#ualbertagoabroad

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Welcome to Swaziland 

Our students arrived at Lidwala Lodge, in Ezulwini valley in Swaziland on Sunday, January 10. On Monday, our students had their orientation. After completing the orientation, many of students took advantage of the beautiful and idyllic location to hike Sheba’s breast.  Sheba’s breast are two distinctive peaks that are visible from Mbabane and Ezulwini Valley. The hiking trail to the top of the peak starts from Lidwala Lodge, where are students are accommodated for their first week in Swaziland. The peaks got their name from the legendary Queen of Sheba from Ethiopia. From the top of the mountain you can see Milwane Wildlife Sanctuary. Students have the option of visiting Milwane on their upcoming free weekend to see zebras, hippos, warthogs, and impalas up close. 

Talking to fourth year student Spencer Balay he says; “The first few days in Africa have been amazing. I don't think I have ever learned this much about so many different people and myself in such a short amount of time. Swaziland’s motto is “Sharing is caring”, and I couldn't be happier to share this incredible experience with the people here”

Photos contributed by Spencer Balay

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Learn more about Module 3: One Health in Cape Town. In this three week module students stay in Hout Bay and have the opportunity to do community outreach through Community Service Learning while completing BIOL 495 Zoonotic Disease in Africa. 

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Learn more about Module 2: Marine Ecology in Tofo, Mozambique. This one month module offers students the opportunity to get credit for BIOL 361 and BIOL 495. In this module students will complete an Open Water or Advanced Open Water Scuba course, go on research dives, ocean safaris, humpback whale monitoring and learn Portuguese...oh and did I mention you get to live on a beautiful beach in Mozambique!

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Learn about SAFS Module 1: Savannah Ecology in Swaziland and South Africa. In this Module students complete two University of Alberta Biology course, live in a game reserve, study wildlife and go on an African Safari! 

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The Gateway: Volume 106, Issue 7 The September 9, 2015 issue of The Gateway.

Great article about the SAFS summer pilot in The Gateway this week. 

Just as a correction, the cost of the program is $15,200 not including flights. 

Thank you to Elle Surgent and Jenny Kleininger for your contributions

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Hangberg Tour and Cleanup

July 7, 9, 10, 2015

Last week our BIOL 495 students spent three afternoons visiting the local coloured township Hangberg. Within walking distance from Hout Bay Backpackers, where our students are staying, is the community of Hangberg. Upon first look, Hangberg is a residential and family community like any other; colourful brick houses adorn the street with stunning views of Hout Bay harbour. However, as we strolled through the streets of this township our tour guide Jacobus Mathews, showed us and told us about the many unseen realities of Hangberg. During the apartheid regime in South Africa people were racial segregated and as a result communities such as Imizamo Yethu (the black township) and Hangberg (the coloured township) were established. Although, there exists some formal housing in both communities there is a significant amount of informal settlements throughout the community. Many of these informal homes do not have water, electricity or sewage. 

The current population of Hangberg is estimated at about 28,800 people and is affected by a very high unemployment rate. As we walked through the community Jacobus, who is a pastor, counsellor and leader in his community discussed some of the impacts that poverty and the legacy of apartheid have on his community. We were shocked to hear that the HIV/AIDS rate in Hangberg is estimated to be about 50%. In addition, Jacobus discussed many issues that youth face such as teenage pregnancy, drug abuse of methamphetamine with youth starting as young as 9 or 10 years old. As we walked through the community we saw the many informal houses and met community members. As a component of their Community Service Learning outcomes of their BIOL 495 course, students engaged in a community cleanup. Our students spent Thursday and Friday afternoon collecting rubbish in the community. This gave the students not only the opportunity to help cleanup but also to meet people and learn more about the community. Through their handwork, students collected over 40 bags of rubbish each day.

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Welcome to our classroom. First class of Bio 495 in Hout Bay, Cape Town #ualbertasafs #ualbertagoabroad #studyabroad #africa #capetown #houtbay

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BIOL 495: Marine Field Techniques

Underwater Research, is a major component of the BIOL 495: Marine Field Techniques course. The first step required for our students to do the research was to learn how to scuba dive. Three of our 18 students arrived here with their Open Water Certification and were able to obtain their Advanced Open Water dive certification. Our other 15 students started the program by obtaining their Open Water diving certification. 

In these images we see a team of students collecting reef cover data using quadrats. The students were required to randomly select a location on the reef using kick-cycles, place the quadrat over the reef and then record percentage coverage of soft coral, sand, bare rock, sponge, massive coral, branching coral, green tree, starfish, clams, anemone, and algae. 

In Module 1, students had learned how to do a similar technique in terrestrial ecology, however, underwater certainly provided new challenges for these young biologists. Students learned that underwater data collection provides new challenges, dealing with time of dive, depth, current and dive capabilities. 

The data that is collected is being used to create a baseline for reef health research in this area and will contribute ongoing monitoring of these reefs. Three of our BIOL 495 students are using this data in their research project comparing banthic cover across deep versus shallow sites.