Place Based Education
CIRENAS will provide transformational life experiences by empowering participants to become active environmental stewards. Programs will be hosted within the living classroom of the Caletas-Ario National Wildlife Refuge and will include both semester programs and short course options. The curriculum will focus on experiential education and the development of active problem-solving skills necessary to address the world’s most pressing concerns.
Applied Research
All semester course students will take part in pertinent applied research projects designed to help understand and address some of the region’s greatest challenges. There are also research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in the following areas.
Water Quality/Conservation, Species Inventories, Sociological Surveys, Organic Agriculture, Appropriate Technology, Sea Turtle Conservation, Sustainable Development, Experiential/Place-Based Education, National Wildlife Refuge Management, Stakeholder Integration
Community Integration
Our relationship with the local community is one of the aspects of which we are extremely proud. The Grew family has been a part of the community for the last 40 years and as our Director of Communications and Development, Caroline Grew has continued to develop these relationships. As we reach towards our goals we also will help our fellow community members attain theirs, through stakeholder meetings, eco-enterprise opportunities, working together and most importantly listening.
Innovation
The natural beauty of the Caletas-Ario watershed will inspire participants, researchers and stakeholders to work together to preserve its integrity. Our collaborative conservation efforts will yield new environmental management solutions, design techniques and future leaders serving as a model of environmental stewardship in action.