INDIA: FIELD METHODS EARTH EXPEDITIONS 2014 (I) COURSE INFORMATION Course codes: BIO/IES 653 7 Graduate Credits

s from Miami University Field dates: July 29 August 7, 2014 Web-based course dates: April December, 2014 Partners: Project Dragonfly, San Diego Zoo Global, Applied Environmental Research Foundation (India) (II) INSTRUCTORS James Danoff-Burg, Director, Conservation Education Division, San Diego Zoo Globals Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego, California. Email: jdanoffburg@sandiegozoo.org Chris Myers, Director, Project Dragonfly, Professor of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. Email: chrism@miamiOH.edu Laura Schetter, 3rd Grade Teacher and Environmental Educator, Wildwood Environmental Academy, Holland, Ohio. Email: schettl@miamiOH.edu Co-facilitator: Mike Croce, High School Science Teacher, Jericho High School, Jericho, New York. Email: mcroce2003@yahoo.com (III) COURSE DESCRIPTION Journey through the rich ecological, cultural, and spiritual landscapes of the Western Ghats, exploring sacred groves and forest temples where the fate of wildlife, people, and deities meet. The Western Ghats region is well known to conservationists as a biodiversity hotspot, home to diverse local ecosystems with an abundance of plant and animal species found nowhere else. The existence of sacred groves in the Western Ghats predates recorded history. In sacred groves, remnant forest patches are revered and protected by local communities, and these forests in return provide biological, social, and spiritual benefits. With more than 13,000 sites documented across India, sacred groves are important at many levels. For conservationists, sacred groves can be seen as essential refuges for plants and animals struggling to survive in the face of rampant development and environmental destruction. For social scientists, sacred groves are valued as centers for community life. For the spiritually inclined, sacred groves transcend earthly bounds, allowing people to commune with gods and other powerful beings that offer protection, enlightenment, absolution, or guidance. In this course, we seek to better understand the multifaceted relationship between people and nature, and we will address specific questions about a sustainable future. To the conservationist, resource manager, or educator, what is the cost of misunderstanding or ignoring the spiritual dimension of sacred sites? How can models of sustainability be expanded to include local knowledge and local values? From Mount Meru in the Hindu tradition, to the Garden of Eden in the Christian tradition, to the wild haunts of our childhoods, how common are sacred sites and what forms do they take? What unique opportunities do sacred sites provide for community participation in environmental stewardship?

FIELD SITES India is a spectacular country of tremendous biological and cultural diversity, a place where ancient religious traditions coexist alongside modern cities in one of the worlds largest democracies. The natural environments of India range from deserts to tropical forests, from beaches to Himalayan peaks. India has more than 400 wildlife sanctuaries and is home to tigers, elephants, hornbills, wild dogs, crocodiles, and rhinoceroses. As the birthplace of four world religions, India has helped shape cultures across Asia and beyond. All of our course locations lie in the Western Ghats, a lush and dramatic landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as one of the most important conservation regions on Earth. The rain that falls in the Western Ghats feeds many of Indias major rivers. We will be in the northern section of the Western Ghats (in the Sahyadris hill range), which has received comparatively little conservation attention. Bhimashankar Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS) is a highly significant sacred site in part because it contains a revered Shiva temple, one of 12 core Shiva temples (or Jyotirlinga) in India. The BWS receives more than half a million visitors a year, creating environmental issues in the surrounding communities and forested ecosystem. Bhimashankar has been a focus site for AERF for many years, and their work here includes setting up conservation agreements with local communities to relieve poaching. Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary has 12 sacred groves and is the source of the Bhima River, part of the Krishna river basin. Amba Tiger Reserve India, home to the worlds largest population of tigers, is seeking to reverse a tragic decline of this majestic keystone predator by establishing and protecting a system of reserves. While the chances of seeing these elusive cats are small we can, while we are in the land of the tiger, gain an appreciation for their ecological importance and impacts as well as the conservation strategies used to sustain tigers in the wild. We will also explore the spiritual aspects of tigers in sacred groves, where tiger goddesses figure prominently. Sadavali The Applied Environmental Research Foundation has worked for over a decade in the Sadavali region (Sangameshwar Block), a diverse area covering more than 10 valleys with several important villages, temples, and sacred groves where we will explore a range of conservation practices and successful community engagement strategies. (IV) COURSE THEMES Top-level themes addressed throughout the course include the following: Field methods Introduction to the ecology of desert ecosystems Marine investigations Inquiry-driven learning Community-based conservation Participatory education (V) LEARNING RESOURCES & TEXT The Earth Expeditions Course Reader is divided into 4 specific sections that explore central course topics. These themes will serve as the focus of the student-led discussions addressed later in this syllabus. Themes of the Amazon Course Reader include: Community-based conservation Participatory education & inquiry Sacred Groves & Spiritual Ecology Ecology & Conservation of the Western Ghats

