Orientation Information for the SEE-U Program in Punta Cana, The Dominican Republic

General Information about SEE-U in the DR:

Course Location

Setting –

The SEE-U class in the DR is hosted by the Fundación Ecológica Punta Cana at The Punta Cana Biodiversity Laboratory (PCBL). The Center is in a rural setting near the town of Béron, to the south of the much larger city called Higüey in the state of Altagracia in the farthest eastern end of the Dominican Republic. The class site is only about 8 km from the Punta Cana International Airport, or about 10 minutes by car to the south of the airport.

The landscape around the Punta Cana Biodiversity Laboratory is comprised of a mosaic of Tropical Coastal Scrub Forest and Tropical Coastal Rainforest in the Indigeneous Eyes Preserve, as well as human dominated areas such as cattle grazeland and some former sugarcane plantations. There is a diffuse network of backcountry roads running through the scrub forest.  These offer excellent routes and views for hikes, runs, and mountain bike riding. 

The PCBL is owned by the same people who own the Punta Cana Resort and Club (PCRC). The majority of the coastal region near the PCBL is owned by the people who own the Punta Cana Resort and Club. The coast is mostly seagrass beds, with some coral reefs that have a great diversity of tropical fish.
 

Weather –
The course in the DR is held during their summer, which averages 86 degrees during the day and 75 degrees at night. Humidity is very high, which helps to make it seem hotter than those temperatures. We can expect consistently sunny and hot days - particularly away from the shore. Near shore the winds help to cool you down. Be certain to bring adequate sunblock, cool and long-sleeved shirts, and broad-brimmed hats to guard against excessive sun exposure.

In addition to the cool shores, dorm and lecture rooms are all air-conditioned. During the course it may rain on some days – rainfall can be quite heavy, as the course is held just before the hurricane season.  

To get an idea of what the temperature and precipitation will be, look at a web site for local weather conditions (for example www.weather.com or through www.cnn.com). Use Punta Cana as your reference.  Also remember that temperatures, weights, and measurements in the area are in the metric system.


Money and Shopping

There will be limited opportunities for shopping during the course given that the field site is in a rural area.  However, we will have occasional trips to nearby cities for shopping and Saturday nights out.  In general, most items you’re accustomed to seeing in stores are available in the DR, but brand names might not be the same and sizing is different for shoes and clothes.  Prices are generally lower for locally produced goods, but imported items will be fairly expensive, with electronics being ridiculously expensive. 

In addition to shopping and going out, you will need cash for extracurricular activities hosted by PCRC (e.g., horseback riding, scuba diving, golfing), telephone charges (international calls can add up to be quite expensive), and other extras such as sodas and sweets.  You can also use an ATM to withdraw money to pay your expenses - there are several on the grounds of the resort. Many ATM cards will work in these banks, but not all.  You might inquire with your card issuer to make certain. 

We recommend that you NOT convert your US dollars into Dominican currency (Pesos) when you first arrive into the country. The ATMs located around PCRC are easy to successfully withdraw Dominican Pesos and thereby not pay the conversion fees that you would otherwise have to pay at the airport exchange booths. The peso floats against the US dollar, and at present (May 2005) the exchange rate is approximately 1 US$ = 26 RD$. 

See previous students’ suggestions on succeeding in the course by going to The DR Course Companion webpage.

Credit cards are not as uniformly accepted across the Dominican Republic as they are in the US.  However, they are taken at most locations in most communities that we’ll be visiting and at most stores in large cities.  VISA and MasterCards are more widely accepted than American Express and Discover.  However, do not only rely on credit cards. Carry some Dominican Pesos when going off campus.

A word about security on campus:  As in any developing country, there are many residents who make much less money than do visitors.  Leaving money, credit cards, passports, wallets, cameras, and other valuables lying about in your room is inadvisable.  There is a safe at the PCBL that we routinely use to store valuables that we do not usually carry around with us during class (such as credit cards, wallets, and passports).  We do this because on past occasions a few students had such items stolen that were left out in their rooms.  Be smart and alert to avoid these problems.


Site Contact Information and Postal Address

The telephone and fax number at Punta Cana Biodiversity Laboratory is:
    For calls from outside the DR: 1 809 959 9208

    For calls from within the DR: 959 9208 

Please let your family and friends know that the Laboratory conducts its business over this line during the daytime, and, out of courtesy to our hosts, to please not to call until the evening if at all possible. Punta Cana is in the same time zone as New York. To call out yourself, you should purchase phone cards at either the airport (to the right out of customs), or at the employee's store across the street from the Laboratory.

