Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE - University of Wisconsin-Platteville students Stephanie Foley and Kitt Rhiner have returned for the fall semester after a month-long trip to San Ignacio, Belize. Foley, a native of Viroqua, is currently a senior at UWP, studying animal science and biology in the pre-veterinary program. Rhiner, a native of Verona, is a senior at UWP studying animal science in the pre-veterinary program as well.

While abroad, Foley and Rhiner stayed at the Log Cab-Inn, a resort in San Ignacio. Both students cited a desire to experience a different life and learn about a different culture by studying abroad.

Because Foley and Rhiner were in a program geared towards pre-veterinary students that focused on agriculture, they attended two classes for six UWP class credits. The first class was an Animal Health and Disease class, in which they visited farms all around the country performing veterinary procedures, such as vaccinations, on local animals.

"It was a very hands-on class," said Rhiner. "Our professor was a veterinarian, so we basically got to experience day-to-day life with him. We were always up and running, and every day brought new experiences."

Foley stated that one of their most memorable experiences was hosting a free clinic for the dog population of Belize. The students handed out much needed vitamins and even helped deworm the animals.

Foley and Rhiner also attended a Wildlife of Belize class where they learned about the many animal and parasitic species in Belize.

"This class was very hands-on as well," said Foley. "One of the best experiences we had was visiting the Belize zoo for two days. Because Belizeans have problems with jaguars killing their livestock, many of these problem jaguars are captured and put in zoos. There were about ten jaguars in the Belize zoo, and we were able to interact with them and watch the trainers teach the cats to give high fives and roll over."

Both Foley and Rhiner were able to experience numerous aspects of zookeeper life. They held howler monkeys, cleaned tapir ponds, which Rhiner called "interesting," fed harpy eagles and learned about the animals' diets by preparing food for many different species. They were even able to take a nighttime tour of the zoo in order to observe the activities of the nocturnal animals.

The classes also educated them on the need for conservation in Belize and the country's efforts to conserve their natural ecosystem.

"We learned about the need for balance between agriculture and conservation and how important it is to Belizeans," said Rhiner. "We also visited a bird sanctuary, where so many birds live because of habitat destruction. Many people capture exotic birds, like macaws, and sell them for an extraordinary amount of money, which is also endangering these animals."

Between classes, Foley and Rhiner found time to relax and experience Belize's natural beauty.

"We went to an island off the mainland and spent the day relaxing on the beach and snorkeling," said Rhiner. "We got to see sea turtles, eels and manta rays. We even saw a shark and some dolphins," added Foley.

When asked if they would recommend the study abroad program to students, Foley and Rhiner gave an enthusiastic yes, along with helpful advice.

"It is the perfect amount of time to be away and made my first experience abroad a really enjoyable one," said Foley. "Bring a bed net and always remember to hydrate yourself because of the different climate," added Rhiner. "Keep an open mind and you will have a wonderful experience just as we did."

For more information about the UWP study abroad program, visit the study abroad website at www.uwplatt.edu/intprog/educationabroad/ or at (608) 342-1726.

Contact: Kitt Rhiner, rhinerk@uwplatt.edu; Stephanie Foley, foleys@uwplatt.edu Written by: Morgan Spitzer, UWP Office of Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, spitzerm@uwplatt.edu