This class was conducted during the four week January term at Franklin College of Indiana.  This winterterm class was designed as an introduction to tropical biology with particular emphasis on coral reef ecosystems.  Additional readings/discussions involved the country of Belize and the Maya civilization.  Students studied the fish and invertebrates of the Caribbean, the Mayan civilization, and plants of  tropical ecosystems for two weeks prior to spending ten days in Belize including a day to the spectacular Mayan site at Tikal in Guatemala.  The final few days of the class were spent reflecting on our experiences in a variety of ways including the student designed and produced web pages below.

Melissa Gerline, Amanda Ulery, Ashley Reese, Mallory Sparks	Beth Fruchtnicht, Marlene Russo, Sara Allen, Heather Adams	Nicole Showalter, Brittni Spera, Jennifer Pogue, Jessica Van Sciver
Louis Noble, Audrey Herbert, Sean Beeson, Drew Bright	Whitney Spatz, Hilary Rebber, Lindsey Lisman, Jennifer Shoultz	Joe Stack and Matt Spiller

We would like to thank Ken Mattes, Ph.D.  and Maureen Gannon, BSN of Belize Marine TREC for making all the arrangements for our stay in Belize.  We highly recommend them to those considering taking academic groups to Belize.  I would also like to thank all the wonderful people of Belize who made our stay educational and very enjoyable.  On the mainland, Israel and David of Cayo Adventure Tours made our time there both enjoyable and educational.  On the mainland we stayed at Clarissa Falls in the Cayo District,  Chena Galvez and her son Mark were graitious hosts.   I would be happy to answer any questions or receive any comments you might have concerning this experience or this web site.   I, Bill Pohley, can be reached at wpohley@franklincollege.edu