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Important Dates

Application Deadline: TBA

Deposit Deadline: TBA

• You can :
  • Under "Categories" select "Student Travel Deposit: College of Arts and Sciences".
  • Under "Items" select "Faculty-Led: Tropical Field Biology and Conservation, Costa Rica".
  • From there, you can add the item to your cart and complete the payment.

Withdrawal Deadline: TBA

​​​​​​​Final Payment Deadline: The remainder of the program fee will be billed to your Kent State student account. The program fee deadline aligns with the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center's summer due dates. You should refer to the first Spring 2025 due date.

Course Information

Course Name: BSCI 40376 - Tropical Field Biology and Conservation

Number of Credit Hours: 5

KSU Sponsoring College: College of Arts and Sciences

Program Language of Instruction: English

Course Description:

Our planet is home to a vast diversity of ecosystems which have been shaped by climate, geography, evolution, and geological history. We will study the effect of these factors on tropical regions as we introduce you to the main characteristics of tropical environments.

Through visits to major tropical habitats, you’ll also have the opportunity to learn about the diversity of ecosystems found in the tropics. You will observe the features of tropical rainforests, tropical seasonally dry forests, mangrove forest, coral reef, coastal ecosystems, and montane forests, as well as the natural history of plants and animals that inhabit them.

Finally, we will discuss the current status of tropical environments, appropriate management, and conservation alternatives to secure their future.

Given the sensitive and delicate nature of the four research stations you will visit, please note that you are expected to stay with your group for the duration of the program.

Field Work and Final Projects

The course will follow the model pioneered by the Organization for Tropical Studies for teaching courses in tropical biology, which emphasizes the use of field work to address specific issues in tropical ecology.

You will learn how to apply modern field observation techniques to generate and test problem-solving hypotheses.

Over a three week period, you will be responsible for the design and collection of data in field projects under the supervision of participating faculty. You will also be expected to conduct data analysis and to present your results and conclusions to your classmates.

Finally, you will complete a written report of each of the four stations you visit in Costa Rica. These reports should follow the format of a scientific article written for Biotropica –The journal of tropical biology and conservation.

We will visit four Biological Research Stations across Costa Rica. See the Itinerary and Location sections below for more details.

Faculty Contact Information

Professor's Name: Dr. Oscar Rocha

Title: Associate Professor

Email: orocha@kent.edu

Phone: 330-672-2297

Eligibility

• Preference will be given to upper division students.
• We recommend you take at least one ecology class before taking this study abroad program.
• Must have taken BSCI Biological Diversity.

This program is designed to take place over Winter Break 2026.

Below is a tentative itinerary; however, the exact sequence, sites, and departure city are subject to changes in availability and cost.

Day 1:

• Arrive in Costa Rica
• Transfer to Palo Verde Research Station
• Orientation and evening lecture

Day 2:

• Orientation and field work

Day 3:

• Field projects and evening lecture

Day 4: 

• Field projects and evening lecture

Day 5:

• Field projects and evening lecture

Day 6:

• Transfer to Monteverde Biological Station
• ​​​​​​​Orientation and evening lecture

Day 7:

• Field projects and evening lecture

Day 8:

• Field projects and evening lecture

Day 9:

• Field projects and evening lecture

Day 10:

• Transfer to La Selva Biological Station
• Orientation and evening lecture

Day 11:

• Field projects and evening lecture

Day 12:

• Field projects and evening lecture

Day 13:

• Field projects and student presentations

Day 14:

• Transfer to Sierpe
• Visit Coffee Plantation

Day 15:

• Transfer to Campanario Biological Station
• Mangrove swamp visit and evening lecture

Day 16:

• Independent project and student presentations

Day 17:

• Independent project and evening lecture
• Visit Isla de Cano National Park

Day 18:

• Independent project and evening lecture

Day 19:

• Independent project and evening lecture

Day 20:

• Transfer to San Jose
• Visit to local markets

Day 21:

• Return to the U.S.
   

Costa Rica

We will visit four Biological Research Stations in Costa Rica.

is located within the Palo Verde National Park on the Pacific slopes of the Guanacaste Province in northwestern Costa Rica (10° 21' N, 85° 21 W). The 19,000-hectare park has seasonally dry forest on limestone outcrops and extensive wetland vegetation bordering the Tempisque River that flows into the Gulf of Nicoya.

is located at the highest point of the Tilarán Mountain Range, between 1400 and 1800 meters above sea level. This elevation influences its weather, creating a microclimate with very distinctive characteristics since it is affected by the Pacific Ocean.

Located at the confluence of two major rivers in the Caribbean lowlands of northern Costa Rica,  comprises 1,600 hectares (3,900 acres) of tropical wet forests and disturbed lands. It averages 4 meters (over 13 feet!) of rainfall that is spread rather evenly throughout the year.

lies in the Pacific lowland tropical rain forest of the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica and stretches nearly 150 acres inland from the sea. A remote reserve, it is proud to be home to a wide array of rare and endangered flora and fauna.

Transportation

Transportation, including airfare and in-country travel, is included. The group travels together at all times in an air-conditioned bus. We will travel to Campanario Biological Station by boat.​​​​​​​

Airports

Students arrive at Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR) in Liberia, Guanacaste and will depart from the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in Alajuela.

Local Transit

All local transportation in Costa Rica is provided. Since we stay in isolated Biological Stations, students are not allowed to separate from the group.

Accommodations

Students will stay in multiple occupancy rooms with a shared bathroom. Accommodations vary among the four Biological Stations. Please note that no accessible housing options are available at these stations.

Meals

Cafeteria style meals are served in all stations and are included in the program costs. During routine stops at gas stations or supermarkets, students may purchase soft drinks, ice cream, fresh fruit, and other snacks or supplies. Students may want to bring $100-$200 to cover those personal expenses. Credit cards are taken throughout the country.