Course Information - Itinerary - Details

Part I - Maya Past & Present: Cultural Ecology Developmental Issues
Dr. George Bey and Arg. Tomas Gallareta Negron

Day 1

Arrive at cancun airport, transfer to Valladolid, Rancho San Miguel

Reading
1. Route of the Maya, pp. 136-160.

Day 2

This first day is to get our feet under us and begin to discuss cultural ecological issues of past and present Maya society.
a. We will have a morning orientation lecture - where are we and what does it look like?
b. Field Experience: We will visit the national reserve of Rio Lagartos, including the famous bird estuary.
c. Field Experience: We'll visit the salt ponds at Las Coloradas and return to Valladolid. o/n San Miguel.
d. During mid-day we will have an orientation lecture and begin our discussion of Maya culture and society- laying out the issues of the first component and the larger course.

Reading
1. Route of the Maya, pp. 15-41, 62-104, 216
2. Sharer, chapter 1: The setting
3. Kintz, Chapter 2. Life Under the Tropical Canopy

Day 3

The Maya Today-adapting to the modern ecological setting.
a. Field experience: Students attend a Maya language class in the morning taught by Maya Indians
b. Field experience: In the afternoon we visit the town of Kanxoc and the talking cross
c. Evening discussion group- synthesizing the day's experience.

Reading
1. Route of the Maya, pp. 42-60, 105-136
2. The Caste War of Yucatan (review)

Day 4

The Maya Past in the Present - ecotourism and development issues.
a. Field experience: We visit the archeological site of Ek-Balam-Building the perfect Past.
b. Lunch and discussion at the natural well of Hubiku
c. Field experience: Evening walking tour of Valladolid- Linking Past and Present.

Reading
1. Sharer, chapter 6: The Terminal Classic
2. The Caste War of Yucatan (review)
3. Route of the Maya, pp. 204

Day 5

The Maya Past in the Present
a. Field experience: We go to Sisbicchen village to see a class of children learning how to read Maya glyphs
b. Field experience: We visit the archeological site site of Cobá-An ecosensitive Past?

Reading
1. Kintz, Chapter 4. Economic Production and Exchange
2. Route of the Maya, pp. 172-194

Day 6

In the Museum of Maya Culture- Chichén Itzá and Inventing the Maya for Global Consumption
a. Field experience: We visit the World Heritage site of Chichén Itzá - the most visited place of Maya Culture.
b. Field experience: We visit the west coast town of Celestun,- in the evening we'll walk along the northern side of the town to seek for Sea turtles nesting grounds.
c. Discussion: Putting the week together and preparing for Phase 2

Reading
1. Castañeda, Museum of Maya Culture: Touring Chichén Itzá (both Chapters)

Day 7 Transition Day

a. Transfer to Merida the colonial and present day capital of Yucatan.
b. Free day

Part II - Botany, Ethnobotany, & Ecology
James Callaghan and W. John Hayden

Day 8

Reading
1. Kintz "Life under the tropical canopy" (Brief history of the region)

Activity
First full day in Merida: post-breakfast briefing on second portion of the course by Callaghan & Hayden; overview of reading assignments; tour of main square with focus on Governor?s Palace and history of the region as depicted in murals; free time for lunch, laundry, relaxing, shopping, dinner, etc.

Day 9

Reading
1. Wilson "Physical geography of the Yucatan Peninsula" (Plant morphology info/reference)

Activity
Session 1 at UADY (Universidad Autonomia de Yucatan): Introduction to plants and vegetation of Yucatan: lecture by Dr. Salvadore Flores, ?Nuestras Plantas;? lunch at cafeteria; tour of campus trees conducted by Drs. Flores and/or Hayden; purchasing of hammocks at local shop; dinner in Merida.

Day 10

Reading
1. Woodland "Collecting, Handling and Preserving Specimens"
2. Morley et al. "Subsistence Systems"
3. Jimenez-Osornio "Why . . . care for our neighbor's garden?"

Activity
Session 2 at UADY: visit the UADY herbarium for a session on the nature of herbaria, the processes of collecting and curating herbarium specimens, and the role of herbaria in biodiversity studies; lunch at cafeteria; tour of experimental milpa and demonstration solare; service learning session at the UADY herbarium helping to process specimens; dinner in Merida.

