Progress 09/01/05 to 08/31/08

Outputs
The goals of this project were the following: 1) Develop and teach an intensive, hands-on field course for undergraduate students in the Neotropics on tropical agriculture, ecosystems, and conservation; 2) Provide opportunities to study in the tropics for students who otherwise would be unable, especially for traditionally underrepresented groups; 3) Provide a foundational understanding of tropical ecosystems in order to teach most effectively about the unique opportunities and challenges of tropical agriculture; 4) Infuse the course with experiences that communicate the importance of conservation-oriented decisions in all agricultural practices. We accomplished all of these goals through the following specific activities. We actively recruited students through informational meetings at Delaware State University (DSU), numerous presentations to targeted classes by teaching assistant at DSU, and working with colleagues at University of Belize and the Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education (BFREE) to attract Belizean students. As well, we passively recruited through website and fliers posted around DSU campus. Then, we screened and interviewed applicants and selected students for the course. Finally, the P.I., Co-P.I., Teaching Assistant, and Director of BFREE developed curriculum for the course, which we named 'Tropical Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Conservation.' In each late December of 2005, 2006, and 2007, we taught 5 days of the course on the DSU campus, in order to provide background and prepare the students for the field portion of the course in Belize. We presented lectures and demonstrations, and led discussions during these days on campus. In years two and three, two students from the previous year's class visited the current class during this week. These former students discussed their experiences in the class, and recommended actions that would help the current students prepare for the travel in Belize. In each early January of 2006, 2007, and 2008, we taught two weeks of the course in Belize. During these times, we visited a commercial banana plantation, a commercial citrus farm, a private subsistence farm, a private organic orchard, a low-impact logging operation, a commercial shrimp farm, and a subsistence fisheries operation, in order to observe a diversity of modern and traditional agricultural practices. As well, we studied the ecological background to Belizean agriculture by conducting field work in the rain forest, savanna, and coral reef. Extensive interactions with Creole, Kekchi Mayan, and Mopan Mayan communities provided experiences with different ethnic groups and their agricultural methods. In each late January 2006, 2007, and 2008, we returned to DSU campus for 2 final days of the course, for student presentations on their research projects in Belize, final examination, and student evaluations of the course and the faculty. PRODUCTS: Our project yielded several innovative products, including the following. 1) undergraduate course for 4 credits. 2) student research projects. 3) video about the course. 4) new systematic collections of plants, insects, and digital photographs. The course 'Tropical Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Conservation' focused on bringing an awareness of these topical themes to undergraduate students at our university and the region. We used experiential learning to involve students in field research projects and in the dissemination of results. This approach included student active participation in the conceptualization, implementation, and presentation of research projects. Highlights of the course included Maya Center Village, where we toured an organic herb and medicinal plant farm and citrus grove; the stay of 5-7 days in the heart of the rainforest at BFREE, featuring individual student research projects, demonstrations and tours on sustainable living, conservation, sampling insect diversity, mist-netting for birds, and low-impact logging; a tour of a commercial banana farm; a tour of a commercial shrimp farm; host family stays of 1-3 days at the Mayan Villages of San Miguel (years 1 and 2) and San Felipe (year 3); cacao production and chocolate-making activity at San Felipe; 3-day stays at the Sapodilla Cays National Park for experience with coral reef-based fisheries; and 1-day stays at the Creole fishing village of Gale's Point. Students' research projects conducted at the field site at BFREE were supervised by the two faculty and BFREE mentors and included a study of phoretic mites on beetles, sedge diversity, dung beetle diversity, dung beetle behavior, and mammal surveys. In addition to student hands-on research, two students filmed the 2006 course activities and research projects in Belize, using a hand-held video recorder. These students produced a 20-minute informational and archival video of the portion of the course that took place in Belize. Both faculty investigators made scientific collections from the BFREE site and surrounding area for long-term monitoring and study. These collections include plant specimens from rain forest and savanna habitats (320specimens, originals now deposited in Delaware State University's herbarium, with laminated photocopies deposited in the BFREE museum), dung beetles from rainforest areas (63 specimens deposited in the BFREE museum), digital camera recording of mammals, and recordings of ultrasonic bat vocalizations. As well, each student received a set of hundreds of digital photographs taken during each year of the course that serve as a photographic journal of the course activities. In addition, Dr. Vulinec has begun recording and photographing bats to establish a call library for species in Belize. There are now eight species for which photographs and calls are recorded. These recordings are