However, bad weather during the last week of the trip convinced the Loras and University of Dubuque groups to return early. Beachy says the Florida trip is part of the sub-tropical ecology course because Florida is possibly the most diverse area in the continental United States in terms of the number and types of ecosystems it contains. The group drove to Florida in three vans and camped in tents every night of the trip to truly experience each ecosystem. Cathie Swanson, a sophomore biology major, felt the field experience was very beneficial, especially for biology majors. Biology is the study of life, not text books.
Text books aid in learning, but words are no match for personal experience.
Students enrolled in the course receive two credits for the trip and must maintain a journal on the trip. After they return they are required to complete a paper that incorporates their experiences on the trip, emphasizing human impact on natural ecosystems. The lecture section is team-taught by the three faculty members who coordinated the trip. She was very excited about all the things she saw and experiences while on the trip. I was amazed by all the hidden beauty that I would have never known existed before.