Dr. Terdal's blog

Sabal minor at Red Slough WMA

2011-02-20T08:37:00.000-08:00

Tapir video

2011-01-17T11:53:00.000-08:00

Deer in the Mountain Pine Ridge of Belize

2011-01-17T11:05:00.000-08:00

Puma

2011-01-14T14:36:00.000-08:00

Reviewing photos from the Mountain Pine Ridge of Belize.

Coral Reef Ecology

2010-12-15T18:39:00.000-08:00

Rainforest Restoration event Sept. 10

2010-09-03T08:17:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Coppola Resorts

2010-02-22T17:33:00.000-08:00

I wrote a quick "thank you" to the wonderful folks at Coppola Resorts in Belize. They gave me great help in my research last month.
They put my little note up on their website today:
http://www.coppolaresorts.com/about-us/news/thanks-from-northeastern-state
Let me take this opportunity to say "thank you" again. The people at Blancaneaux were gracious hosts and did everything to help me.

Elephant internship

2009-07-22T21:29:00.001-07:00

This is raw video of me visiting on of my biology interns at work.
Just another day at the office for Dr. Terdal.....

HelmZar zipline

2009-07-22T21:25:00.001-07:00

This video clip shows a student in our "Summer Academy" on one of the many ziplines at the HelmZar challenge course.

Dr. Terdal snorkeling in Belize

2009-06-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

Here I am pointing out corals for my "Coral Reef Zoology" course while snorkeling in the Hol Chan marine reserve in Belize.
For more photos, see http://picasaweb.google.com/drterdal/CoralReef2009

Earthquake rattles Belize

2009-05-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

An earthquake off the coast of Honduras shook Belize early this morning.
The United State Geological Survey has details here:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2009heak.php#details
News reports do not indicate any damage to the areas where we will travel next month, but apparently it was felt there.

No H1N1 flu in Belize

2009-05-15T11:49:00.000-07:00

Belize is still on the shrinking list of North and Central American countries with no documented cases of H1N1 "swine flu." Tests on possible cases have so far all come back negative.
Here is a recent news story from Belize's leading newspaper:
http://www.amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=8578

Airfares keep dropping!

2009-05-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

Here is the best I've seen on kayak.com. There are lots of other airfare websites you should check as well before purchasing, as well as your favorite local travel agent.

The price is $458. I have not used Delta, but my understanding is that Delta includes Belize taxes as well as U.S. taxes (as with Continental but not American). Of course you should check this before purchasing, as all of the airlines change their terms regularly.

The NSU in-state tiuition waiver would defray about 2/3 of this cost. That is pretty cool!

Depart – Sun Jun 21 2009
	Delta Flight 5456	Departs: 7:50a Tulsa (TUL)	Arrives: 10:55a Hartsfield- Jackson (ATL)
	Coach \| Fare code: TSL01 \| Canadair Regional Jet (Regional Jet ) \| 2h 05m \| 672 miles \| 9+ seats remain
	Layover in Atlanta, GA (ATL) for 0h 40m
	Delta Flight 665	Departs: 11:35a Hartsfield- Jackson (ATL)	Arrives: 12:40p Philip S.W.Goldson (BZE)
	Coach \| Fare code: TSL01 \| McDonnell Douglas MD88 (Narrow-body Jet) \| 3h 05m \| 1138 miles \| 9+ seats remain

Return – Mon Jun 29 2009
	Delta Flight 5890	Departs: 1:26p Philip S.W.Goldson (BZE)	Arrives: 6:28p Hartsfield- Jackson (ATL)
	Coach \| Fare code: TSL01 \| Canadair Regional Jet 900 (Regional Jet ) \| 3h 02m \| 1138 miles \| 9+ seats remain
	Layover in Atlanta, GA (ATL) for 2h 07m
	Delta Flight 5277	Departs: 8:35p Hartsfield- Jackson (ATL)	Arrives: 9:42p Tulsa (TUL)
	Coach \| Fare code: TSL01 \| Canadair Regional Jet (Regional Jet ) \| 2h 07m \| 60% on time \| 672 miles \| 9+ seats remain

Tuition waiver!

2009-04-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

Northeastern State University recognizes the value of international experiences for our students. NSU also realizes that the economy is tough right now and that many students who would like to travel abroad are having difficulty budgeting for it. To assist such students, NSU is offering to waive in-state Summer tuition for three credit hours for students in BIOL 3413 and/or ZOOL 4403 who go to Belize on the optional field trip this Summer. In exchange, students who go on the field trip will be required to "blog" about their learning experiences and make the blog accessible to NSU for promotional purposes.
This tutition waiver is worth about $321! That is about half of your travel costs.
As always, let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

News story on airfares to Belize

2009-04-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

This press release covers the recent and precipitous drop in arifares to Belize for this Summer:
http://news.cheapflights.com/airlines/2009/04/discounts-on-american-airlines-flights-to-belize.html

Stayed tuned here for an upcoming offer from NSU that will save you even more!