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Additional, supplemental (not required) articles relating to each discussion topic are available in the Knowledge Center, easily accessible from any page within your Dragonfly Web-Based Learning Community. All course assignments are detailed on the web at www.DragonflyWorkshops.org. (VI) COURSE DETAILS Program Overview Earth Expeditions is a groundbreaking program that brings together educators, field scientists, community leaders, and others to create new learning partnerships, to tackle real-world issues, and to build toward a more sustainable future for life on Earth. The Earth Expeditions program works with local community groups through global conservation partnerships (www.EarthExpeditions.org). Each course combines an intensive field experience with an ongoing Web Learning Community that allows participants to work with instructors and classmates, share ideas, and develop collaborative projects. Earth Expeditions participants receive seven graduate credits from Miami University for the combined field and web components of the class. Earth Expeditions courses can either be taken independently, as part of a multi-year Global Field Program (GFP), or as a course that can be applied to the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP). GFP and AIP students earn a Masters degree (MAT or MA) upon successful completion of the program (http://www.projectdragonfly.org/masters). Masters candidates develop leadership skills in their professions while leading change in local and global contexts. Mission Statement Our mission is to build an alliance of individuals with firsthand knowledge of inquiry-driven, communitybased learning for the benefit of ecological communities, student achievement, and global understanding. Traditional educational settings confine students to the classroom, limiting opportunities for social engagement and creative involvement with the learning process. In an era of rapid social, environmental, and technological change, we need new approaches to education. Earth Expeditions envisions each person as an ambassador who creates as well as transmits knowledge, who promotes authentic dialogue at all levels of society, and who inspires others to do the same. By adopting participatory models of education, students engage more deeply in their studies, schools become centers of investigation, and communities achieve higher levels of self-determination. The Mission in Action All Earth Expeditions courses share core elements (descriptions follow) that ask students to investigate, communicate, and act on vital conservation, research, and education issues. The program builds collaborative projects and interactions with local community groups, abroad and at home. All Earth Expeditions students will: Construct multidisciplinary research experiences that include inquiry-driven learning, participatory education and community-based conservation to experience and promote action in real-world contexts. Students work with each other and Earth Expeditions faculty to address issues through hands-on investigation and action. Each student conducts a semester-long Inquiry Action Project (IAP) designed to employ inquiry to challenge, inform learning and create action within that students community. Engage with peers and instructors in long-term learning communities on the Dragonfly web platform. Topics, discoveries, and ideas that arise from face-to-face encounters are extended through semester-long learning communities. Students interact with each other and Earth Expeditions faculty via a virtual roundtable where they share ideas, collaboratively develop lesson plans and action plans, access award-winning learning materials, and join in school and community investigations and actionlocally, nationally, or internationally. These interactions occur from home or at work, on each students own schedule. The web platform is located at www.DragonflyWorkshops.org.

