Source: Axis of Logic
During spring break, a group of about 20 Ohio Wesleyan University alumni, spouses, and friends joined zoology professor Jed Burtt, his wife, Pam, and OWU student guides Jack Stenger ’10 and Sean Williams ’11 during a trip to study wildlife in Belize.The group included Greg and Kellie Watkins-Colwell, both ’91; Pat Papoi ’66; David Papoi ’65; Jean Koepcke ’56; and Vaughn Musser ’66; along with other friends who have accompanied the OWU alumni on past adventures.
All met at the Great House Inn in Belize City on March 5 and then embarked on a chartered boat on the New River to watch wildlife. They landed at Lamanai, where they enjoyed a guided tour of the Mayan ruins.
From there, they went to Chan Chich Lodge in the northwest area of the rainforest, where they stayed for the rest of the week. This area is the second-largest contiguous rain forest north of the Amazon River, and it consists of more than 300,000 acres, with 15 miles of trails.
“This area provided many things for us to study, since we counted seeing 252 species of birds, 30 species of mammals – including two species of monkeys, plus reptiles and amphibians,” Burtt says. “But it was the dry season, so we did not see many butterflies.” And although there are about 20 jaguars living in the area, the group did not encounter any on their hikes.
In addition to hiking, birding, and observing nature, some of the group went into a nearby village, where the school children took them on an ethnobotany tour. Many schools in Belize end after grade eight, and students must relocate to boarding schools in Belize City if they want to continue their education.
Stenger and Williams presented information from their zoology research work and led a discussion about the field ornithology course they co-taught at Ohio Wesleyan this year.
Burtt says more trips will be held in the future. Look for information about upcoming opportunities in future editions of OWU Magazine.