Airfares go down!

2009-04-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

The world-wide recession is hurting many people around the world--including those in the travel industry. We can take advantage of that, and help stimulate the world's economy.

As a case in point, airfares to Belize have gone way down in recent weeks. When I started planning for this Summer's field season, airfares were nearly $800. I bought my tickets when they dipped below $700. I bought too soon. Tickets are now a little over $500.

Example for a flight leaving Tulsa on June 20 and returning June 29:

$533select

Continental

TUL	6:20a
BZE	11:26a

BZE	10:26a
TUL	6:07p

(5h 06m)1

(5h 41m)1

If you are ready to purchase, I think this is a good time. Please check with me in advance for tips and tricks (e.g., Continental includes taxes paid to both the U.S. and Belize, while American only includes U.S. taxes, leaving you to pay ~$40 upon departure from Belize).

Enrolling in Belize courses

2009-03-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

To enroll in the Belize classes, you need to know the ZAP numbers. They are on page 28 of the Summer schedule, and not under the headings for the regular summer classes. This makes them easy to miss.
Here they are:
BIOL 3413 Environmental Problems ZAP = 0168

ZOOL 4043 Coral Reef Zoology ZAP = 0419

You use the same ZAP numbers whether or not you are going to Belize. If you are enrolling in both courses, you need to enroll in both. Classes start June 8 and end July 30, whether or not you are going to Belize. No portion of either course is held on campus or in Oklahoma, so you can take these courses no matter where you will be this summer. You just need a reliable internet connection. In Belize, you will use inexpensive internet cafes, or you can bring a WiFi laptop.

Belize summer classes

2009-03-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

I have made a flyer describing my two summer classes that include an optional field trip to Belize.

Note that these are online classes. You do not have to be in Oklahoma at anytime for these classes, whether or not you join us on the optional field trip.

As always, post a comment if you have a question, or send me an email.

2009-01-27T13:43:00.000-08:00

I plan to offer "Coral Reef Zoology" this summer as a biology elective class. The theory will be presented online. Students will have choices about their term paper project. One choice will be SCUBA diving the world's second-longest barrier reef ecosystem in Belize, Central America. This is a photo of me doing just that earlier this month. If you are interested, please get in touch with me soon so we can begin planning.

Muskogee Phoenix article

2008-11-10T12:33:00.000-08:00

Here is a news story in todays Muskogee Phoenix about the January trip to Belize:
http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/features/local_story_315004145.html

Airfare to Belize going down!

2008-11-06T13:55:00.000-08:00

The old cliche says that, "every cloud has a silver lining." That seems to apply here. The world-wide recession has led to a drop in fuel prices and less demand for air travel. The airlines have responded by lowering airfares. As of today, American Airlines and Continental Airlines have round trip tickets from Tulsa (TUL) to Belize (BZE) for ~$750 with taxes and fees. I paid ~$800 a month ago!

Helpful links for travellers

2008-10-31T08:54:00.000-07:00

I have been getting a lot of great questions from students interested in going to Belize. Many of the answers come from websites. I'll give the links here for your reference.

Passports: you need a passport good for at least 6 months past the date of travel. Passports are valid for 10 years. It takes a few weeks to obtain one, so apply now even if you are not sure you can go on this trip. To obtain a passport, start at this link: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

Health: only you and your physician can determine if you are healthy enough for travel to a developing country. I suggest that you make an appointment before the trip. You should read the information on this website before you see your physician: http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/
For this trip, we will spend most of our time on the island of Caye Caulker. It is "healthier" than the interior portion of the country. For example, the island has few if any of the Anopheles mosquitoes that can transmit malaria. There is a health clinic on the island that is usually staffed by a physician, and there is also a pharmacy. The nearest hospital is in Belize City, however. Hospitals in developing countries like Belize are not up to the standards of those in the U.S.

Safety: developing countries are not as safe to live in or visit as the U.S. Visitors need to exercise more caution than they do at home. The U.S. state department has advisories for Belize at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1055.html. Most of these advisories relate to Belize City and the remote regions, not Caye Caulker, but some are applicable. You should be familiar with the precautions recommended by our diplomats in Belize!

Caye Caulker: I have taken students to this charming island since 1999. It is one of the more successful parts of Belize because the lobster fishermen organized a cooperative in the 1960s to obtain higher prices for their harvest in overseas markets. Sociologists have studied this island as a model for other villages in the developing world struggling to respond to globalization. This experience with globalization prepared the village for the "ecotourism" boom in the 1990s. The villagers resisted outside corporations and developed their tourism industry themselves. The villagers use the Internet to promote themselves. Here is the village tourism website: http://www.gocayecaulker.com/. There are many Internet cafes competing for business, so the village is ideal for students in an online class!