the first of these from Belize to be made available to other scientists. These calls are archived using the program 'Sonobat' and copies sent to Dr. Joe Szewczak (Humboldt State University) for inclusion in his bat call library. OUTCOMES: We accomplished several goals during this project (true for every year, except where noted): created (year 1) and improved and strengthened (years 2 and 3) the course curriculum, recruited and trained a graduate student teaching assistant, received evaluations of the effectiveness of the course from students, renewed our partnership with University of Belize, and established a new partnership with Lincoln Memorial University (Harrogate, Tennessee). We distributed student evaluations the last day of class in each of the years of the course, immediately prior to the final exam. Mean scores on selected items from the evaluations follow, with a 1-5 ranking for each item (from Very Poor to Very Good): the degree to which the course met its stated goals: 4.8 (2006), 5.0 (2007), and 5.0 (2008); the extent to which each student learned the subject matter of the course: 4.5 (2006), 4.9 (2007), 5.0 (2008); the appropriateness of the textbooks: 3.8 (2006), 3.9 (2007), 4.8 (2008). DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: We have been active in disseminating information about the course through several means. 1) Website: < http://www.desu.edu/special/belize/index.php>. Online since September 2005, this website details the objectives of the course, the requirements, and the practicalities of the trip to Belize. 2) Course Newsletter. This student-written newsletter detailed the 2007 course: < http://www.desu.edu/docs/year/belize.pdf >. 3) Pulse of the Planet < http://www.pulseplanet.com/sci-diaries/sd_kevina/m=20060727 >. During the time the course was in Belize, Dr. Kevina Vulinec made digital recordings of research activities for a Pulse of the Planet program. The program is called 'Audio Diaries' and Dr. Vulinec's program was the lead-off diary on the National Public Radio show 18 Sept. 2006. In addition, the website of the program features scientist 'blogs' that describe the day-to-day activities of scientists. Dr. Vulinec's blog presents several of the student projects describing the use of camera traps and monitoring bat activity in different habitats. 4) Oral Presentations at National Agricultural Meetings. The P.I. delivered lectures at two different national scientific meetings. These presentations presented an overview of the course, its procedures and programs, and the people involved. The details of these presentations are as follows. 13 June 2008 Naczi, R. F. C. Developing and teaching an intensive field course in tropical agriculture: strategies, triumphs, and lessons learned. Joint conference of United States Department of Agriculture-Science and Education Resources Development (USDA-SERD) and North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture, Logan, Utah. 24 February 2007 Naczi, R. F. C., K. Vulinec, J. A. Marlin, and B. E. Murray. Developing and teaching an intensive field course in tropical agriculture: strategies, triumphs, and lessons learned. National Conference on Agriculture and Natural Resource Conservation and Management, Dover, Delaware. 5) Poster presented at International Meeting. On 16 July 2007, 4 students of the 2006-2007 class (Gianna Brisbone, Rochelle Young, Shantel Pakeman, Laura Bernberg) co-authored one poster on their field-based research project on bat foraging in Belize. The poster was presented at the Association for Tropical Biology Conservation meeting was in Morelia, Mexico. 6) Oral Presentations at Honors Day, Delaware State University. On 28 March 2007, 2 students of the 2006-2007 class presented lectures on their field-based research projects from Belize at Delaware State University's Honors Day. Honors Day is a campus-wide event that allows students to showcase their scholarly achievements. Keyona Gonzalez presented her work on plant-associated phoretic mites. Jessi Messick's presentation concerned comparative studies of sedge diversity in Belizean savannas. 7) Oral Presentation at Office of International Affairs, Delaware State University. On Oct. 9, 2008, Dr. Vulinec gave a 30-minute presentation discussing the course, its initiation and outcomes, and plans for continuation to about 30 students attending a study abroad information session through the DSU Office of International Affairs. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Soon after the termination date of this grant, P.I. Naczi left Delaware State University to take the position of Curator of North American Botany at The New York Botanical Garden. New expectations and duties of his employment mean he will no longer lead initiatives to involve Delaware State University students in coursework in Belize. The course was highly successful, and during the year 2008, Dr. Vulinec has received many inquiries about the continuation during the 2008-2009 year, including from DSU administrators, students from other HBCUs, and students in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Program at DSU. At least 10 students at DSU have verbally committed to apply for a space in this course during this next session. She is currently planning on submitting a grant proposal (due early Spring 2009) for continuation of this valued course over the Dec 2009-January 2010 season. Funding will be sought through the USDA CSREES program and the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. Grant funding will also be sought for graduate student research in Belize. Our invitation to a third faculty (with expertise in water quality) was immensely successful, and the inclusion of additional expertise will be continued as a program of invited rotating guest faculty to allow for a range of opportunities to other scientists at DSU and other institutions.

