Sunday, October 18, 2009

Antarctica: Expedition to the White Continent

Overview

Antarctica is a land of superlatives. It is the coldest, driest, windiest, iciest continent and has the longest nights and days and the greatest amount of fresh water, all surrounded by the stormiest ocean on Earth. The animals and plants that visit, breed, and thrive here make the study of ecology, adaptation, and all of natural history spectacularly interesting and a marvel to experience first-hand.

Faculty

Join us as we explore the Antarctic Peninsula and its surrounding islands, led by Charles Walcott, Professor Emeritus of Neurobiology and Behavior at Cornell and former Director of Cornell's Laboratory of Ornithology.

Accommodations

Our ship, the 114-guest, all-suite Corinthian II, is one of the most luxurious small ships cruising Antarctic waters, an elegant cocoon from which to admire icebergs with equally enthralled traveling companions.

Itinerary

Our destinations will include lands and waters that provide once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for adventurous naturalists, lovers of bird and marine life, and anyone transfixed by the great story of Antarctic exploration.

We'll cruise south from Ushuaia in Argentina and through the Antarctic Convergence, with albatrosses skimming overhead. Along the way, and led by expert naturalist guides, we'll make many shore landings in sturdy Zodiacs to visit penguin rookeries, old whaling and operational research stations, and elephant seal colonies. We'll observe humpback and minke whales, Adélie penguins, and whirling Antarctic petrels—among dozens of other species. Temperatures during the temperate Austral summer months will be in the 30s and 40s.

Program Cost

Cabin prices range from $8895 to $16,195 double occupancy.

On-campus Summer Programs

If you've never attended Cornell's Adult University, consider taking the leap this summer! In our forty years, more than 50,000 adults and their children and grandchildren have participated in our programs--and many have found the experience so rewarding that they've returned for five, ten, even twenty years running.

Any reticence that adults, whether single or in a couple, might feel at the start of the program melts away in the give-and-take of class discussion, lively cultural events, and the congenial and spirited company of fellow participants at meals, in the lounge, on rambles.

And it all takes place in an absolutely stunning setting. Children and grandchildren, sometimes shy on the first day, find it hard to say goodbye to their new friends and their counselors at week's end.

Please check out the Q&A section and the program descriptions. If you join us, as we dearly hope, we know that you--like the thousands before you--are going to enjoy CAU.

News

H1N1 (swine) flu update

Dates

20092010
Week 1July 12-18July 11-17
Week 2July 19-25July 18-24
Week 3July 26-August 1July 25-31
Week 4August 2-8August 1-7

Programs

Housing, Fees, and Registration Form