Getting there: The easiest way to Caye Caulker from Oklahoma is to fly. American Airlines and Continental Airlines fly daily from Tulsa (TUL) to airports in Texas (DFW and IAH, respectively) where you can change planes for non-stop flights to Belize City (BZE). The airlines have comparable airfares, but check both. It helps to be flexible about the dates you travel. We are not flying as one large group, so you can arrive early or stay late for extra sightseeing or a mini vacation. Any travel agent can assist you for a small fee, or you can check the airline websites and those of the many online tickets booking services (e.g., travelocity, expedia, kayak, orbitz, etc.) yourself.

Once you arrive at the Belize City airport, there are two ways to get to Caye Caulker (http://www.gocayecaulker.com/gethere.html). The easiest way is to fly directly from the international airport to the Caye Caulker airport. Two airlines, Maya Island and Tropic Air, have several flights daily. You do not need to buy tickets in advance. Just walk up to the ticket counter in the tiny Belize airport and buy tickets with cash, traveller's check or credit card for the next flight.

From the Caye Caulker airport, you can walk into town or hire a golf-cart taxi. If you have a hotel, they will take you there. If you do not, no worries! You can find one without advance reservations and negotiate a price after you see the room. Links to some of the hotels are at http://www.gocayecaulker.com/serv.html. You can email me for recommendations in your price range ($20 to $200/night).

The more adventuresome way to get from the Belize City airport to Caye Caulker is to take a taxi from the airport to the downtown water taxi terminal, then take a water taxi to the island. Here is the website for the oldest of the water taxi companys: http://www.cayecaulkerwatertaxi.com/ This route costs less money than flying and is more fun. You get to see a bit of Belize City from the taxi window and enjoy a fast boat ride through the mangroves between Belize City and Caye Caulker. The water taxi takes you to the front dock in the center of Caye Caulker--a short walk to any hotel. Bicycle taxis are available to help with luggage if you wish.

What to do on Caye Caulker: we will learn about how people in a developing country solve environmental problems. We will do this by talking to people and walking around and looking at the island's infrastructure. To expedite this, we will sign up for a few "tours" operated by local people. We will go snorkeling in the marine sanctuary to learn about conservation of lobster, conch and fish. We will also go inland to tour ruins of the classic Maya civilization at Lamanai. Lamanai is unique for being the only classic Maya city in Belize still occupied by the Maya when the Spanish conquistadors arrived five centuries ago. We will also visit the larger village of San Pedro on the next island to the north. San Pedro choose a different development pathway than Caye Caulker; we will use the comparison to see how decisions made by one generation have consequences for the next. This website gives an overview of the activities on the island: http://www.gocayecaulker.com/act.html

What you should do next: enroll! Once you have done that, go to Blackboard (http://nsuonline.nsuok.edu/) and look for Winter 2009 Environmental Problems. We'll continue trip planning there.

News release

2008-10-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

Here is the press release put out by NSU about the trip to Belize this winter:
http://www.nsuok.edu/news/story.php?2255
As it says, contact me by email for more information!

Belize flyer

2008-10-16T10:24:00.001-07:00

Here is the flyer I am asking NSU faculty to pass out in their classes to interested students.

Click on the image of the flyer to make it large enough to read or to print it.

2008-10-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

Winter intersession

BIOL 3413 Environmental Problems ONLINE 12/22 - 1/9

ZAP number XXXX for all campuses (Tahlequah, Broken Arrow, Muskogee).

This is a class intended for non-majors, but open to biology majors.

We will review the basics of science, then apply that knowledge to understanding environmental problems. The Blackboard software (http://nsuonline.nsuok.edu) will be used throughout. We will read and discuss timely books. Also, students will form teams to study in depth environmental problems in a particular community.

There are two options: option A is to study an area where the student lives, and option B is to study a village in Belize, a developing country.

Students selecting option A will form a team with classmates who live nearby. Students will have to travel to places in their community to see how environmental problems in their community are dealt with.

Students in Environmental Problems selecting option B will examine how villagers in a developing country (Belize) address various environmental problems (energy, transportation, food, water, waste, income, etc.). This will allow a comparison with the methods used by people in a developed country (the U.S.) as examined by the rest of the class (option A).

The particular village we will focus on for Environmental Problems, option B, is Caye Caulker (CC), a tiny island in the Caribbean with an economy based on lobster fishing and tourism.

