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SPECIAL COURSES
TROPICAL DENDROLOGY IN COSTA RICA, two-week classes in 2010: April 19—May 1 (in Spanish), and June 21—July 2 (in English)
These classes offer intensive study of tropical trees while traveling through 4 life zones (dry, moist, wet, and cloud forests) in Costa Rica. A highly efficient teaching method is used, and students are able to identify about 80% of the important families and genera of Central America and Northern South America. Details and testimonials are available at www.hjimenez.org. Costs: US$ 1600.00 which covers food, in-country travel and lodging (airfare not included). Contact: Dr. Humberto Jiménez Saa. Apdo. 86-1200/ San José, Costa Rica. FAX: (506) 22534963. Phones: (506) 2253-3267 2231-1236; email: hjimenez@racsa.co.cr. [Posted 20 January 2010]
Course Title: Plant Resources and Ecology in Eastern China Summer Study
Abroad
Through lectures and field trips to famous mountains and wetland park and lakes in eastern China, students will gain skills in field botany and knowledge of wetland and lake ecology, plant biodiversity and its uses in China. The course enhances cross-cultural exchange during this 3 week program by having students from Zhejiang University join the class and visits to famous Chinese gardens, markets, and museums in Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Suzhou cities, as well as visits to villages andthe Buddhist and Taoist temples in the mountains.
DATES: May 18-June 8, 2010
COURSES: PB 495/595: Plant Resources and Ecology in Eastern China.
Taught in English
by Dr. Jenny Xiang &
Dr. David Boufford (Harvard University Herbaria)
CONTACT: Faculty Director
Dr. (Jenny)Qiuyun Xiang
Department of Plant Biology
Jenny_Xiang@ncsu.edu
(919) 515-2728
Course details:
http://www4.ncsu.edu/~qyxiang/
http://www4.ncsu.edu/~qyxiang/other/2010%20Study%20Abroad%20-%20Plant%20Resources%20&%20Ecology.pdf
COST: Estimated at $1950 and includes:
• Application charge ($50)
• Tuition for 3 credits
• Housing in double dorm or hotel with private bath and air conditioning
• All meals & planned local transportation, cultural site visits, and entry fees
• Botanical field trips to: Tianmu Shan, Huang Shan, Qiyun Shan , Xixi Wetland Park, and one thousand island lake
• Cultural activities: Trips to Shanghai and Suzhou, visits to West Lake, Dragon Well Tea Plantation, Temples, local residence house and Ancient Villages in Anhui
Note: Payment for this program should be made directly to the Dept. of Plant Biology, not to the Study Abroad Office. International Airfare (ca.$1000), costs for Beijing option, visa and personal expenses are not included.
APPLY: Apply online at http://studyabroad.ncsu.edu by February 12, 2010. Scholarship information also available online. [Posted 15 October 2009]
2009 Botany Seminars at the Humboldt Institute on the coast of Maine!
Jun 28 - Jul 4 Applied Field Identification of Sedges, Rushes, and Grasses: Advanced Taxonomy and Ecology of Wetland and Upland Species Anton A. Reznicek
Jul 26 - Aug 1 Aquatic Flowering Plants C. Barre C. Hellquist
Aug 16 - 22 Taxonomy and Biology of Ferns and Lycophytes Robbin C. Moran
Aug 23 - 29 Flora of Maine Coastal Habitats and Islands Glen Mittelhauser
Descriptions of seminars may be found at
http://www.eaglehill.us/programs/nhs/nhs-calendar.shtml
Information on lodging options, meals, and costs may be found at
http://www.eaglehill.us/programs/general/application-info.shtml
There is an online application form at
http://www.eaglehill.us/programs/general/application-web.shtml
Syllabi are available for these and many other fine natural history
training seminars on diverse topics.
For more information, please contact the Humboldt Institute, PO Box
9, Steuben, ME 04680-0009.
