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CCA Prof Takes Students on Learning Odyssey

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Contributed by: Tracy Williams on 6/28/2007

Written by Jerry Roys, CCA Freelance Writer

(Aurora, CO) -- There's nothing like being up close and personal with a subject to help you understand it.

No one knows that better than Sheridan Samano, professor of biology at the Community College of Aurora (CCA).

Samano and eight CCA students recently returned from a two-week field study trip to Costa Rica. The group also included twelve upper lever undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Colorado-Denver Health Sciences Center.

"This was an opportunity for our students to experience hands-on field work studying endangered species in a unique part of the world," Samano said.

In an effort to teach her students about the earth's biodiversity, Samano arranged the trip with the goal of providing the ultimate learning experience.

Their studies took them to the rain forest of Peninsula de Osa on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, which is home to 2% of the world's biodiversity, and Estacion Las Tortugas, a turtle research station on the Caribbean side. As part of the course, students studied the nesting behavior of leatherback sea turtles and foraging activity by spider monkeys, both endangered species. Spider monkeys and leatherback sea turtles are both suffering population declines as a result of habitat loss.

"They actually got to work with the leatherbacks as they built nests on the beach, and almost every student said this was the highlight of the trip," Samano said.

"The learning experience is unparalleled with respect to what the students get to do," Samano said. "We give students the opportunity to do research early on in their academic careers. They retain the information they learn in a much greater capacity because of their hands-on work and the richness of their experiences."

This was Samano's third excursion with CCA students to Costa Rica. She enjoys going there because it provides wonderful opportunities to see tropical species diversity in a safe environment. Samano finds there is always some piece of her field studies she can share with her students back in the classroom at CCA.

Samano is already in the planning stages for next year's student trip.

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Tracy Williams

Aurora , CO

Tracy Williams has posted 327 stories and 0 comments since joining on 1/2/2007. Tracy Williams 's average story rating is 5.

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