Impacts
1) We created and taught an intensive, international field course for Delaware State University, "Tropical Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Conservation." 2) A total of 29 students completed the course in its three offerings. Most (24) of these students were U.S. citizens enrolled at Delaware State University, one was a Nigerian citizen enrolled at DSU, one was a U.S. citizen enrolled at New York University, and three were Belizean citizens. Of the 29 students, 17 were from ethnic groups traditionally underrepresented in agricultural decision-making. Most students were undergraduates, ranging from freshmen to seniors, and four were graduate students. 3) Many of the students experienced their first international travel in this course. 3) As well, 3 graduate students from Delaware State University received training in teaching and in tropical agriculture, ecosystems, and conservation. 4) Thus, the most significant impact of this project is the education of 32 students, who are now potential future participants in agriculture and agriculture decision-making, in tropical agriculture, ecosystems, and conservation.

Publications

• 1. Wolcott, K., K. Vulinec, G. Brisbone, R. Young, L. Howe, S. Pakeman, and L. Bernberg. 2007. A comparison of bat activity in clear-cuts and forest edges in Toledo District, Belize, and Delaware, USA [abstract]. ATBC [Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Annual Meeting, Morelia, Mexico]
• 2. Naczi, R. 2008. Developing and teaching an intensive field course in tropical agriculture: Strategies, triumphs, and lessons learned [abstract]. NACTA [North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture] Journal. 52: 74.