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 Select course experiences and transfer them to instructional and real-world practice. Earth Expeditions learning communities allow formal and informal educators and other professionals to gain support and ideas when they need them. Students experience real-world interactions into each Earth Expeditions course because implementation is necessary for educational and community-based change. All Earth Expeditions courses are built on a foundation of inquiry, provide access to bestpractice learning materials, and advance state and national educational goals. Foster and support leadership. Earth Expeditions incorporates materials and approaches to leadership that maximize long-term impact on students personal and professional lives. Interact with and collaborate among a diverse group of educators. Diversity is a core component of the Earth Expeditions program, evident in its reaching-all-students instructional approaches, in its participatory learning materials, and in its use of community-based strategies to build meaningful relationships among people and cultures. Make a difference, and design opportunities that support others in doing the same. Students join with peers, colleagues, community members and others to take education beyond the classroom and forge new ecological and social understanding. Throughout the course, students engage in reflective and evaluative peer review to provide colleagues with personal insight, new perspectives or analyses, ideas for useful applications, and connections to other research and projects. IN THE FIELD Open Inquiry Within the first few days of arriving at our Earth Expeditions course location, students will engage in an extended open inquiry on-site. This inquiry provides the group with firsthand research experience and introduces the power and application of inquiry. An open inquiry typically takes about four hours and can be conducted in any setting. Your Course Reader includes excerpts from the Dragonfly QUEST Leaders Guide, which provides a stepby-step guide to conducting inquiry. Instructors will set the stage for the inquiry by providing an introduction/overview of QUEST. In preparation for your open inquiry either on the plane or the day you arrive in the field, you will need to re-familiarize yourself specifically with the Leaders Guide and the Dragonfly articles in your Course Reader. Course Reader Before you begin reading your Course Reader, please read the Anatomy of the Earth Expeditions Reader, which provides you with an introductory look at this required reading. Before departing for the international portion of your course, all students should read the Course Reader in its entirety. We offer the option of an electronic reader via Dragonfly Workshops Knowledge though Earth Expeditions students are required to take hard copy Course Readers (in its entirety) with you on the trip. Our field partners do not have enough electricity to power 20+ e-reader devices so ask that you bring your hard copy reader. Community-based Conservation, Participatory Education, and Inquiry are core themes of the Earth Expeditions program appearing in every Course Reader and updated yearly. Foundational readings, those that we reference frequently and that will serve as the basis for much of your project work, are printed in colored pages in your hard copy Course Reader. To participate fully in on-site inquiries, discussions, and projects, students will need to revisit relevant articles in the Reader while in the field. The day or afternoon before each discussion, you will need to review the corresponding section of the Course Reader. In addition to inspirational physical and cultural landscapes, we will be exploring the landscape of ideas: the more you can refer to the readings and draw parallels between articles and in-country experiences, the richer your experiences will be. Student-Led Discussions Earth Expeditions students will be assigned to Discussion Groups, with 4-5 students per group. Students in each group will co-lead a discussion in the field about one of four course topics.

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In preparation for these discussions, each student will write a 4-6-page paper (not including literature cited), on a focus they have selected within the broader Discussion Group topics. Students will submit requests for Discussion Groups to the website; instructors will assign Discussion Groups and post groups to the website. Students will post their topic ideas, and instructors will monitor those ideas and suggest changes or modifications as needed. Before taking off for the field, students will submit papers to the Dragonfly website so that all group members can offer peer review comments. Writing the synthesis paper will ensure students are prepared to co-lead their in-country Discussion Group, which should last about 60 minutes. A list of discussion topics and the due dates for the Discussion Group requests and paper assignment are located in the To Dos in the Web-Based Learning Community. As you prepare, remember to review your Course Reader and all of the supplementary articles in the Knowledge Center on the web; these articles will be a big help as you write your papers. Note: Instructors and our field partners will conduct traditional lectures & discussions at various points throughout the course. Approaches to Collaboration All Earth Expeditions include some way for students to interact with local education and community groups in the field to exchange information and support collaboration. We may have local participants join the EE group for part of the course. Instructors will provide formal opportunities to exchange ideas and develop cooperative projects. Inquiry Action Projects We are asking EE students to advance local and international communities through an Inquiry Action Project (IAP). The majority of IAP work takes place in in the Dragonfly Web-Based Learning Community where you will find several fall assignments related to the IAP. However, if students want to work on an international project, its a good idea for you to lay the groundwork while in-country. The goal of the IAP is to translate a significant dimension of the course into your life using inquiry to challenge, inform learning, and create a community of action. Major Components of your IAP include: 1). Inquiry Component- This is the main focus of the IAP. An empirical investigation (inquiry) that addresses a question through science research methods, including designing a study, collecting data, analyzing results, and making conclusions. Use Dragonfly QUEST methodology from your reader as a guide. You will use comparative questioning to collect data and share findings. 2.) Action Component- The inquiry component should lead to an action that makes a difference. Think of the action component as the practical application of your inquiry. This action step is born from the inquiry component. Authorship: IAPs can be completed following one of two methods: 1). Self-created (stemming from your own question and is investigated on-your-own) or 2.) Group-created (involving collaboration with students or community members that you work with at home, other educators and conservation professionals (inside or outside the course group), or international colleagues. You are the facilitator of a group-created IAP (not the sole creator of both the inquiry and the action component). Note: All international projects must be coordinated through course instructors so we can work effectively with our field partners. Field Journal Although a typical Earth Expeditions course day is packed with experiences, you will be given some time for reflection and journal writing. Reflection leads to a deeper understanding of the experience. All Earth Expedition students keep a Field Journal, this includes daily personal entries not read by course instructors. You will also be assigned specific journaling entries that address course themes from the reader and course discussions that will be evaluated. Note: While a categorical listing of species sighted or a recounting of