Here are supplemental cost estimates for students in Environmental Problems,

option B:

Date Day Event notes Event$ Food$ Lodging$

Jan 4 Sunday Fly TUL -> BZE, Caye Caulker $450 $20 $40

Jan 5 Monday Tour village on own $10 $30 $40

Jan 6 Tuesday Lamanai tour $120 $30 $40

Jan 7 Wed. San Pedro tour on own $15 $40 $40

Jan 8 Thursday Tour marine reserve $40 $30 $40

Jan 9 Friday Tour village on own $0 $30 $40

Jan 10 Saturday Fly home $450 $20 $0

Total cost = $1,525 + $175 contingency = $1,700 + tuition, fees, books.

This will vary from student to student. The biggest expense is airfare. I assumed $850 from Tulsa to Belize City, and assumed that includes all taxes and fees. Airfares change, and are more likely to go up than down, especially if you wait. (Note: I bought my ticket for $800.) Also, students can fly from Belize City to Caye Caulker (~$50 RT) like a tourist or take a water taxi with locals--cheaper and more fun. I assumed students would spend $40/night for lodging. There is less expensive lodging available, and students can share a room to split costs. There is also more expensive lodging. Each student will make their own lodging arrangements. Food costs will also vary. I encourage students to shop in local markets, like villagers do. This is inexpensive—much less than reflected above. Restaurants vary in price; some cost much more than is reflected above. Costs for daily activities will also vary, but the estimates above are typical based on previous years.

Big cat

2008-07-11T18:11:00.000-07:00

This photograph of a large felid was taken in the Elijio Panti National Park of Belize on the date and time shown. Please post comments with your opinion as to the species of animal seen here, your expertise in interpreting wildlife photos, and an email where I can contact you.

Orchids

2008-07-05T16:37:00.000-07:00

Elijio Panti National Park warden Antonio Mai shows an orchid in bloom to one of my "Tropical Ecology Lab" students in July, 2008. These orchids were blooming on the banks of the Privassion Creek, just down stream from the Sakt'aj waterfall.

In the forest

2008-07-05T16:32:00.000-07:00

Here are two of my "Tropical Ecology lab" students deep in the Elijio Panti National Park in Belize in July, 2008. We rode horses to cover more ground than we could have on foot in the deep mud of the rainy season. Shortly after I took this photo, we heard male howler monkeys calling in the tree tops, but the forest was so dense that we could not see them.

Dr. Terdal at Belize Zoo

2008-07-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

I took the students in my "Tropical Ecology lab" to the Belize Zoo on July 4 to see Belizean wildlife up close. Here I am by the Harpy Eagle exhibit. This exhibit is featured in a text we are reading for the online Environmental Problems class, "The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw." I met Sharon Matola here a few years ago, during the events described in the book.

Society for Economic Botany

2008-06-12T17:48:00.000-07:00

This is the poster I presented at the 49th annual meeting of the Society for Economic Botany at Duke University in June, 2008. It describes research I've done with co-authors Rhea and Ben in Belize on the ethnomedicine of the Maya. Rhea and I, with three students, will be back in Belize June and July to continue our work.

2008-05-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

Students are eager to know which textbooks I am using so that they can investigate their purchase options. I am all in favor of the free market! In theory, it should bring down prices.

Here are my picks for Summer, 2008:

May, 2008, Intersession

0279 *BIOL 4503 TROPICAL ECOLOGY LECT MTWTh 9:00 AM- 11:40 ITV 05/12-06/06 TERDAL E SL 129

0284 *BIOL 4503 TROPICAL ECOLOGY LECT MTWThF 9:00 AM- 11:40 ITV 05/12-06/06 TERDAL E NSM 209

0278 *BIOL 4503 TROPICAL ECOLOGY LECT MTWThF 9:00 AM- 11:40 ITV 05/12-06/06 TERDAL E BA-G114

Kricher, John. 1997. A neotropical companion, 2e. Princeton University Press.

New, $30, Amazon.com $20, used from $12.

0343 *BIOL 4501 TROPICAL ECOLOGY LAB ONLINE 05/12-06/06 TERDAL E BA-D143
NOTE: 32 hours field work Offline email terdal@nsuok.edu. Refer to further
instructions regarding online classes in the “Online” section of this schedule.

NOTE: this class may be cancelled due to low enrollment. Please check with the instructor before purchasing texts.

Option A: Sibley, David A. 2003. The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America (Paperback). Knopf.
New, $20; Amazon, $14; used $7.

Option B: Beletsky, L. 2004. Belize: And Northern Guatemala (Travellers' Wildlife Guides) (Paperback). Interlink.

New $28, Amazon $19, used $10.

There are some additional suggested texts for students taking option B. Please email me for more details.

June, 2008

0337 *BIOL 4522 ECOLOGCIAL METHODS ONLINE 06/09-07/03 TERDAL E BA-D143
NOTE: 32 hours field work Offline email terdal@nsuok.edu.

