Tropical rainforests, vast expanses of grasslands, sacred Aboriginal landmarks and the Great Barrier Reef will be explored by a Biology 394 class in Australia this summer. Warren Dolphin, university professor of zoology and genetics, will depart on May 7 to lead 20 ISU students to the “land down under” with his wife, Judy Dolphin, director of the Ames-ISU YWCA. The group will return from the excursion on June 4.”I think, from the biological side of things, that you get to see a lot of things that you only read about in books, you get to put them into perspective,” Dolphin said.Course destinations are determined on sites of interest. Each year different biologists who lead the sections of 394 have input in where they would like to study. Antarctica, Europe and the Galapagos Islands are some past destinations. The other section of Biology 394 will be heading to bio-diverse Costa Rica from May 6 to May 20. Currently, there are four spots left for this trip, and deadline for application is today. Applications may be obtained in 201 Bessey Hall.”I enjoy the trips,” Dolphin said. “It’s fun. The rewards are tremendous, and students say it’s an opportunity of a lifetime.”He said applicants for the biology field trips need not be biology majors, but they recommend at least one year of biology among other requirements such as a degree audit, letters of recommendation and written work detailing what the applicant thought his or her presence could bring to the trip. The seminar details the biological, geographical and societal aspects of the country that the group will be visiting. Dolphin said it is also a good chance to get to know the other participants before everyone is thrown together for the trip.Each student must prepare a 10-page paper detailing a biological or societal issue of the country and submit it to Dolphin for comment. The students give their presentations to the class at the geographical location they wrote about.Biology 394 totals three ISU credits for a biology major, and also counts for the international diversity requirement.”It’s an official Iowa State University course, but it’s got a big lab fee,” Dolphin said.He said the trip will cost each student around $3,500. The ISU study abroad program offers a few scholarships for this purpose, and they range from $100 to $500. Beth Fatland, graduate assistant in botany, said the opportunity was so important to her in 1996 that she paid for the trip with her personal savings and a small loan.”It was amazing,” she said. “We saw several ecosystems. It’s not until you get out there that the points in your biology book are really driven home. I’d definitely go again.”Non-biology majors also find the trip an enlightening experience.”It’s a great chance to learn about different cultures and gain knowledge about another country,” said Anne Koenig, senior in psychology. Koenig participated in Biology 394 in 1996.