeling and swimming with turtles.”

As one of the world’s leading ecotourism destinations, Costa Rica was ranked as the “greenest country in the world” by the New Economics Foundation, a British think-tank, in 2009. Costa Rica – which translates to “rich coast” – is an utterly peaceful country, so diplomatic in its ways that they abolished their army in 1949, according to Forbes.com.

The science majors were required to create a field guide of 100 species that they observed during the trip and give a presentation about one of the sights that they visited. After they complete this work, they are eligible to earn three credit hours of college credit.

“The students had an incredible time and are now looking for other study abroad opportunities,” Kalb said.

“My favorite part of the trip was getting to know a new group of people, hiking and exploring. Just being able to travel outside the country and learn a different culture made it worthwhile,” added Emch, an exercise physiology major.

WLU’s College of Sciences is committed to providing affordable, high-quality education in the basic sciences, mathematics and health sciences, through experiential learning, research and individualized attention in the basic sciences, mathematics and health sciences. It includes three departments, comprised of three departments: Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Health Sciences and Physician Assistant Studies.

For more information, please visit westliberty.edu or call 304-336-5000 or 1-866-WestLib. To view the Facebook page of the group’s trip, click here.

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