Day 11

Reading
1. ??? (hacienda era, hacienda system)
2. Brenner et al. "Water resources of Yucatan"
3. ??? (Caves)

Activity
Travel to Hacienda Tabi, including stop at supermarket along the way; lunch at Tabi; exploration of Hacienda Tabi grounds; demonstration of plant collecting techniques; quiz; dinner at Tabi; evening lecture by Dr. Hayden, "Seasonal Dry Forest Ecology of Yucatan" emphasizing aspects of the physical environment.

Day 12

Reading
1. Stephens Chapter 4 . . . Journey to the Rancho Kiuik?
2. ??? (Vegetation sampling)
3. Kricher "And hey, let's be careful out there"

Activity
Session 1 at Rancho Kiuic: brief overview of site; selection of study sites; collection, identification, and recording of plants in study sites; lunch at Tabi; pressing of plants and review of site data; quiz; dinner at Tabi; evening lecture by Dr. Hayden, ?Mayan Agricultural Systems - Past and Present.?

Day 13

Reading
1. Harlan "Crops & Man. The Americas"
2. White & Darwin "Woody vegetation of tropical lowland"

Activity
Session 2 at Rancho Kiuic: tour of Kiuic archeological ruins by Drs. Bey and/or Gallareta; tour of Kiuic historic era ruins by James Callaghan; a walk in the woods with Mario, Callaghan, and Hayden, focusing on Kiuic forest trees and their local uses; lunch at Tabi; pressing plants and/or tending specimens in presses; quiz; dinner at Tabi; evening lecture by Dr. Hayden, "Maize: Morphology, Origin, and Evolution or Corn."

Day 14

Reading
1. Smith & Cameron "Ethnobotany in the Puuc, Yucatan"
2. Wienk & van Schendellaan "Sisal and relatives"

Activity
Session 3 at Rancho Kiuic; collection, identification, and recording of plants in study sites; lunch at Tabi; pressing of plants and review of site data; quiz; dinner at Tabi; evening lecture by Dr. Hayden, "Ethnobotany of Agave: Sisal, Henequen and Tequila"

Day 15

Reading
1. ??? (Mangroves and seagrasses)
2. ??? (Caves)

Activity
Service learning day at Hacienda Tabi; painting, cleaning, mapping and other helpful activities; lunch at Tabi; optional tour of caverns at Lol-tun; return to Tabi; quiz; dinner at Tabi; evening lecture, "Mangroves and Seagrasses."

Day 16

Reading
1. Stephens Chapter 3, Ruins of Labna

Activity
Departure from Hacienda Tabi; tour of Mayan ruins at Labna with Dr. Gallareta; travel to Santa Elena; visit with Don Felix including tour of his solare and lunch; travel to Uxmal and tour of the Mayan ruins; overnight at Hacienda Uxmal.

Part III - Geology, Reef Ecology, & Coastal Processes
Professor Stan Galicki

Day 17

Reading
1. T. rex, Yucatan Guidebook

Activity
Evening lecture on the geologic history of the Yucatan Peninsula with an emphasis on reef development.

Day 18

Activity
Three dives are scheduled off the southwestern coast of Isla Cozumel that will explore the varying physiographic features of the Great Mayan Reef. Students will view first hand the environment that is conducive to coral reef development. Traverses will be made from the fore reef to the lagoon environments with particular attention paid to the structure and morphology of the reef and the organisms that inhabit various niches.

Day 19

Activity
Three dives are scheduled off the northwest coast of Isla Cozumel that will primarily focus on the shallow water environments and patch reefs. Sampling for geochemical research will also be conducted.

Day 20

Activity
The diving is restricted to the Puerto Morales National Park. Puerto Morals has long been established as an industrial and commercial port for cruise lines. We will again sample for geochemical investigations. We would potentially like to take a core in order to establish a chemical profile through time.

Day 21

Activity
Morning lecture. The dives will focus on the area around Akumal which have been heavily impacted by commercial development. The ground water flowing into the Akumal lagoon is heavily contaminated with bacteria generated by human waste. Students will have the opportunity to view the damage firsthand, learn what can be done to correct the problem.

Day 22

Activity
The Tulum area

Day 23

Free Day for relaxing and exams (optional snokel in fresh water systems (at Cenote Grande or Dos Ojos)

Day 24

Leave for the United States from Cancun