McDaniel College Course EPS 1140

This is a 3 week course in January in the Philippines. The main purpose of the course is to expose students to real life community based conservation programs in a developing country.

The estimated cost of the course is $2700. A $500 deposit is due by October 8 to the Bursar's Office. You must register in person by October 8 (not online) for this course by filling out an ADD FORM at the Registrar's Office. This form should be signed by Dr. Esther Iglich who can be found in the IT Office. Please also email Casey Gustowarow at caseygusto@gmail.com and Esther Iglich at eiglich@mcdaniel.edu if you plan on taking this Jan term.

If you are interested in EPS 1140, look below for a longer summary and itinerary.

If you are interested in learning more about the Philippines, the places we will visit and the organizations we will check out click on the links on either side of the main page.

OTHER CONCERNS

FOR WORRIED PARENTS AND PARTICIPANTS
Our study tour will be conducted primarily on the main islands of Bohol and Negros in the Central Visayas. This area of the Philippines is entirely safe, as is a large majority of the country. There are thousands of tourists that visit this area every year without any problems or safety issues. Two of the leaders of the study tour will be Returned U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers who lived in the Philippines for two years from 2004 until 2006. They speak the local language and understand local customs and will lead the students on a safe, fun and eye-opening adventure in this amazing country.

COSTS
The costs for the trip will be approximately $2700 per student. This cost however depends on a number of factors including the number of students who sign up for the course and the exchange rates. The course costs should be paid directly to the Bursar's Office with checks made out to "McDaniel College" with the name of the course in the subject line.

A $500 deposit is due by October 8 in the Bursar's Office.
A second payment of $1500 is due on October 22 in the Bursar's Office.
The final payment of $700 is due on November 5 in the Bursar's Office.

PASSPORTS
This is very important. If you do not have one, you will need to apply for a passport as soon as possible. This takes 10 weeks to secure so it is imperative that you do apply now. If you do not have a passport by the time of our Jan Term, you will be unable to join. For more information on how to apply visit the US Passport Home Page. You can apply for your passport at your post office. While you do need a passport, you will get a visa on arrival in the Philippines so you do not need to worry about this.

REGISTRATION
For information on how to register for Jan term courses go here.
For more general information about Jan Terms offered by McDaniel College go here.

You must register in person by October 8 (not online) for this course by filling out an ADD FORM at the Registrar's Office. This form should be signed by Dr. Esther Iglich who can be found in the IT Office. Please also email Casey Gustowarow at caseygusto@gmail.com and Esther Iglich at eiglich@mcdaniel.edu if you plan on taking this Jan term.

When you register for the course, all students are required to submit a Student Record Review Form directly to the Office of Student Affairs. Before the end of the first semester on December 15, all participants on the trip are required to submit three additional forms to the Office of Student Affairs. These forms are a Contact Information Form, Health Information Form and a Liability Release Form for Jan Term courses. Hard or electronic copies of these forms can be obtained from the Office of Student Affairs or the International Programs Office. These forms can also be downloaded here.

This course will be open to McDaniel alumni and other non-students who are seriously interested in this course. The same fees will need to be paid by these participants. Interested individuals should contact the Registrar's Office at McDaniel College to request to audit the course.

PRE-DEPARTURE MEETINGS
We will have two or three meetings during the first semester. During this time we will review all of the necessary concerns and have some paperwork for you to fill out. We will also review expectations and rules of the trip as well as our planned itinerary. A few lectures will be given at this time to give the participants important background information on the Philippines. These meetings are a requirement of all participants.

COURSE REQUIRMENTS
1. Attendance at all pre-departure meetings and participation in all study tour activities
2. Daily journal during trip
3. Group presentation to larger McDaniel community upon return

IN CHARGE
Your leaders for the trip will be two environmental biologists and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers from the Philippines, J. Casey Gustowarow ('02 McDaniel) and Laura Galati ('03 Northern Arizona University) and the fun-loving Environmental Policy and Science coordinator and CIO at McDaniel, Dr. Esther Iglich. If you have further concerns or any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at caseygusto@gmail.com or eiglich@mcdaniel.edu. We will try to get back to you as soon as possible.

HEALTH AND INSURNACE INFORMATION
If your health insurance does not cover international travel, I would suggest purchasing a cheap short term policy. One which I have heard good things about is World Nomads. You can also use this policy to cover valuables such as cameras and i-Pods.

According to the Center for Disease Control, there are no necessary vaccines for the Philippines. Malaria is not an issue in the area of the Philippines where we will be visiting.

WHAT TO BRING
Please do not bring too much as we will be traveling quite a bit and a lot of luggage is not necessary and will make traveling difficult. It is good practice to travel light. You are going to a tropical country so you should not need heavy clothes. There is also no need to dress to impress. We will be able to do laundry along the way so there is no need to bring 14 pairs of clothes. Here are my suggestions:

1 swimsuit (it is a conservative country so please nothing provocative)
5 shirts (t-shirts are fine)
5-7 pairs of underwear
1 pair sandals or Chaco/Teva type shoes
1-2 pairs shorts
1 pair lightweight pants
1 nicer top
1 long sleeve for air-conditioned plane and transportation
1 lightweight rain jacket (optional as it might not rain)
1 book for the plane and other travel
snorkeling gear (optional but highly recommended as the coral reefs are amazing)
sunblock
insect repellent
hat
sunglasses
personal medication and toiletries