the days events can be a part of your journal, as a general rule, instructors evaluate your journal on comments surrounding the personal meaning and perspective gained from your experience. IN THE WEB-BASED LEARNING COMMUNITY Once students return home they will continue their Earth Expeditions coursework on Dragonflys collaborative web platform, at www.DragonflyWorkshops.org. Through early December, students will join course instructors and classmates on the web to discuss assignments, develop and present IAP projects initiated in the field and in their classrooms, and exchange ideas. All participants should expect to spend two to three hours a week (or more) through the fall semester contributing to their learning community from their home or school computer. Navigating the web platform is easy--it's designed for people with no prior computer experience. Dragonfly's collaborative web platform--which is designed specifically for smallgroup inquiry and action--is a multifaceted learning environment that will enable you to work together with facilitators and other students as you build on your field experiences. All assignments are located on the web at www.DragonflyWorkshops.org. (VII) GRADING Course instructors will determine final grades in December. The final grade will encompass participants in-country field participation, progressive drafts of the IAP, and performance in the Web-Based Learning Community, including participants review of peer work. Synthesis Paper Field Discussion Field Journal & Assignments Field Participation IAP is broken into four stages (totals 42% of grade): IAP 1: Literature, Comparative Question & Methods IAP 2: Instruments, Analysis & Action IAP 3: Draft Report IAP 4: Final Report Web Assignments Peer Review Total: 12% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 12% 6% 10% 100%

Readings Required: Earth Expeditions Course Reader Additional, recommended readings, See section (V) Learning Resources & Text. Course Evaluations A link to our secure, online field and course evaluation is posted in your Dragonfly Workshops web-based classroom assignments. (VIII) COURSE ASSIGNMENTS All assignments and due dates for before, during and after the summer field experience are located on the course website at www.DragonflyWorkshops.org in Check Your To Dos. All course assignments through December are outlined on the course website at: www.DragonflyWorkshops.org (login required). (IX) COURSE COMMUNICATION Communication occurs during face-to-face interactions and on the web. On the web: your web learning community provides many tools for accessing course materials, readings and submitting assignments, sharing ideas, and developing collaborative projects. Use the web community as your primary communication center. Face-to-face: You will have direct access to facilitators during the field portion of the course. When there is a need for private communication, instructor(s) will email or phone.