207-546-2821. Fax 207-546-3042
E-mail - mailto:office@eaglehill.us
Online general information may be found at http://www.eaglehill.us [Posted 8 April 2009]
Course Title: Plant Resources, People and Religion in China Summer Study
Abroad
Through lectures and field trips to famous sacred mountains in eastern China
(Huang Shan, Qiyun Shan, Tianmu Shan and adjacent areas), students will gain
skills in field botany and knowledge of plant biodiversity and its uses in
China. The course enhances cross-cultural exchange during this
3 week program by having students from Zhejiang University joining the class
and visits to famous Chinese & botanical gardens, markets, and museums in
Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Suzhou cities, as well as visits to villages and the
Buddhist and Taoist temples on the mountains.
DATES: May 19-June 8, 2009
COURSES: PB 495R/595R: Plant Resources, People, Culture, and Religion in China.
Taught in English
by Dr. Jenny Xiang &
Dr. David Boufford (Harvard University Herbaria)
CONTACT: Faculty Director
Dr. (Jenny)Qiuyun Xiang
Department of Plant Biology
Jenny_Xiang@ncsu.edu
(919) 515-2728
Course details:
http://www4.ncsu.edu/~qyxiang/
http://www4.ncsu.edu/%7Eqyxiang/other/China%20Plant%20Biology08%282%29.pdf
COST: Estimated at $1800 and includes:
. Tuition for 3 credits
. Housing: double occupancy dorm with private bath and air conditioning
. All meals
. All local transportation, guided visits, and entry fees
. Botanical field trips to: Tianmu Shan, Jiuhua Shan Huang Shan and Qiyun Shan
. Cultural activities: Day trip to Shanghai, visits to Putuo Shan, Suzhou, West Lake and ancient residence and street in Anhui
. Health insurance, $200 application fee
Note: International Airfare, visa costs and personal expenses not included
APPLY: Apply online at http://studyabroad.ncsu.edu by February 8, 2009 Scholarship information also available online. [Posted 7 November 2008]
Workshop at the University of Michigan, Jan 10-11, 2009: Estimating Species Trees: a Phylogenetic Paradigm for the 21st Century
Recent computational and modeling advances have produced methods for
estimating species trees directly. Accurate estimates of phylogenetic
relationships can be extracted from genetic data with these new
approaches, sometimes with less data, by directly modeling the causes
of discordance in topology and branch lengths among gene trees. Such
inferences are commonly impossible under the traditional phylogenetic
paradigm because of the potential for the idiosyncrasies of gene trees
to obscure the actual history of species divergence.
We are offering this workshop to not only increase the visibility and use of these methods, but also address a number of significant challenges to estimating species trees, to assure that the advantages these methods offer reach a broad community of users. The goals of the workshop are to: (i) provide an understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of current methodology, (ii) present empirical examples demonstrating the utility of current methodology as well as its limitations, and (iii) offer instruction on the technical aspects involved in using current software. This will be accomplished through the combination of a series of lectures (day one) and hands-on computer training (day two). Participation in the workshop requires registration (go to http://www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/sptree.html) and is free for those attending the lectures (on Jan 10) and is $25 for those attending the computer training (on Jan 11; see website for programs that will be covered). To facilitate broad and diverse participation in this important workshop, funding is available to offset transportation and lodging costs (i.e., $500 for those from the US and $1000 for international participants - see website for details on how to apply).
Co-organizers: L. Lacey Knowles, University of Michigan, and Laura
S. Kubatko, Ohio State University
Location of the workshop: University of Michigan, January 10-11, 2009.
Invited speakers for workshop:
Liang Liu, Harvard University
Laura Kubatko, Ohio State University
Dennis Pearl, Ohio State University
Cecile Ane, University of Wisconsin
James Degnan, University of Canterbury
L. Lacey Knowles, University of Michigan
Luay Nakhleh, Rice University
Karen Cranston, University of Arizona
Bret Larget, University of Wisconsin
Robb Brumfield, Louisiana State Univ.
