b11cinff00

Welcome to Natural History 11C - Marine Ecology: The Biology of the Marine Wetlands of the Punta Banda, Baja California, Mexico. The half-day lecture and laboratory session will be held Sunday, March 10, from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm in CFS 91008 on the Pierce College campus. PLEASE BE ON TIME FOR THE MEETING. I suggest you bring a snack for the mid-morning break as there will be no food service open on campus. The field trip to Mexico is over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, March 16& 17, 2019. We will meet at the hotel on Friday night, March 15, and depart for home when the class ends on Sunday afternoon. If you enroll and for some reason are NOT going to be able attend please contact me at pcmsusa@hotmail.com

The lecture/laboratory meeting on campus will include a lecture and PowerPoint introduction to the environment of the Punta Banda, general principles of the biology of communities, and familiarization with the wetland habitat. The laboratory part of the course, completed using online materials before departure for Mexico, will familiarize you with the animals and plants of the area and with techniques of field observation and note taking. Additionally we will discuss travel arrangements, field protocol, etiquette in foreign countries, transportation, and lodging. More details will be provided at the class meeting.

For our accommodations a travel fee of $135 in cash will be required of each student at the class meeting on Sunday to cover accommodations and course materials including the text for the course.

Because of the short period between the meeting and travel you must bring the fee in CASH and the fee must be paid at the time of the meeting.

Driving time to the hotel is approximately four and one-half hours from the San Fernando Valley. We have reservations for the entire class for Friday and Saturday night. You will be expected at the hotel on Friday evening for a briefing. The field study begins on Saturday morning. The last field study will end at approximately 4:00 pm on Sunday and the class will end. Please be aware that you are responsible for your own transportation. Pierce College cannot assume responsibility for or arrange transportation. You may wish to share driving with others in the class.

If you have any questions please call me at email pcmsusa@hotmail.com (best) or call 310/999-9072 (text message). You may also visit me during my office hours when the spring semester begins.

If you are interested in this class you might want to visit the website for the summer course, Biology 123 - The Marine Biology of the Sea of Cortez in Bahia de los Angeles, Baja California.