Moodle at Eckerd College 2025-26 Academic Year

This course provides students with conceptual, methodological, practical, and theoretical training in multispecies ethnography. This qualitative research method facilitates contextual examinations of the human-animal interface and considers (i) how animalsshape human actions, experiences, and identities, and (ii) how they fit withincultural, historical, and other contexts. By exploring these dynamics and critically considering the processes that underlie them, this class encourages the development of new and richer perspectives on a wide range of contexts (including cultural contexts, ethnographic field sites, zoos, aquariums, research labs, veterinary clinics, conservation areas, animal sanctuaries, etc.). It alsodevelops comparative and critical considerations of human-animal intersections in diverse sociocultural contexts while encouraging students toconsider their own experiences and assumptions in the context of a broader multispecies world. Prerequisite: AZ 200 or permission of the instructor.

Internship

Internship

Integrate, discuss and present theories, professional studies and practices from sub-disciplines of Animal Studies. Complete capstone research project to identify and solve problem relevant to issues encountered by professionals in chosen sub-discipline. Prerequisite: AZ 344

Integrate, discuss and present theories, professional studies and practices from sub-disciplines of Animal Studies. Complete capstone research project to identify and solve problem relevant to issues encountered by professionals in chosen sub-discipline. Prerequisite: AZ 344

This course explores the ways in which sea turtle welfare, conservation, and research take place on-the-ground at the nonprofit LAST, the Latin American Sea Turtle Association, located on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. As a class, we will combine lecture and active engagement to explore the issues sea turtles face today and what we can do to help them. We will learn about sea turtle behavior, biology, and care while staying at a center focusing on research and rehabilitation. Outside of our sea turtle work, we will also explore the various ways LAST engages with the local community and take trips to local spots of cultural and natural importance. This course is highly participatory and every day involves regular physical activity, including work on boats and kayaks and hiking in tropical mountains.

This interdisciplinary course will take place on the Caribbean island of Bonaire, which is surrounded by a marine park. Students will gain a foundational understanding of what climate change is and how it is consequential for corals, insights into coral physiology and ecology, and knowledge of common coral, fish, and invertebrate species on Caribbean reefs. Additionally, students will learn effective communication strategies to relay their knowledge of corals and climate change to others. This course will include extensive diving and an open water or equivalent dive certification (at a minimum) is required for the course. Students will learn and practice data collection on coral health and on public understanding of climate consequences for coral reefs. After gathering and presenting data, students will create a final infographic communication piece to be used by dive facilities as an educational piece for tourists.

This course examines the topic of public health in Puerto Rico (PR), primarily focusing on how social, political, and natural environments shape health outcomes in the region. The course entails travel to the beautiful island of PR, where we will primarily stay in San Juan to gain an insider’s perspective of the ongoing public health challenges faced. Morning classes will allow us to discuss possible causes of health problems in the area. We will participate in various cultural activities in the afternoons, including visits to various green and blue spaces that positively impact health (El Yunque National Forest, Luquillo Beach), a local farm trip dedicated to increasing access to healthy food, a low-income health clinic visit, attendance of presentations by local community health organizations, and ongoing observation of how hurricanes have resulted in infrastructural damage, contaminated water, unsafe housing structures, and lack of access to nutritious food.

The Biophilia Hypothesis illuminates that humans have an increased capacity for understanding, discovery, and balance when in direct contact with nature. This course travels to explore the possibilities of biophilic self-actualization (acting at one's full potential) through partnership with New Zealand's endemic flora and fauna. While capitalizing on the powers of adventure-based learning, human-animal interactions, and opportunities for immersion, this course will provide the opportunity to increase both insight and skills surrounding personal development. We will study how nature, animals, and associated symbols have influenced humans across time, across cultures, and across a single human's life (yours!). Deepened knowledge of Humanistic and Ecopsychology theory will empower students to consider advanced routes to emotional intelligence, leadership, and environmental conscientiousness, as well as inspire the practice of applied novel approaches to co-occurring global climate and mental health crises. A student in this unique, interdisciplinary course will very personally explore how nature and conservation can impact their growth, development, and worldview. Participation will include guided and responsible excursion options such as mindfulness-based hiking, glass-bottom boat trips, cave abseiling, solo and group meditation, guided participation in local conservation projects, swimming with wild dolphins, a visit to a kiwi hatchery, a ceremony and overnight stay in a Māori village, and more (exact opportunities may vary).