Mail and packages should not be sent to you during the course at Punta Cana.  We advise not sending packages by regular mail as they can end up in customs (and difficult to retrieve) – in the past students have had to pay rather exorbitant fees to release the packages from customs. It is best to bring whatever you may need to down with you or to purchase the items in the DR. 

The postal/delivery address is:

Your Name
c/o
Punta Cana Biodiversity Laboratory
Punta Cana Resort and Club
Higüey
Republica Dominicana

Tourist Visa 

Your will need a current US (or other nationality) passport good at least 90 days past your date of departure. US citizens need a visa to enter the DR; other nationals should check with the Dominican Consulate at the Visa Section online.  You can purchase the visa for $20 (US Dollars) in the airport upon arriving into the Punta Cana International Airport. Be certain that you have this money in US Dollars in your hand upon arriving. You will not be able to access an ATM before paying this visa fee. Please note that you will NOT need to apply for a visa well in advance, unlike many other countries.

Additional information regarding visas and other travel forms will be outlined for you in orientation materials provided by CERC/SEE-U (email James Danoff-Burg <jd363@columbia.edu> for more information). 
 

Medical Information

Please fill out and submit to SEE-U the medical information form provided during course orientation sessions or emailed to you.

In terms of the challenging natural phenomena in the area, there are a few poisonous spiders that live under rocks, but not poisonous snakes. The most commonly encountered organisms of  concern are mosquitoes and the many poisonous and thorny plants inland. Similarly, you should be aware that much of the terrain is eroded limestone or coraline in origin, a lot of which is jagged, so sturdy boots with ankle support are important. 
Insurance –
You are required by the SEE-U program to have medical insurance that will reimburse you for medical expenses (in case of accident, illness, for example) while in a foreign country.  
Immunizations –
It’s a good idea – and required by the course – to have a tetanus shot or booster.  Best not to be in a situation where you need such a shot in a foreign country.  Be certain that your tetanus immunization is current.

Following the CDC recommendations, we strongly suggest discussing anti-malarial medication with your physician in light of the heavy hurricane season experienced by the area this past winter. Some malarial medicines require taking pills 1-2 weeks prior to travel, then 1 pill per week while onsite, and then three weeks post return. Chloroquine is the recommended drug for malaria prevention for persons traveling to the Dominican Republic and is highly efficacious and well tolerated by most travelers. Please contact CU travel & health advisory for information. Also consider, either in combination with or in place of anti-malarials, a preventative approach: To prevent mosquito bites, travelers should use long sleeved pants and shirts, wear hats, employ insect repellent, and avoid shampoos, perfumes, conditioners, deodorants, and other products which contain floral scents (eucalyptus, lemon oils, and other “natural” insect repellents are fine, though). Repellents containing up to 50% DEET are recommended, but not without considering possible side effects as with anti-malarial drugs. Antimalarial drugs taken correctly and consistently, along with other measures to prevent mosquito bites, have been shown to be effective in preventing malaria. Therefore, CDC does not discourage travel. More information may be found online at the CDC's page for the DR. 

If you are traveling to other parts of the DR or other countries in Central and South America before or after the course, we suggest going to the CDC site for travelers and/or The World Medical Guide.  We recommend getting a Hepatitis A vaccination series.  Hep A is a food and water-borne disease – while this is not a problem on campus, it is important if you are to tour after or before class and if you go off on your own when we travel during class.  A yellow fever shot (it’s good for 10 years) is also a good idea, but not necessary. 
 

Language and Culture

The official language of the DR is Spanish.  Obviously you don’t need to know Spanish for the class, but many PCBL and PCRC staff members and other members of the local community don’t speak English – so knowing a few phrases goes along way.  In addition, many of the groundskeepers at the resort are Haitian immigrants, so if you are interested in speaking French or learning Kreyole from them, this is a great opportunity to do so. 

We recommend that you learn a bit about the DR and its culture before heading down here.  A ready way to do this is to pick up a copy of a popular travel guide for the DR such as those by The Lonely Planet, Insight Guides, and The Real Guides (Penguin USA, publ.).
 