Progress 09/01/06 to 08/31/07

Outputs
The goals of this project are the following: 1) Develop and teach an intensive, hands-on field course for undergraduate students in the Neotropics on tropical agriculture, ecosystems, and conservation; 2) Provide opportunities to study in the tropics for students who otherwise would be unable, especially for traditionally underrepresented groups; 3) Provide a foundational understanding of tropical ecosystems in order to teach most effectively about the unique opportunities and challenges of tropical agriculture; 4) Infuse the course with experiences that communicate the importance of conservation-oriented decisions in all agricultural practices. We accomplished each of these goals through the following specific activities: 1) Invited Director of International Student Services of Delaware State University (DSU) to assist with interviews and selection of students for the course from pool of applicants, which she did. 2) Recruited students through informational meetings, presentations to targeted classes by teaching assistant, and posting course website on official webpages of DSU. 3) Interviewed student applicants for the course, selected the students from among the applicants, and helped enroll the students. 4) Taught 5 days of the course on the DSU campus in late December 2006, in order to provide background and prepare the students for the field portion of the course in Belize. Two students from last year's class visited our class during this week. These former students discussed their experiences in the class, and recommended actions that would help the current students prepare for the travel in Belize. 5) Taught 13 days of the course in Belize in early January 2007. During this time, we visited a commercial banana plantation, a commercial citrus farm, a private subsistence farm, a private organic orchard, a low-impact logging operation, a commercial shrimp farm, and a subsistence fisheries operation, in order to observe a diversity of modern and ancient agricultural practices. As well, we studied the ecological background to Belizean agriculture by conducting field work in the rain forest, savanna, and coral reef. Extensive interactions with Creole, Kekchi Mayan, and Mopan Mayan communities provided experiences with different ethnic groups and their agricultural methods. 6) In late January 2007, we returned to DSU campus for 2 final days of the course, for student presentations on their research projects in Belize, final examination, and student evaluations of the course and the faculty. PRODUCTS: Our project yielded several products, including the following: 1) improved undergraduate course for 4 credits, 2) course newsletter, 3) student research projects, 4) new systematic collections of plants and digital photographs. The course Tropical Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Conservation focused on bringing an awareness of the importance of tropical agriculture, ecosystems, and conservation, and the challenges facing these activities. We continued successful practices from last year's class, and revised some other parts of the course in an attempt to improve them. These improvements were often in response to suggestions from students of last year's class. We continued to use experiential learning to involve students in field research projects and in the dissemination of results. This approach included student active participation in the conceptualization, implementation, and presentation of research projects. Highlights of the course included Maya Center Village, where we toured an organic herb and medicinal plant farm and citrus grove, the 6-day stay in the heart of the rainforest at BFREE, featuring individual student research projects, host family stays and tours of farms at the Mayan Village of San Miguel, and visits to the Sapodilla Cays National Park for experience with coral reef ecology and reef-based fisheries, and the Creole fishing village Gale's Point. A volunteer student from the Office of International Affairs at Delaware State University, Katrina Ositelu, helped produce an 8-page newsletter on the 2006-2007 course. The focus of the newsletter is our experiences during our travel in Belize. The newsletters serves a general informational role, as well as a recruiting tool for prospective students of future classes. Students' research projects conducted at the field site at BFREE were supervised by the P.I. and Co-P.I. and BFREE mentors. These projects concerned host specificity of herbivorous beetles, diversity of sedges in savannas, foraging ecology of bats, and mammal surveys using camera traps. Both faculty investigators continued to make systematic collections from the BFREE site and surrounding area for long-term monitoring and study. These collections include plant specimens from rain forest and savanna habitats (35 specimens, to be deposited in the DSU herbarium) and digital camera recordings of mammals. In addition, each student received a set of 530 digital photographs taken during the