Belize: Ridges to Reefs Program- Summer 2022
Students from the biology, environmental science, and engineering programs at TAMUCC came together to travel abroad to Belize for an interdisciplinary program to gain field experience in STEM. In Belize, the students used a variety of equipment and scientific methods to assess the condition of the headwaters and forests of the Mountain Pine Ridge and coral reefs of Tobacco Caye. With the intent of collecting data to preliminarily determine the health and connectivity of these two environments.
"The Ridges to Reef Program gave us countless opportunities to grow as students and individuals. The program allowed us to connect our knowledge from the classroom to practical skills in the field, which is priceless. This connection of the two opens many ways of thinking to us and reminds us that adapting our academic knowledge to real-world situations is an integral skill to have.
This trip also allowed us to dip our toes into academic fields that otherwise we would never be exposed to, which will prepare us to excel when working on multi-disciplinary projects.
Overall, the trip was amazing. We had an incredible time canoeing down the Sabine River, visiting the ruins of a great Mayan city, and swimming amongst stunning coral reefs all while collecting valuable data on the health and diversity of the Belizean ecosystem. The program is an excellent example of how TAMU-CC strives to provide students with experience and knowledge that sets it graduates leagues above the rest in the workforce."
-Nolan Bell (Major: Mechanical Engineering, Year: Senior)
“This was an Incredible once in a lifetime experience to conduct research in one of the most beautiful place on earth! Through this program I was able to meet the most amazing people and expand my knowledge like never before!!”
-Olivia Stokes (Major: Mechanical Engineering, Year: Senior)
“We spent two weeks learning about land-to-sea connections while immersed in Belizean culture. I am thankful to share this experience with these students. Many of them haven’t been out of the country, seen a rainforest, or a coral reef! What a life-changing event!”
–Dr. Keisha Bahr (Faculty-lead for the study abroad course)
