Today we are IN THE CLASSROOM at Colorado Mountain College with Emily Schultz, a biology and ecosystem science and stewardship professor.
She teaches a unique course in one of the world’s most unique natural environments – a world-class ski resort.
“So much of our economy is based on outdoor activities,” she says. “I think that has some pros and cons in terms of conservation.”
Schultz watches this tug of war play out every day in her classroom and the woods all around.
“My students are very interested in this,” she says. “When I asked them about their research interests, a lot of it focuses on the impacts of recreation on the local ecosystems.”
This same tug of war recently took Schultz and her colleague, Ian McCullough, to the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica.
“Costa Rica has some similar challenges between balancing recreation with conservation,” she says. “A large part of their economy is based on ecotourism. The size of the Osa Peninsula is only about one-third of the size of Rhode Island, but it contains 2.5% of diversity in the entire world.”
This May, Schultz and McCullough won a Federal IDEAS grant worth $35,000. That money has kickstarted the program.
“We would like to develop this program so we can take students down there,” she says. “They can visit the Osa Peninsula and work with the conservation scientists.”
When it launches in coming years, it will be the first of its kind for CMC ecology students.
“(This is about) pushing their comfort zone, experiencing new things, seeing new places,” she says. “I hope this will feed student interest in travel and working with international students.”
Thanks for going IN THE CLASSROOM from Heavenly Times Hot Tubs and Billiards and The Summit Foundation Bright Futures Fund.