Blog

Name: James Looney, Ph.D.
Position: Lecturer in Environmental Policy and Socioeconomics
Program: Marine Resource Management Studies, Turks & Caicos Islands

Last week, students left their new home on South Caicos to see more of the Caicos Islands. Based at the Caribbean Paradise Inn in Grace Bay, students and staff spent two days exploring Providenciales, North Caicos, and Middle Caicos.

On the first day of our field trip, students toured two all-inclusive hotels and the DECR Environmental Centre on Provo. Students also honed their social-scientific data collecting skills by spending half a day interviewing local residents and tourists for the TCI Tourism Assessments they will soon write for their Environmental Policy class.

On the second day, we left Providenciales by ferry and proceeded to tour the islands of North and Middle Caicos. We visited the TCI government farm, Conch Bar Caves, and the ruins of a Loyalist Plantation; at midday, we lunched at the beautiful Mudjin Harbour.  Later that evening, we returned to Provo and were treated to a tour of a working Conch Farm.

Now everyone has returned to the Center to continue their Case Study II coursework in Marine Ecology, Resource Management, and Environmental Policy. Over the next two weeks, students will finish their group projects, practice research techniques, and collect data for long term monitoring projects. Following final exams, students will begin their month-long Directed Research course.