Description

Students of the 2012 Borneo Field School have the unique opportunity to live in the Wehea Dayak community of Nehas Liah Bing and explore the flora and fauna of the remote Wehea Forest. For five weeks, one group of students will live with a Wehea Dayak family to learn about culture and traditions and efforts sustain their rich and vibrant heritage. Another group will explore the pristine Wehea Forest, a biodiversity hotspot, home to orangutan, clouded leopard and sun bear. All students start the field school together in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan and travel overland to Wehea, where they learn about real-world conservation and development issues. While in the field, students will learn directly from scientists, local leaders, rangers and NGO's who are working to solve the complex challenge of protecting the remaining biological and cultural diversity on our planet.

Highlights

In the face of global environmental change, new approaches are needed to solve complex conservation and development issues. Solutions must be interdisciplinary and need to draw upon research in both the social and natural sciences. The curriculum of the Ethical Expeditions Field School is designed to prepare students to solve environmental challenges that are complex and uncertain. Students will be immersed in current research pertinent to the issues we are exploring and will work directly with experts in the field. An individual research project will be conducted by each student and presented in the form of a research paper or policy brief. Students will communicate their research through social media, presentations and writings.

Tropical Ecology Course: Throughout this course, students will also be introduced to principles of applied ecology through discussions, guest lectures and readings. Students will talk directly with local Dayak leaders, Wehea rangers, scientists, and NGO workers to gain a deeper appreciation for the complexities of conservation and the cultural, economic and political factors that need to be considered. This course is for students interested in protecting the integrity of our world's ecosystems and provides an essential foundation for students interested in a number of careers including applied ecology, primatology, zoology, and resource and environmental management.

Conservation and Development in Borneo Course: How does a country like Indonesia develop without sacrificing its unparalleled biological and cultural diversity? This course will seek to answer this question by exploring conservation and development issues in a remote Dayak community. Hands-on experience will be blended with sustainability science and resilience theory, emerging fields dealing with collective action problems and challenges to sustainably using common pool resources. Students will live with the Wehea Dayak in the village of Nehas Liah Bing and become part of the Wehea Dayak family. Additionally, students will visit palm oil plantations, limestone caves, other Dayak villages and the remote Wehea Forest. Classroom sessions will include discussion of key peer-reviewed literature, lectures, guest speakers, and group work. This course provides an essential foundation for students interested in conservation, international development or environmental resource management.

Degree Level

Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Minimum Education

High School

Type of Programs

• Adventure Travel
• Community Service / Volunteerism
• Cultural Exploration

Languages

• English
• Indonesian

Subject Areas

Cost in US$:

4150

Program Fees Include:

Inclusive of meals, accommodation, internal travel, guides, entrance fees, course work, educational materials, university credit fees optional additional cost.

Experience Required

no

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Group living
• Home-stays
• Independent living

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

Independently

Application Process Involves

• Essay
• In-Person Interview when Feasible
• Letters of Reference
• Phone/Video Interview
• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is

3 weeks

Post Services Include

• Job and Internship Network

Ethical Expeditions's Mission Statement

Building sustainable and resilient social-ecological systems.

Year Founded

2009