BCSpireMagazine_Spring2016

vision mission

Bluefield College biology professor Dr. Martin Offield (left) and BC students Rutger Allen (second from left) and Jarrett Garland (right) take part in a biology study trip in Brazil.

Students Study Biology in the Amazon Forest

S tudents at Bluefield College are learning about the Amazon Forest and other tropical ecosystems, but not from textbooks or through lectures. Instead, BC biology majors are exploring the Amazon firsthand through the school’s Global Education Program and partnerships for study abroad. Most recently, the Global Education Program took Bluefield College biology majors Rutger Allen and Jarrett Garland to Brazil for a two-week study abroad project in the Amazon Forest and other environmental wonders along the Brazilian coast in Belem, the capital of Pará and a port city and gateway to Brazil’s lower Amazon region. This particular study abroad project occurred as a result of Bluefield College’s partnership with the Federal University of Pará (UFPA)

in Belem — an agreement that calls for collaborative study between the two schools for the purpose of helping students from both organizations better understand one another’s people, places and cultures. “The Federal University of Pará sits at the mouth of the Amazon River and provides a wonderful laboratory for our students and faculty,” said President David Olive. “We’re excited about the opportunities that await our students and professors through this partnership with UFPA.” Taking advantage of the opportunities first: Allen and Garland, who signed up for a special topics course at BC, called Tropical Ecosystems, to qualify for the biology study trip. They spent two weeks at UFPA, fulfilling the lab portion of the Tropical Ecosystems class. And, after added

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