course that serve as a photographic journal of the course activities. OUTCOMES: We accomplished several goals during the second year of this project: improved and strengthened the course curriculum, received evaluations of the effectiveness of the course from students, renewed our partnership with University of Belize, and established a new partnership with Lincoln Memorial University (Harrogate, Tennessee). In November 2006, the graduate student teaching assistant we had recruited and hired in the spring of 2006 decided to withdraw from graduate studies at DSU. This occurred just three weeks prior to the first week of class. To fill the need for a teaching assistant, we invited the graduate student who had served as teaching assistant for the 2005-2006 class to help with course, until the beginning of February 2007, which she did. Since then, we have recruited a new graduate student, who has applied for admission and been accepted to the DSU graduate school. We distributed student evaluations the last day of class in January 2007, immediately prior to the final exam. Results of the evaluations follow, with eight questions and a 1-5 ranking for each (from Very Poor to Very Good). The average score (n = 8 students [the additional students from University of Belize and New York University did not participate]) for each question is in parentheses: 1) The degree to which the course met its stated goals (5.0); 2) The extent to which teaching methods contributed to meeting course objectives (4.9); 3) The appropriateness of the textbooks in this course (3.9); 4) The extent to which supplemental readings, research, and other requirements contributed to meeting course objectives (4.4); 5) The extent to which examinations and other graded materials reflected the content of the course (4.5); 6) The extent to which classrooms, laboratories, and/or facilities were adequate to achieve course objectives (4.9); 7) The extent to which I learned the subject matter of the course (4.9); 8) Adherence to the course outline or syllabus (4.9). DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: 1) Website: < http://www.desu.edu/special/belize/index.php>. Tne P.I. and graduate student updated last year's website (which had been hosted from the Co-P.I.'s webpages) to reflect information learned from last year's experiences. Also, we posted these new webpages on DSU's official webpages. On this website, we detail the objectives of the course, the requirements, and the logistics of the trip to Belize. 2) Course Newsletter. The P.I. and graduate student have printed and distributed nearly 100 hardcopies of the newsletter (described above). As well, we have posted the newsletter online: < http://www.desu.edu/docs/year/belize.pdf >. 3) Pulse of the Planet < http://www.pulseplanet.com/sci-diaries/sd_kevina/?m=20060727 >. During the time the class was in Belize, the Co-P.I. made digital recordings of research activities for a Pulse of the Planet program. In addition, the website of the program features scientist blogs that describe the day-to-day activities of scientists. The Co-P.I.'s blog presents the student project that details the use of camera traps. 4) Lecture Presented at National Agricultural Meeting. On 24 February 2007, the P.I. presented a seminar about the course at the National Conference on Agriculture and Natural Resource Conservation and Management (Dover, Delaware). The presentation, entitled Developing and Teaching an Intensive Field Course in Tropical Agriculture: Strategies, Triumphs, and Lessons Learned, was an overview of the course, its procedures and programs, and the people involved. 5) Lectures Presented at Honors Day. On 28 March 2007, 2 students of the 2006-2007 class presented lectures on their field-based research projects from Belize at Delaware State University's Honors Day. Honors Day is a campus-wide event that allows students to showcase their scholarly achievements. Keyona Gonzalez presented her work on plant-associated phoretic mites. Jessi Messick's presentation concerned comparative studies of sedge diversity in Belizean savannas. 6) Poster presented at International Meeting On 16 July 2007, 4 students of the 2006-2007 class (Gianna Brisbone, Rochelle Young, Shantel Pakeman, Laura Bernberg) and the Co-P.I. co-authored one poster on their field-based research project on bat foraging in Belize. The poster was presented at the Association for Tropical Biology Conservation meeting was in Morelia, Mexico. FUTURE INITIATIVES: 1) Continue to improve the academic quality, breadth, and rigor of the course, in part by making improvements that respond to student suggestions and criticisms. 2) Develop and strengthen our recently formed collaboration with Lincoln Memorial University, with the goal of broadening our curriculum and making it inclusive of students from LMU and other universities. 3) Request students from the 2006-2007 class discuss their experiences with students selected for next year's class, in order to help prepare the future students for the course.