Sutherland, William J. (ed.) 2006. Ecological Census Techniques: a handbook (paperback), 2e. Cambridge.

New $57, Amazon $51, used $50 (be sure to get the 2e, not the much older 1e!)

June and July, 2008

0335 *BIOL 3413 ENVIRONMENTAL PROB ONLINE 06/09-07/31 TERDAL E BA-D143

In the past, I used a single, comprehensive textbook. It was as dull as my lectures. This summer, we are doing a summer reading activity, using four mass-market books in lieu of a single tome.

In the order in which we will read them:

Angier, Natalie. 2008. The Canon. Mariner Books.

Paperback: new, $16; Amazon, $11; used, $10

Diamond, Jared. 2005. Collapse. Penguin Books.

Paperback: new $17; Amazon, $12; used, $5.

Barcott, Bruce. 2008. The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw. Random House.

Hardback: new $26; Amazon, $18; used, $16.

Weisman, Alan. 2007. The World without us. Thomas Dunne Books.

Hardback: new $25; Amazon, $17; used, $7.

I'll post on Fall classes later. For now, I plan to use these same texts for Environmental Problems in the fall, but there should be a paperback edition of The World Without Us by then.

Sources of books:

The campus bookstore may be the most convenient. If you prefer to shop online, I use amazon.com and powells.com. Amazon.com is often cheaper for new books. The advantage, as I see it, of powells.com is in buying used books. They buy them and then sell them to you. When amazon.com sells used books, they are really just a middle-man and so take less responsibility. They are kind of like ebay in that regard. I have not used ebay.com for textbooks but would welcome your input. I know other students like other websites, including some which offer international editions at big discounts. Let's start a discussion on the best way to buy textbooks!

2008-03-23T16:24:00.000-07:00

I am planning my 2008 field season in Belize, Central America. I have been doing work in Belize since 1998. I plan to continue my research on the ethnoecology of the Maya people living in the Cayo District, with a focus on the resources of the Elijio Panti National Park. I will also teach students from NSU about ecological and environmental issues in a developing country in the tropics, as I have done since 1999. I expect to take a select few students enrolled in Tropical Ecology lab, Ecological Methods and/or Environmental Problems to Belize for the 10th year running. Here is some information on my 2008 summer classes. It is designed for students considering travel to Belize, but may be informative for students staying in Oklahoma as well.

May Intersession

BIOL 4503 Tropical Ecology lectures MTWTh 9 - 11:40 am by ITV

ZAP numbers: 0297 for Tahlequah, 0278 for Broken Arrow and 0284 for Muskogee.

This is a lecture class for biology majors and a select few non-majors by permission only. Please email me at terdal@nsuok.edu before registering if you are not a biology major. We will use the 2e of A Neotropical Companion (Kricher, 1999) as a textbook. In addition to lectures, we will use materials on Blackboard (nsuonline.nsuok.edu) extensively. There will also be field trips to the Jenks Aquarium and the Tulsa Zoo.

You may take this class and not take any of my other summer classes, but if you plan to go to Belize later in the summer, you should take this class first.

BIOL 4501 Tropical Ecology lab ONLINE + 32 hours of field work offline.

ZAP number 0343 for all campuses (Tahlequah, Broken Arrow, Muskogee).

This is an optional lab experience for students enrolled in Tropical Ecology lecture. You may take Tropical Ecology lecture without taking this lab class, but the lab is only open to students also enrolled in Tropical Ecology lecture.

There are two options for the lab class. Option A focuses on Avian species richness in Oklahoma, with an emphasis on neotropical migratory birds. Students taking option A will carry out an independent research project requiring a documented 32 hours of field work near their homes. We will use Blackboard (nsuonline.nsuok.edu) and Cornell University's ebird.org website. This option requires early morning hours and binoculars.

Option B is for students who travel to Belize. Students taking option B will need to contact me by email and also make travel plans by the start of the May intersession. These plans include obtaining a passport, consulting with their physician, purchasing plane tickets and saving money for expenses in Belize. These expenses, including airfare and lodging but NOT tuition, fees or textbooks, will be ~US$1,600; details below. Option B students will carry out an independent field project requring a documented 32 hours of field work in Belize and using Blackboard (nsuonline.nsuok.edu) from internet cafes in remote Belizean villages.

Option B has two sub-options: rainforest and reef.

Students going to Belize and taking the rainforest sub-option will base their field work out of the the Clarissa Falls Resort (http://www.clarissafalls.com/) in the Cayo District of Belize. This sub-option runs from Saturday, June 28, through Friday, July 4. It is intended for students with prior experience travelling independently in developing countries. Interested students MUST make arrangements with me prior to enrolling!