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What to Bring:

General Information

The following is a list of suggested personal items for your stay in the DR, as well as some mandatory gear for class and field work.  The best advice is of course to travel as light as possible, especially as quarters in the dorms are a bit tight.

Information technology – If you own a laptop that you would be comfortable bringing to the DR, it would be a great idea. We have only four computers for the course and many of those are laden with viruses, so a crunch for computer access often comes at the end of the course when people are finishing their individual projects.  Security at the PCBL is good.  The upstairs common area and some other common rooms are equipped with wireless network access. Internet access is limited to these rooms and can be slow at times, so you shouldn’t count on doing a high volume of email and websurfing. 

To read what previous years’ students suggest as far as what to bring and their other advice, see The DR Course Companion webpage.

Laundry service is available from the PCBL staff with a few day turnaround time.  So bring enough clothes to have enough on hand while a set is in the laundry.
 

Mandatory Items

  • Journal or field notebook 
    •
  • Compass – Your compass must have a clear base plate, rotating housing, etc., as the Silva Polaris 177 Compass ($10.00, e.g. Item #408040 at http://www.rei.com/) or similar ones by Suunto and Brunton.  Ones with a mirror are more useful for fieldwork but are also more expensive (e.g., Silva Ranger CL $55.00, REI Item 408031).
    •
  • Snorkel Set, including swimming fins, mask, and snorkel – Try them out before leaving to make sure all works, e.g. that the mask seal work for you.

Personal Gear – A Packing List

Clothes   Toiletries, Medications, etc.
  For wet weather –
  • Rain jacket and/or All-weather nylon shell (e.g. Goretex)
  • Small collapsible umbrella

    • For the field –
  • Snorkel Set, including swimming fins, mask, and snorkel
  • Comfortable and sturdy work/hiking shoes – Hiking boots highly recommended (Be sure they are fully broken in before traveling)
  • Recreational-type sandals (e.g., Teva’s) or shoes to get wet/muddy in (for boat and mangrove time) 
  • Socks (wool or cotton – couple of comfortable pairs for work and hiking)
  • Field hat, with brim (Very important – for protection from the sun)
  • Long-sleeved, light colored shirts for field work (2) 
  • Field pants (1-2, e.g. quick-dry khaki or convertible pants)
  • Shorts

    • Optional but recommended –
  • Work gloves
    		•     
  • Alarm clock (Important!) 
  • Sun screen (Very important)
  • Insect repellent
  • Prescription medicines (enough for your entire trip)
  • Toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc.
  • Spare eyeglasses or contacts (Bring your prescription)
  • Contact lens solution(s)
  • Over-the-counter medicine for headaches, cramps, stomach, diarrhea, etc.
  • Calamine lotion or AfterBiteItch Eraser/AfterBiteXtra (for insect bites if sensitive)
  • Band-Aids (several sizes)
  • Large beach towel
  • You do NOT need to bring bedding.

    • Optional but recommended –
  • Reading books, games
  • Tick soap and chigger powder (bring if you’re sensitive)
  • Moleskin 
  • Tweezers
  • Towel (fast drying)
  • Duct tape (for repairs)

    •  
         General –   Other Key Items for the Field/Lab
     
  • Normal/“City-life” clothes and shoes for around campus and/or going out
  • Undergarments
  • T-shirts (several) 
  • Swimsuit 
    		•     
  • Sun glasses (Important)
  • Flashlight (with spare bulbs and extra batteries)
  • Pens and pencils
  • Water bottle or canteen (one-liter / quart) 
  • Whistle (for an emergency)
  • Field notebook/journal (required) - ideally you could get a waterpoof blank book such as the Adventure Travel Journal - All Weather Writing by Rite In The Rain
  • Compass (required type noted above)

    • Optional but recommended –
  • Laptop (see IT discussion)
  • Camera (with all the film/memory cards and batteries you’ll need; digital pix can be downloaded onto the server)
  • Binoculars
  • Power/Clif bars, for example
  • Small magnifying glass (5-10X)
  • Swiss Army knife or Leatherman (pack in checked baggage, not in carry-on’s)
    		•

     
     
     
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    Information about Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic:

    These links are selected as a starting point for learning about the Dominican Republic and its conservation. 
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    Page history –
    Created by J Danoff-Burg, May 2005