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Foreign excursion Biologica South-Croatia

In august 2015 a group of 26 biologists made a 10-day trip through a country, which is famous by its rich flora and fauna: Croatia.

The excursion was organized by and for students of biology, in collaboration with their study association ‘Biologica’. During the trip several places and cities have been visited. It all started in Dubrovnik, a city in the south of Croatia known for its many Unesco world heritages: a very old city wall of 2 km long, several churches and the oldest and still operable pharmacy. Dubrovnik is a city located at the sea. It’s heaven on earth for biology students due to its large diversity in living species. During a snorkel or diving trip, the students were able to see the surprising diversity of algae, fish, crab species, corals, sea urchins and anemones with their own eyes.

“An experience I’ve never had before”. After a day of traveling, the students arrived at the national park Krka. A park famous for its many waterfalls, which provide life to a large diversity in flora and fauna. “A paradise for every kind of biologist”. Next up was a visit to the institute of oceanography and fishery. Here the students gained knowledge on the conservation of the fish stocks, the protection of hotbeds for fish and sustainable fishing during two lectures.

“For us, as Wageningen University students this all sounded very familiar and was easy to catch up with”. To bring an end to the informative week, the students went rafting over the mountain river and even spotted some tortoises.