Impacts
1) We taught an intensive, international field course for Delaware State University for undergraduates, Tropical Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Conservation. 2) A total of 10 students participated in the course in 2006-2007. Seven of these students were U.S. citizens enrolled at Delaware State University, one was a Nigerian citizen enrolled at DSU, one was a U.S. citizen enrolled at New York University, and one was a Belizean enrolled at University of Belize. Of the 10 students, 6 were from ethnic groups traditionally underrepresented in agricultural decision-making. The students ranged from freshmen to seniors. 3) As well, 2 graduate students from Delaware State University received training in teaching and in tropical agriculture, ecosystems, and conservation. 4) Thus, the most significant impact of this project to date is the education of 12 students, who are now potential future participants in agriculture and agriculture decision-making, in tropical agriculture, ecosystems, and conservation.

Publications

• Ositelu, K. and R. Naczi. 2007. Study Abroad Program: Belize 2007. Course Newsletter, Delaware State University, Dover, Delaware.

Progress 09/01/05 to 09/01/06

Outputs
The goals of this project are the following: 1) Develop and teach an intensive, hands-on field course for undergraduate students in the Neotropics on tropical agriculture, ecosystems, and conservation; 2) Provide opportunities to study in the tropics for students who otherwise would be unable, especially for traditionally underrepresented groups; 3) Provide a foundational understanding of tropical ecosystems in order to teach most effectively about the unique opportunities and challenges of tropical agriculture; 4) Infuse the course with experiences that communicate the importance of conservation-oriented decisions in all agricultural practices. Each of these goals was accomplished through the following specific activities: 1) Hired graduate student teaching assistant. 2) Chose tentative partner for activities in Belize, such as coordination of food, transportation, and lodging. This partner was the Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education (BFREE). 3) Initiated process to gain approval for the course to become a portion of the regular curriculum of Delaware State University (DSU), as 'Tropical Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Conservation in Belize.' 4) Recruited students through informational meetings, presentations to targeted classes by teaching assistant, and establishing a course website. 5) Participated in a scouting trip to Belize in late November-early December 2005. On this trip, met with staff of BFREE, reviewed facilities planned for the upcoming class, visited sites to be used during the class, reviewed plans for transportation, and met with faculty at University of Belize (UB) in order to establish a partnership with UB so that UB students could participate in the class. 6) Decided to retain BFREE as the partner for in-Belize portion of the course. 7) Interviewed student applicants for the course, selected the students from among the applicants, and helped enroll the students. 8) Taught 5 days of the course on the DSU campus in late December 2005, in order to provide background and prepare the students for the field portion of the course in Belize. 9) Taught 14 days of the course in Belize in early January 2006. During this time, we visited a commercial banana plantation, a commercial citrus farm, a private subsistence farm, a private organic orchard, a low-impact logging operation, a sustainable fisheries project, and a subsistence fisheries operation, in order to observe a diversity of modern and ancient agricultural practices. As well, we studied the ecological background to Belizean agriculture by conducting field work in the rain forest, savanna, and coral reef. Extensive interactions with Creole, Kekchi Mayan, and Mopan Mayan communities provided experiences with different ethnic groups and their agricultural methods. 10) In late January 2006, we returned to DSU campus for 2 final days of the course, for student presentations on their research projects in Belize, final examination, and student evaluations of the course and the faculty. 11) In late March 2006, the P.I. traveled to Belize to complete business related to January's class, and to plan for next year's class. PRODUCTS: Our project yielded several innovative products, including the following: 1) undergraduate course for 4 credits, 2) student research projects, 3) video about the course, 4) new systematic collections of plants, insects, and digital photographs. The course 'Tropical Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Conservation' focused on bringing an awareness of these topical themes to undergraduate students at our university and the region. We used experiential learning to involve students in field research projects and in the dissemination of results. This approach included student active participation in the conceptualization, implementation, and presentation of research projects. Highlights of the course included Maya Center Village, where we toured an organic herb and medicinal plant farm and citrus grove, the 8-day stay in the heart of the rainforest at BFREE, featuring individual student research projects and a role-playing conservation activity, a tour of a banana farm and low-impact logging facility, host family stays at the Mayan Village of San Miguel, and discussion of organic coffee farms, and visits to the Sapodilla Cays National Park for experience with coral reef ecology, and the Creole fishing village Gale's Point. Copies of the video were distributed to all students and other interested parties. Students' research projects conducted at the field site at BFREE were supervised by the two faculty and BFREE mentors and included: a study of phoretic mites on beetles, sedge diversity, dung beetle diversity, dung beetle behavior, and mammal surveys. In addition to student hands-on research, two students filmed the course