The reef sub-option runs from Saturday, July 5, through Friday, July 11. Students selecting the reef sub-option will be based on the island of Caye Caulker but will make one trip to the mainland to see rainforest at a classical Maya ruin. My favorite Caye Caulker website is http://www.gocayecaulker.com/. The reef sub-option is the preferred choice for students who do not have prior travel experience in a developing country. It also facilitates simultaneous enrollment in BIOL 3413: Environmental Problems during the Summer Session.

Summer session

BIOL 3413 Environmental Problems ONLINE 06/09 - 07/31

ZAP number 0335 for all campuses (Tahlequah, Broken Arrow, Muskogee).

This is a class intended for non-majors, but open to biology majors. It will review the basics of science, then apply that knowledge to understanding environmental problems. The Blackboard software (nsuonline.nsuok.edu) will be used. We will read and discuss several books. Also, students will form teams to discuss environmental problems in a community. There are two options: option A is to study an area where the student lives, and option B is to study a village in Belize.

Students in Environmental Problems selecting option B will examine how villagers in a developing country (Belize) address various types of environmental problems (energy, food, water, waste, income, etc.). This will allow a comparison with the methods used by people in a developed country (the U.S.) as examined by the rest of the class (option A).

The particular village we will focus on for Environmental Problems, option B, is Caye Caulker (CC):

Here are cost estimates for students in either or both of Tropical Ecology, option B, sub-option reef and Environmental Problems, option B:

Date Day Events Cost Travel Cost Lodging Cost Food Cost Notes
7/4/2008 Fri Holiday in U.S.
7/5/2008 Sat Arrive $60 Fly TUL -> BZE $725 Hostel $40 Airport $40 Lobsterfest on CC
7/6/2008 Sun Village $0 $0 Hostel $40 store $20
7/7/2008 Mon Village $0 $0 Hostel $40 store $20
7/8/2008 Tues City $0 Water Taxi $30 Hostel $40 Restaurant $30 Belize City or San Pedro
7/9/2008 Wed Ruin $120 Tour $0 Hostel $40 Restaurant $30 Altun Ha or Lamanai
7/10/2008 Thurs Village $0 $0 Hostel $40 store $20
7/11/2008 Fri Village $0 $0 Hostel $40 store $20
7/12/2008 Sat Depart $60 Fly CC -> TUL $0 Airport $40

Sums $1,495
Assume $75 Souvenirs (calculated @ %5)
$1,570 Total estimated cost.

This will vary from student to student. The biggest expense is airfare. I assumed $725 from Tulsa to Belize City, and assumed that includes all taxes and fees. Airfares change, and are more likely to go up than down, especially if you wait. (Note: I bought my tickets for $662.) Also, students can fly from Belize City to Caye Caulker like a tourist or take a water taxi with locals--cheaper and more fun. I assumed students would spend $40/night for lodging. There is less expensive lodging available, and students can share a room. There is also more expensive lodging. Each students will make their own lodging arrangements. Food costs will also vary. I encourage students to shop in local markets, like villagers do. This is inexpensive. Restaurants vary in price. Costs for daily activities will also vary; SCUBA diving is fun but costly, as is deep-sea fishing. Other activities are less expensive. I made an estimate of $240, but know this will vary among students. I also assumed that students would spend $75 on souvenirs, but again, this will vary.

BIOL 4522 Ecological Methods ONLINE 06/09 - 07/31

ZAP 0337 for all campuses (Tahlequah, Broken Arrow, Muskogee).

NOTE: 32 hours field work offline; email terdal@nsuok.edu before enrolling.

This class is only for biology majors, especially those in the fish and wildlife or organismic emphases. It has Ecology as a prerequisite, which in turn requires statistics. We will use the 2e of Ecological Census Techniques (Sutherland, 2006) to cover the theory of quantifying abundance in nature. Online work will involve posts about the assigned readings, mathematical problem solving and timed quizzes. Offline field work (32 hours) will be conducted in teams and results will be posted on the Blackboard site (nsuonline.nsuok.edu). There will be two options.

Option A will involve field work at Sequoyah State Park, focusing on the population of white-tailed deer and their effects on the community, such as neotropical songbirds, plants and parasites such as ticks.

Option B will involve field work in Belize. This option is intended for students already travelling to Belize for Tropical Ecology lab (above). It requires my permission in advance. Students in Tropical Ecology lab, option B, rainforest sub-option, will quantify some aspect of the abundance of medicinal plants at the Clarissa Falls resort. Students taking the reef sub-option will quantify some aspect of marine life in the mangrove swamp ecosystem of Caye Caulker.

Options

There are many ways to mix and match these classes to meet your needs. Here are seven examples, but please contact me by email (terdal@nsuok.edu; if you do not get a reply in 72 hours, resend and CC to drterdal@gmail.com).

