The Course: This course is an opportunity to explore one of the world’s most spectacular arid zones: the deserts of southern Africa. These deserts are remarkable for several reasons, including the convergence of several different desert types in one fairly localized region, encompassing the northwestern provinces of South Africa and Namibia.
How we will travel: We will fly from Syracuse to Cape Town South Africa. From Cape Town, we will travel by a fully-equipped overland van, covering a large loop through the four major desert biomes, with side trips to other interesting locales. At the end of the trip, we will depart from Cape Town for Syracuse.
How we will live: For the most part, we will be camping in national parks and private campgrounds. Tents and ground mattresses will be provided, but you must bring your own bedding. We will have a camp cook, but we all will share the cooking duties. We will occasionally stay in a hotel or visit a restaurant.
How we will learn: The course will be built around both lectures and field exercises. As a textbook, you will use The Living Deserts of Southern Africa by Barry Lovegrove. There will be copies on reserve in ESF's Moon Library prior to departure. Upon your arrival in South Africa, you will be given a copy of the book to keep. During the fall semester, we will meet once a week for introductory lectures on the geography, geology, climatology, ecology, culture and politics of the region. In the field, we will engage in field research exercises mixed with on-site lectures from the course staff. Prior to and during the trip, you will keep a field journal which will be evaluated at various times through the course. During the spring semester following your return to the USA, you will author a poster presentation of an independent project.
What we will learn: The focus of the course will be on the origins of deserts generally, and of the southern African deserts specifically. In that context, our discussions will range widely over topics such as biological adaptation to harsh environments, species diversity and conservation of deserts, processes of desertification and management in desert ecosystems and conservation biology in the Third World.
When we will go: The course will be offered over the break between the Fall 2002 and Spring 2003 semesters. Students wishing to take the course will register for EFB 500 Biology Field Trip, Section 1 for the Fall 2002 semester. SUNY students at other campuses and students from Syracuse University can enroll through their home institutions. Students not from either SUNY or Syracuse University must pay regular SUNY tuition in addition to the normal course fees (listed below). The course is offered for 5 credits.
EFB majors please note: In past years, this course completely fulfilled EFB's field biology requirement, that is, it substituted for the summer field experience at Cranberry Lake. As of the 2001-2002 academic year, that no longer applies. Presently, all EFB students without exception must register for three credits of EFB 202, which is offered only at Cranberry Lake in the summer. That is attendance at Cranberry Lake is mandatory. It is expected that students registering for this courses will be allowed to apply three of the five credits for this course to their field biology requirement, but that is uncertain at this time, and so cannot be guaranteed.
What is the cost, and what it covers: The course is self-supporting, and all expenses must be paid by a course fee. For the 2005-2006 expedition, the course fee is $4,600. To be financially feasible, the course must also have a minimum enrollment of eighteen students. The course fee covers:
What papers you need: A valid passport is required. Your passport should be valid for at least two years following your departure from the US, and your passport must contain at least four blank visa pages. We will require you to show us your passport, or proof that you have applied for your passport before accepting your deposit. South Africa and Namibia DO NOT require citizens of the USA, Canada or European Community to obtain tourist visas prior to departure. Tourist visas can be obtained upon disembarking in South Africa and at the border of Namibia. If your passport is not from one of these countries, you may need to obtain entry visas from both South Africa and Namibia prior to departure . Due to long time delays in the applications process, visas must be applied for WITHOUT DELAY. Entry visas for South Africa can be obtained from the South African Consulate General in New York (333 East 38th Street, NY, NY 10016, (212) 213 4880). Entry visas for Namibia can be obtained from the Embassy of Namibia, 1605 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington DC 20009, (202) 986 0540, (202) 986 0443 [fax]). Students must meet SUNY’s insurance requirements for students studying in foreign countries. These include valid health insurance that covers you for emergency medical treatment abroad as well as evacuation & repatriation insurance. SUNY maintains an inexpensive insurance program for its students studying abroad. You will be required to prove your insurance coverage is adequate, and we will require you to sign a liability waiver. Vaccinations are not normally required for entry into either Namibia or South Africa. However, your tetanus vaccinations should be up to date. You may wish to protect yourself against malaria as well.
The Faculty and Guest Lecturers
Principal Faculty
Dr J Scott Turner, Associate Professor of Biology, SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry. Dr Turner’s interests include physiological ecology and the physiology of adaptation to the environment. He has lived and worked in South Africa and Namibia over a period of more than ten years. He is the author of the recently released book The Extended Organism: The Physiology of Animal Built Structures (Harvard University Press).
Dr Barry Lovegrove, Senior Lecturer in Zoology and Entomology, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Dr Lovegrove’s interest are also in physiological ecology of desert organisms, particularly of social mole rats, and on the effects of El Nino induced climate change in the southern hemisphere. He is the author of the acclaimed book, Living Deserts of Southern Africa (Fernwood Press).
Dr
Guy Baldassarre, Professor of Biology, SUNY
College of Environmental Science & Forestry.
Dr Baldassarre is an avian ecologist, with special interests in tropical avifauna
and ecology of wading birds. He is co-author (with Eric G Bolen and Andrew
D Saunders) of the highly-regarded Waterfowl Ecology and Management
(1994, J Wiley & Sons)
Mr David McMillan, Principal,
Natresco and Associates, Hummelstown, Pennsylvania.
David McMillan is the Principal of Natresco & Associates, Ltd., a consortium
that harnesses
nature's strength for self-healing for novel
environmental management solutions. Over the past 10 years, he has led a number
of soil restoration/bioremediation projects, including metal-contaminated
soils and shallow groundwaters, salt impacted sites and fungal remediation
of pesticide treated wood. He was born and raised in the Richtersveld region
of South Africa and is conversant with the fascinating geology of this region.
Guest Lecturers
Dr Richard Dean, Research Officer, Karoo Biome Project, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. Dr Richard Dean, and his spouse Dr Sue Milton are recognized as world authorities on southern Africa's most unique arid biome, the Karoo. Richard Dean is a highly regarded ecologist and ornithologist, and has devoted enormous effort to understanding the natural workings of the Karoo biome and the human impacts on it.
Dr Sue Milton, Research Officer, Karoo Biome Project, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. Dr Sue Milton is one of the world's leading authorities on the plants and plant ecology of the Karoo biome. Her work is heavily involved in understanding the dynamics of seed production and storage and in assessing the impact of husbandry practice on the Karoo.
Dr Eugene Marais, State Entomologist, State Museum of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia. Dr Eugene Marais is Namibia's state entomologist, and is responsible for cataloging the insect biodiversity of Namibia.
Mr Harry Schneider-Waterberg, Waterberg Conservancy, Otjiwarongo, Namibia. Mr Harry Schneider-Waterberg is a rancher and owner of one of the largest private game ranches in Namibia. He is one of the founders of the Waterberg Conservancy, a private group of landowners dedicated to the preservation and wise use of the arid savannah biome.
Ms Leta Cole, Kamieskroon, South Africa. Leta Cole is a fourth-generation resident of Namaqualand, in the heart of the Succulent Karoo, one of the world's most botanically speciose regions. She is an amateur naturalist, steeped in the traditional uses and lore of the Namaqualand succulent flora.
Mr Matthew Norval, Park Superintendent, Skilpad Nature Reserve, Kamieskroon, South Africa. Mr Matthew Norval is in charge of developing one of southern Africa's least conserved, yet most important natural regions, the Succulent Karoo.
Our route and the biomes we will visit will be approximately as follows.
