By Leanna Churchill

Staff Writer

While most Lincoln Land students are stuck in snowy Illinois in January, some students will be exploring Belize with Professor Dave Cox.

Entering its 10th year, this trip allows students to hike and explore the rainforests and Mayan ruins, all while conducting biology experiments.

“I continue to do this because it is the most influential thing I can do as an educator for my students,” Cox said. “More learning happens during a trip than can be achieved in a traditional classroom.”

While there, students conduct a field experiment, which plays a part in nine years of research and water quality testing on the Sibun River, Cox said.

A visit to a Howler monkey sanctuary also will be part of the trip. Cox said students will learn about the role the monkeys play in the tropical rainforest.

This trip is not purely scientific, though, Cox said. There is a chance to study the history and culture of the old Mayan world. The will visit the Mayan ruins of Xunanutunich, St Hermsans Cave and unexplored sites during the jungle hikes.

Besides the educational goals, Cox said the trip aims “to expand participants’ global perspectives and increase their cultural awareness by visiting a developing country.”

“Most participants come back with a greater appreciation for what we have in our country,” Cox said. “They also come back with a very different perspective on people from a different country.”

That change is Cox’s favorite part, he said.

“Going to Belize is a great experience, it gives you a look at how another part of the world works,” said David Otto, a student who has been on the trip.

Otto plans to go again in January.

“Surprisingly, there is a lot of down time where you can go exploring, meeting new people or just hangout by the pool with your friends,” Otto said.

Cox came up with the idea for the educational trip when he first visited Belize on his honeymoon. He noticed it would be a perfect environment for students to learn.

Cox returned to the country and built relationships with the owners of the lodge. They started working together to find a way to make these trips possible and have been doing so for the past 10 years.

“Standing in the top of a Mayan pyramid and looking over the entire countryside cannot be replicated in a classroom,” Cox said. “The experiences that the students have during the course of the trip will be remembered for their entire life.”

Leanna Churchill can be reached at [email protected].