Conservation and Sustainable Development: The Spain Project
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Along with its hot dry summers and pleasant mild winters, the Mediterranean climate of Andalucía also shares high mountain ranges hosting snow year round and long stretches of coastline, resulting in vast biodiversity beyond what typical Mediterranean climates offer. This region’s rich soil and mining opportunities have attracted and supported civilizations for thousands of years, with Phoenician, Roman and Moorish ruins dotting Andalucía's landscape. The land still plays a vital part of Andalucía's economy and lifeblood. Olive groves, cork forests, fishing, ranching and agriculture all form the economic backbone of the region. Because of its diverse habitats and rich culture, Andalucía is an ideal place to investigate how the intricate balance between environmental conservation and human impact is managed on local, national and international levels.
THE PROJECT
From alpine mountain tops to coastal wetlands, team members will investigate conservation management, environmental policy, and sustainable tourism models in the historically rich atmosphere of southern Spain. Students will spend six weeks participating in unique interdisciplinary field studies, examining the environmental significance and the conservation efforts in three ecologically distinct areas of this diverse region. Please note that team activities do not require prior field research experience. All necessary skills of data acquisition and analysis will be taught on-site in Spain.
Starting in the breath taking Parque Nacional Doñana, team members will explore protected area management techniques in one of Europe's most valuable wetland ecosystem. An incredibly diverse environment consisting of marshlands, forests, dune systems and natural beaches provides a temporary home for over 6 million migratory birds and hosts endangered species such as the Iberian Lynx and the Imperial Eagle. Doñana also boasts a long history of human occupation - it is from nearby Huelva that Colombus first set sail to the Americas - and the present day population is an integral part of the dynamic ecosystem. Urban sprawl constantly threatens the marshes and wetlands that over 300 species of birds call home. A more impending obstacle to Doñana's conservation efforts is the agriculture and mining run-off which pollutes the waterways and soil with pesticides and sulfur. Team members will be immersed in a unique area of tremendous environmental significance and learn firsthand the challenges of sustainable development and the complexity of conservation management. Students will participate in a habitat restoration field project in conjunction with local NGOs and conduct species monitoring with park management officials.
The next phase of the course will take us to the beautiful and historically fascinating international waters of the Strait of Gibraltar. Students will explore marine mammal ecology and receive introductory instruction in the intricacy of international environmental agreements and treaty legislation in this international marine setting. The Strait of Gibraltar is the narrow channel of water where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean and is one of the most important shipping channels in the world. It is also a key feeding ground for many species of cetaceans such as dolphins, pilot whales, orca, sperm whales and fin whales. Team members will observe marine mammals in the Strait, learn of harmful effects of pollution and tourism mismanagement, and most importantly, about models of eco and sustainable tourism.
During the third phase of the program team members will hike through mountainous landscapes, explore Roman and Moorish ruins, and discover beautiful white-washed villages, known as Pueblos Blancos, tucked between the crags and peaks of the Sierra de Grazalema and the Alcornocales Natural Park. Alcornocales is home to one of the world's last natural productive cork forests where bundles of cork are harvested every decade. Participants will observe a variety of endemic flora and fauna but also see first hand the long-lasting effects unbridled development can have on biodiversity. Students will also learn about the rich cultural history of these two distinct Parks through firsthand participation in the seasonal sustainable olive harvest.
Full information available upon request.
PROJECT LEADERS
PATRICIA MCWILLLIAMS main area of focus includes international policy with a special interest in eco-tourism and sustainable development. She has traveled extensively throughout Europe and Latin America and currently resides in Andalucia.
ERIN ADAMS is a southern Spain based biologist who has organized and led many different field study programs. She is the former Program Director of the Desert Institute adult education program at Joshua Tree National Park in California.