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You are responsible for checking your Miami University email address as important course and graderelated communications may be sent only to this email address. A NOTE ON DUE DATES AND TIME ZONES- Although Project Dragonfly courses include students and instructors from all over the world that may reside in different time zones, assignments are due according to the time and date under Eastern Standard Time (EST). This is important because nearly all assignments rely on peer feedback and discussion. If you are in a different time zone, please plan accordingly so that you submit in a timely manner. (X) EXPECTATIONS Expectations of students Participate actively, constructively, and politely in all course forums Submit all assignments by the time and date indicated Notify the instructor as soon as possible if you have an emergency and you need more time for an assignment Submit ALL assignments before or by the time and date indicated. If you are NOT able to post on the due date- please communicate to your instructor. We believe in a preventive approach. Emergencies do happen, so when appropriate make sure you communicate with your instructor ASAP. Failure to do this could result in no consideration for your participation during the task(s) required for the week(s) you are "away. In other words, notify the instructor as soon as possible if you have an emergency and you need more time for an assignment. Depending on the assignment, partial or full credit may be granted by the instructor for excused absence. All participants in the course are bound by Miami Universitys Code of Conduct and other Graduate Academic Regulations found in Part 1 of the Graduate Student Handbook: http://www.miami.miamioh.edu/documents/graduate-studies/Graduate_Handbook.pdf Academic Integrity and Plagiarism All students are to follow Miami Universitys academic integrity and plagiarism requirements found at http://www.miami.miamioh.edu/integrity/graduate-students/index.html If plagiarism is suspected instructors may submit student work to plagiarism checking software. Web Communication and Netiquette In a hybrid web/face-to-face course, communication will take place at our group meetings and in our webbased learning community. Assignments will be submitted to our web-based learning community. Peer discussion will take place both at our group meetings and on the web. When the instructor deems private communication is necessary -- whether personal, interpersonal, or professional the instructor will email or call a student individually. As mentioned above, the primary means of communication in our web-based learning community is written. The written language has many advantages: more opportunity for reasoned thought, more ability to go in- depth, and more time to think through an issue before posting a comment. However, written communication also has certain disadvantages, such as a lack of the face-to-face signaling that occurs through body language, intonation, pausing, facial expressions, and gestures. As a result, please be aware of the possibility of miscommunication in web-based forums and compose your comments in a positive, supportive, and constructive manner. Follow course netiquette and common Internet decorum when interacting with colleagues and instructors. Write, read, [and] think, and re-think againbefore you post Ask yourself- 'would I stand up in a lecture room and ask an instructor this question/make this statement face-to-face? Also, check your tone-capitalizing words and exclamation points are the equivalent to shouting in an online environment, so be conscious about this.

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University Resources Note that to access many of Miamis online resources you will need your Miami UniqueID and password. Please reference the document in your Dragonfly Web-based Learning Community for instructions about your UniqueID and password. Howe Center for Writing Excellence Students enrolled in this course for graduate credit may use the services of Miami Universitys Howe Center for Writing Excellence at http://writingcenter.lib.miamioh.edu/. Although some services are limited to on-campus students, many services are available to students via the web, such as advice on how to write a scientific paper, access to Miamis reference collection, and grammar style and usage. To contact the Howe Writing Center, call 513-529-6100 or email Student Writing Center Manager Kate Francis at francik@miamioh.edu. Research Consultations http://www.lib.miamioh.edu/research_help/ You can also contact Kevin Messner, Biology Librarian and Head of BEST Library, at krmessner@miamioh.edu. Statistical Consultations http://www.cas.miamioh.edu/scc/ Disability Services The Office of Disability Resources (ODR) at Miami University provides a number of reasonable accommodations to students with physical, medical, neurological and psychological disabilities. To be eligible for accommodations, individuals must self-disclose disability information to ODR, and may be asked to provide documentation from a qualified professional supporting the accommodation request. All students are expected to speak with the Director, or a staff member of ODR, to complete an intake interview and finalize registration with ODR prior to the delivery of accommodations. To explore the Office of Disability Resources website, go to: http://www.units.miamioh.edu/oeeo/odr Contact Information: Office of Disability Resources Campus Avenue Building, Room 19 301 South Campus Avenue Oxford, Ohio 45056 (513) 529-1541 (V/TTY) - Office (513) 529-8595 - Fax (XI) ANNUAL WORLD COMMUNITY CONFERENCE All Earth Expeditions students are invited to create a poster featuring their Earth Expeditions coursework at the Annual World Community Conference held at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden each year in December. This conference is a great chance for participants to share their experiences with the Earth Expeditions, and graduate student community; to catch up with fellow students and hear about their field experiences; and to celebrate the combined impacts your group is making on this planet. Details about the World Community Conference including the conference date will appear in the To Dos at www.Dragonflyworkshops.org.

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