activities and research projects using a hand-held video recorder. These students produced a 20-minute informational and archival video of the portion of the course that took place in Belize. Both faculty investigators began scientific collections from the BFREE site and surrounding area for long-term monitoring and study. These collections include: plant specimens from rain forest and savanna habitats (148 specimens, now deposited in Delaware State University's herbarium), dung beetles from rainforest areas, and digital camera recording of mammals. As well, each student received a set of 280 digital photographs taken during the course that serve as a photographic journal of the course activities. OUTCOMES: We accomplished several goals during the first year of our course: recruited a graduate teaching assistant, designed curriculum, taught new course, received evaluations of effectiveness of the course from students, implemented improvements in course design, established partnerships in Belize, and established both short-term and long-term research projects in Belize. During early 2006, we recruited and hired a new Graduate Teaching Assistant for 2006-2008. This student is currently working on upgrading the website for the course and completing a proposal for thesis research in Belize. We distributed student evaluations the last day of class in January 2006, prior to the final exam. These evaluations asked students to rate the course overall. The evaluation's eight questions with a 1-5 ranking (from Very Poor to Very Good) follow. The average score (n = 13 students [the 2 additional students from University of Belize did not participate]) for each question is in parentheses: 1) The degree to which the course met its stated goal (4.8); 2) The extent to which teaching methods contributed to meeting course objectives (4.7); 3) The appropriateness of the textbooks in this course (3.8); 4) The extent to which supplemental readings, research, and other requirements contributed to meeting course objectives (4.4); 5) The extent to which examinations and other graded materials reflected the content of the course (4.2); 6) The extent to which classrooms, laboratories, and/or facilities were adequate to achieve course objectives (4.8); 7) The extent to which I learned the subject matter of the course (4.5); 8) Adherence to the course outline or syllabus (4.7). Based on student evaluations we have decided on several improvements for next class. These improvements include changing the textbook and the timing of exams and quizzes. Because the response to most questions was overwhelmingly positive, we are maintaining most of our current procedures and programs. Our project generated two important partnerships. We established a collaborative relationship with University of Belize, specifically working with Dr. Elma Kay, Lecturer, Department of Science, Faculty of Science & Technology, University of Belize. As one component of this collaboration, two Belizean students' participated in the course and contributed special presentations on Belizean society and biological reserves. Our association and collaboration with BFREE includes the addition of specimens to their collections and the initiation of long-term research programs, including a survey of sedges and census of primate populations aimed at the conservation of endangered primates. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Website We have been active in disseminating information about the course through several venues. Our website has been online since September 2005 and is currently being revamped and updated with information from the 2005-2006 course. On this website we detail the objectives of the course, the requirements, and the practicalities of the trip. Pulse of the Planet (http://www.pulseplanet.com/sci-diaries/index.html) During the time the course was in Belize, the Co-P.I. made digital recordings of research activities for a Pulse of the Planet program. The program is called 'Audio Diaries' and this program is scheduled to be the lead-off diary on the National Public Radio show 18 Sept. 2006. In addition, the website of the program features scientist 'blogs' that describe the day-to-day activities of scientists. Dr. Vulinec's blog presents the student project that details the use of camera traps. Other News releases Announcements and updates about our program have been distributed through DSU News Releases (http://www.desu.edu/advancement/pr/press_release.php?article_id=167) . FUTURE INITIATIVES: In the future, we plan to 1) improve the academic quality, breadth, and rigor of the course, in part by making improvements that respond to student suggestions and criticisms; 2) recruit students from a wider range of disciplines and institutions; 3) continue our partnership with University of Belize; 4) select more appropriate textbook(s) for the course; 5) request students from the 2005-2006 class to discuss their experiences with students selected for next year's class, in order to help prepare them for the class.

Impacts
1) We designed and taught a new, intensive, international field course for Delaware State University for undergraduates, 'Tropical Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Conservation.' 2) A total of 15 students participated in the course in 2005-2006. Thirteen of these students were U.S. citizens enrolled at Delaware State University, and two were Belizeans enrolled at University of Belize. Of the 15 students, 8 were from groups traditionally underrepresented in agricultural decision-making (Blacks and Hispanics). The students ranged from freshmen to seniors. 3) As well, 2 graduate students from Delaware State University received training in teaching and tropical agriculture, ecosystems, and conservation. 4) Thus, the most significant impact of this project to date is the education of 17 students, potential future participants in agriculture and agriculture decision-making, in tropical agriculture, ecosystems, and conservation.

Publications

• No publications reported this period