Lisle Gibbs, Ohio State University
Scott Edwards, Harvard University
Catherine Linnen, Harvard University
Natalia Belfiore, University of California, Berkeley
For more information please contact: Dr. L. Lacey Knowles, knowlesl@umich.edu
This workshop has been made possible by funds generously provided by the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. [Posted 16 October 2008]
TROPICAL DENDROLOGY IN COSTA RICA, two-week classes in 2009: April 20—May 2 (in Spanish), and June 27—July 4 (in English)
These classes offer intensive study of tropical trees while traveling through 4 life zones (dry, moist, wet, and cloud forests) in Costa Rica. A highly efficient teaching method is used, and students are able to identify about 80% of the important families and genera of Central America and Northern South America. Details and testimonials are available at www.hjimenez.org. Costs: US$ 1600.00 which covers food and lodging (airfare not included). A Tropical Birding class is also scheduled for August, 2009. Contact: Dr. Humberto Jiménez Saa. Apdo. 86-1200/ San José, Costa Rica. FAX: (506) 22534963. Phones: (506) 2291-0862; 2231-1236 hjimenez@racsa.co.cr. [Posted 19 September 2008]
Tropical Botany, Florida
The University of Florida, Department of Botany and the National Tropical Botanical Garden-Kampong, in collaboration with Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, will offer an intensive, in-residence course/workshop on the systematics of tropical plants, in Miami, Florida, from 30 June – 21 July 2008. Instructor: Dr. Walter S. Judd (Course Director, Department of Botany, 214 Bartram Hall, PO Box 118526, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8526; e-mail <wjudd@botany.ufl.edu>; phone: 352-273-1983; fax: 352-392-3993). Dr. Scott A. Zona, Research Scientists at F.T.G., will lecture on the systematics of Palmae. The Course: Tropical Botany is an intensive course of study in the biology and systematics of tropical plants. Subject matter will be largely based on the extensive holdings of tropical vascular plants at Fairchild Tropical Garden, National Tropical Botanical Garden-Kampong, and the Montgomery Botanical Institute. These gardens have the largest living collections of tropical plants in the United States. Additionally, field trips will be made to the Florida Everglades, the Florida Keys, and adjacent natural areas. The natural vegetation of South Florida, which includes littoral and dry land habitats, mixed tropical hardwood hammocks, pinelands, and mangrove communities, will introduce students to the diversity of tropical vegetation. The object of the course is to provide advanced students and/or professionals with a detailed coverage of the systematics, phylogeny, diversity of structure, and economic botany of tropical vascular plants. Questions concerning the course should be addressed to Dr. Judd. Credit-hours: Tropical Botany is taught as a workshop sponsored by the National Tropical Botanical Garden-Kampong, with the collaboration of Fairchild Tropical Garden. If academic credit is desired students may enroll in either BOT 6935 (graduate), BOT 4935 (advanced undergraduates) and receive 2 semester credit-hours, or BOT 5685 (Botany students, with permission) and receive 5 semester credit-hours. These courses are offered by the Department of Botany, University of Florida, and they can be taken by non-U.F. as well as by U.F. students. Students may also arrange for academic credit from their home institutions. Enrollment: Limited to 12 participants, with preference given to upper-level students or professional biologists/teachers. Application: Individuals should apply by 16 April 2008 (to Dr. Judd, see address above). Applications should include the following: a letter stating reasons for taking the course, a curriculum vita, and a letter of recommendation (sent separately). Applicants will be notified of acceptance by 5 May 2008. Accommodation: Students will be housed at the Kampong (superintendent's cottage/dormitory), but, if desired, housing is also available at a hotel near Fairchild Tropical Garden; cost of room is $25 per day. Fees/tuition: A course fee of $1300 is required to cover garden and course/workshop costs. In addition, if U.F. academic credit is desired, tuition costs are $311.60/ credit (in-state, graduate), $108.55/ credit (in state, undergraduate), $941.79/ credit (out-of-state, graduate), or $594.70 /credit (out-of-state, undergraduate). Three scholarships (covering a portion of the course fee) will be available. [Posted 14 December 2007]