USCB offers Certificate of Ecotourism and Sustainability in partnership with The International Ecotourism Society September 19-21, 2011
Hilton Head, SC – In support of the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC), University of South Carolina Beaufort faculty are partnering with The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), offering workshops which enable participants to earn a Certificate in Ecotourism and Sustainability. The participants in this certification program have come from various countries, such as Mexico, Costa Rica, Canada, and the United States. Not only will they be attending interactive lectures, but are taking part in a hands-on interpretative boat tour on Broad Creek. This experience will provide persons with knowledge of Lowcountry ecosystems and how they relate to both geographical and historic aspects of the region, as well as the importance of sustainable practices needed to preserve the fragile Sea Islands. According to Ayako Ezaki, Director of Communications for The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), “This is the first time we have partnered with a local organization to offer a Certification in Ecotourism and Sustainability at this conference. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with a local university such as USCB, as this certainly supplements and improves our content.” The USCB professors facilitating the certification workshops are Dr. John Salazar (Hospitality Management), Dr. Joe Staton (Biology), Dr. Robert Landrum (History), and Dr. Eric Montie (Biology). Sustaining the environment has been a long time mission for USCB. Since 2005, USCB has had 49 projects totaling over $2.7 million in grant/contract funding, 35 of these projects being focused on sustaining the Lowcountry Environment, Economy, and Social well-being. USCB has received National awards from the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), US Department of Defense (USDOD), and US Marine Corps. They have also received State awards from the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, and South Carolina Energy Office.