1) Tropical Ecology lecture. You can take this May intersession class by ITV from any of the three campuses and not take anything else.

2) Tropical Ecology lecture + lab, option A. You can get up before dawn each morning in May and go birding, then come by any of the NSU campuses for lecture by ITV.

3) Tropical Ecology lecture + lab, option B, reef sub-option. Come to Belize for the week after July 4th to snorkel the 2nd largest barrier reef ecosystem on Earth, plus explore a Maya ruin over 1,000 years old!

4) Tropical Ecology lecture + lab, option B, reef sub-option; Environmental Problems, option B. Come to Belize for the week after July 4th to fish on the 2nd largest barrier reef ecosystem on Earth, plus explore a Maya ruin over 1,000 years old, and draw contrasts with how a modern village solves the same environmental problems that challenged the Maya of a millennium ago.

5) Tropical Ecology lecture + lab, option B, reef sub-option; Environmental Problems, option B; Ecological Methods, option B. Come to Belize for the week after July 4th to SCUBA dive on the 2nd largest barrier reef ecosystem on Earth, plus explore a Maya ruin over 1,000 years old, and contrast that with how a modern village solves the same environmental problems that challenged the Maya of a millennium ago. Compare abundance of an important food fish for Maya past and present, the yellow-tail snapper, in three environments: a long-established reserve, a new reserve and a control area where fishing is unregulated.

6) Tropical Ecology lecture + lab, option B, rainforest sub-option; Ecological Methods, option B; Environmental Problems, option B. Come to Belize for the first week in July to explore ancient Maya ruins and learn how modern Maya use medicinal plants. Determine the relative abundance of commonly used medicinal plants in a remnant patch of rainforest. Talk to Maya people in a village near the Clarissa Falls Resort about how they solve the environmental problems that challenged their ancestors >1,000 years ago.

7) Tropical Ecology lecture + lab, option B, rainforest sub-option; Ecological Methods, option B; Environmental Problems, option B. Come to Belize for the first week of July to explore ancient Maya ruins in the rainforest. Determine the relative diversity of flying insects (at the ordinal level) in a rainforest, for comparison with that in a mangrove swamp on Caye Caulker during the second week of July. On Caye Caulker, investigate how the people solve problems such as waste disposal, access to clean water, transport, food, etc. Note: this would involve two weeks in Belize, which obviously increases total costs >$1,600 although it lowers cost per day. It also spreads the field work for the three classes over more days, which reduces stress!

Telecommuting

2008-03-04T18:32:00.000-08:00

On Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays this semester I am usually in my office on the BA campus. However, some days I take advantage of the internet to telecommute from my home office. I can keep track of classes using the learning management system, Blackboard (http://nsuonline.nsuok.edu).

In this photo, I am following discussion threads for my online Evolution class. I am warming up with a mug of coffee, and then using my body heat to keep warm a young goat. This photo was taken on a particularly cold morning and I brought him inside briefly to warm him up.

I named this whether goat "Survivor" because his sibling and two cousins died of cold in January, and he made it.

Office Hours for Spring, 2008

2008-01-10T10:57:00.001-08:00

All of my Spring, 2008, classes have a Blackboard site: http://nsuonline.nsuok.edu
Please check your course website there regularly.

Office hours:

Mondays and Tuesdays, I will often be in my lab next to my office. I may not hear the telephone ring, and I do not check voicemail, but feel free to look around for me.
Mondays, noon (unless I am on an Ecology field trip)
Tuesdays, 3 pm (unless I am on a Mammalogy field trip)

Wednesdays and Thursdays, 9 am - noon online.
I am usually in my office (NSU BA D-134) but may be in the library, in a computer lab, in another lab, in the coffee shop or even at Terdal Farm. Send me an email and I will reply quickly. We can exchange emails, talk on the telephone, start a chat/IM session or even arrange to meet in person.

2008-01-10T10:51:00.000-08:00

I am planning my 2008 field season in Belize, Central America. I plan to continue my research on the ethnoecology of the Maya on the Cayo district, with a focus on the resources of the Elijio Panti National Park near San Antonio village.

I expect to take a few students enrolled in Tropical Ecology lab and Environmental Problems. Tropical Ecology lab students will be in "option B" and focus on bird life of the tropics for comparison with Tropical Ecology lab students using option A: avian species richness in their local area. Environmental Problems students will examine how villagers in a developing country address various types of environmental problems (energy, food, water, waste, income, etc.). This will allow a comparison with the methods used by people in a developed country (the U.S.) as examined by the rest of the class.

The particular village we will focus on is Caye Caulker (CC):

http://www.staycayecaulker.com/grc/map.jpg

My favorite Caye Caulker website is http://www.gocayecaulker.com/

Here is a first draft of cost estimates:

Date Day Events Cost Travel Cost Lodging Cost Food Cost Notes
7/4/2008 Fri Holiday in U.S.
7/5/2008 Sat Arrive $60 Fly TUL -> BZE $725 Hostel $40 Airport $40 Lobsterfest on CC
7/6/2008 Sun Village $0 $0 Hostel $40 store $20
7/7/2008 Mon Village $0 $0 Hostel $40 store $20
7/8/2008 Tues Belize City $0 Water Taxi $30 Hostel $40 Restaurant $30
7/9/2008 Wed Ruin $120 Tour $0 Hostel $40 Restaurant $30 Altun Ha or Lamanai
7/10/2008 Thurs Village $0 $0 Hostel $40 store $20
7/11/2008 Fri Village $0 $0 Hostel $40 store $20
7/12/2008 Sat Depart $60 Fly CC -> TUL $0 Airport $40

Sums $1,495
Assume $75 Souvenirs (calculated @ %5)
$1,570 Total estimated cost.

This will vary from student to student. The biggest expense is airfare. I assumed $725 from Tulsa to Belize City, and assumed that includes all taxes and fees. Airfares change. Also, students can fly from Belize City to Caye Caulker like a tourist or take a water taxi with locals--cheaper and more fun. I assumed students would spend $40/night for lodging. There is less expensive lodging available, and students can share a room. There is also more expensive lodging. Each students will make their own lodging arrangements. Food costs will also vary. I encourage students to shop in local markets, like villagers do. This is inexpensive. Restaurants vary in price. Costs for daily activities will also vary. SCUBA diving is fun but costly, as is deep-sea fishing. Other activities are less expensive. I made an estimate of $240, but know this will vary among students. I also assumed that students would spend $75 on souvenirs, but again, this will vary.

As always, please email me if you have any questions.

Final exams

2007-12-11T19:02:00.001-08:00

Where is global warming when we need it!
Actually, if it was colder, we would have had snow instead of frezing rain.
Here is the new plan (Plan C?!?) for final exams for Fall, 2007 classes:
Ecology: on campus Wed. or Thurs. morning from 9 am to noon in G-118- or G-130, OR take the sum of your midterms in lieu.
Environmental Problems: online at home, open book, open note, on your honor NOT to divulge test contents, OR take twice your midterm in lieu.
Evolution of Vertebrates: on campus Wed. or Thurs. morning from 9 am to noon in G-118- or G-130, OR take the sum of your best two midterms in lieu.
Fish and Wildlife: as is, but you may FAX your printed exam to the BA campus instead, or get it to my house by 2 pm Friday.
I have no power, telephone or internet at home. These are unreliable on campus as well. If you need to leave me a messgae, you may do so c/o Kris Rider on the BA campus, but I may not get it before final course grades are submitted.

Back from Belize and getting ready for the Fall semester

2007-08-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

The research and teaching in Belize was a great success.
Research wise, Dr. Kracht and I decided to focus on the Maya village of San Antonio in the Cayo district. It is near the Elijio Panti National Park. It is administered by the Itxamana society and is being developed for tourism in large part through the efforts of trekforce, a Britich NGO.
Teaching, I had five students to explore the rainforest and Maya ruins with in "tropical ecology lab." They were joined by two others to explore the coral reefs offshore of Belize in "coral reef ecology."
Back on the farm, I am getting ready for the Fall, 2007, semester. I am teaching Ecology, Environmental Problems, Evolution of Vertebrates and Fish and Wildlife Management. I am making Blackboard sites for all, and hope students check those out this week.
My Fall 2007 office hourse will be:
Mondays, 3-4 pm in my office or in the field with Ecology field trips
Tuesdays, noon - 1 pm in my labs (in NSU-BA, bldg. D, near my office at D-134)
Wednesdays, online 9 am -- noon using my course website and my drterdal@gmail.com email
Thursdays, online 9 am -- noon using my course website and my drterdal@gmail.com email
Fridays, online 9 -- 10 am using my course website and my drterdal@gmail.com email

Getting ready for Belize!

2007-06-27T20:19:00.001-07:00

My June "Tropical Ecology" class is winding down and my July classes, "Tropical Ecology Lab" and "Coral Reef Ecology" are gearing up. I'll spend the first week of July getting students ready to go, then I'll be in Belize doing research and preparing for the students.

Farm blog spot

2007-05-10T15:27:00.000-07:00

Oops!
The url for my farm blog is at
http://terdalfarm.blogspot.com/
I have not been good about updating it, however.

Welcome!

2007-05-10T15:21:00.000-07:00

I am starting this blog for my professional activities.
I have another blog on blogger.com for my farm; you can look for that at terdalfarm.blogger.com.