The National System of Protected Places
By: Sarah Parker


Peru has 63 natural areas protected by the state (ANPE-areas naturales protegidas por el estado). These 63 individual protected areas form the National System of Natural Areas Protected by the State (SINANPE-sistema nacional areas naturales protegidas por el estado) (Figure 1). These areas have little or no human intervention so that people can enjoy these places for their natural beauty and to protect the habitat for the flora and fauna located in each area. This system considers two forms of protecting an area: areas of direct use and areas of indirect use. The areas of direct use are those that permit the use of natural resources, primarily for local population, under the guidelines of a Management Plan approved and supervised by the competent national authority . The areas of indirect use are those of intangible protection, in which the extraction of natural resources is not permitted and no type of modification to the natural environment is permitted. These areas only permit scientific investigation and tourism, recreation, education, and cultural activities under duly regulated conditions.
Areas of direct use allow for individual use and there are six types: National Reserves, Wildlife Refuges, Landscape Reserves, Commune Reserves, Protected Forests, and Game Preserves.

1. National Reserves are areas dedicated to the conservation of the biological diversity and the sustained use, including commercial, of the wild flora and fauna resources under management plans, with the exception of the activities of commercial forest use with timber. Tambopata, located in the Madre Dios Region, is an example of a National Reserve in Peru, and this is where I did ecological research with fellow colleagues over the summer 2009.
2. Wildlife Refuges are areas that require active intervention to guarantee the maintenance and recovery of habitats and populations of certain species. The commercial use of natural resources that are able to provoke significant alterations of the habitat is excluded. Pantanos de Villa, located in the Lima Region, is an example of a Wildlife Refuge in Peru.
3. Landscape Reserves are areas where environments, whose geographic integrity shows a harmonious relationship between man and nature, are protected. It harbors important natural, cultural, and aesthetic values. If the zoning of the area anticipates it, the traditional use of natural resources, the scientific and touristic uses, and human establishments are permitted. The activities that signify notable changes in the characteristics of the landscape and the values of the area are excluded. Nor Yauyos – Cochas, located in the Lima and Junin Regions, is an example of a Landscape Reserve in Peru.
4. Commune Reserves are areas dedicated to the conservation of the wild flora and fauna benefiting nearby rural communities which, traditionally, have preference in the use of the resources of the area. The use and commercialization of resources is done under management plans, approved and supervised by authorities and led by the same beneficiaries. Amarakaeri, located in the Madre de Dios and Cusco regions, is an example of a Commune Reserve in Peru.
5. Protected Forests are areas that are established to protect the upper watersheds, the riverbanks and other water courses and, in general, to protect against the erosion to the fragile lands that require doing so. In these, the use of resources and the development of activities that don’t affect the vegetation, the fragile lands, or the courses of water, are all permitted. A.B. Canal Nuevo Imperial, located in the Lima region, is an example of a Protected Forest.
6. Game Preserves are areas dedicated to the use of wild fauna through the regulated practice of the sport of hunting. El Angolo, located in the Piura region, is an example of a Game Preserve in Peru .

Areas of indirect use are for public use and there are three types: National Parks, National Sanctuaries, and Historic Sanctuaries.

1. National Parks are created in areas that demonstrate the ecological uniqueness of the country. In these, one or more ecological ecosystems, the associations of wild flora and fauna, and evolutionary processes are all protected, in the same way as landscape and cultural characteristics. Manu, in the Cusco and Madre de Dios region, is an example of a National Park in Peru.
2. National Sanctuaries are areas where the habitat of a species or a community of flora and fauna is protected, in the same way as natural formations of scientific, landscape, and national importance. Megantoni, located in the Cusco region, is an example of a National Sanctuary in Peru.
3. Historic Sanctuaries are areas that, in addition to protecting spaces that contain natural, relevant values, constitute the environment that demonstrates the monumental and archaelogical heritage of the country; or these are places where outstanding monuments of the national history are developed. Machu Picchu, located in the Cusco region, is an example of a Historic Sanctuary, and also was a place I was privileged enough to visit during my research in Peru .

Studying Abroad at Kyung Hee in South Korea!

MinJeong Lee


 Have you ever thought studying abroad, especially where the culture is totally different? If you are expecting wonderful experience in a different country, here is a suggetion for you; Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.

 Currently, I am studying abroad at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), and it has been great so far. I would say it is one of the best choices I have made to study abroad. Anybody who wants to become stronger and more mature needs to be away from home for some time!

 Kyung Hee University is located in the eastern part of Seoul, with a second campus (Global Campus) in the suburban city of Suwon. Each year the number of foreign students is increasing and Kyung Hee is being more globalized. The objective of this school is to educate and train able international leaders for the promotion of peace and human welfare. According to the objective, there has been a long-standing partnership program between CCSU and Kyung Hee University.

CCSU students can participate in a summer program for a month of July and get 6 credits from this program. All courses are taught in English, except the Korean Language and Culture courses. So if you are afraid of communicating with people, it is not a big deal at all. Total approximate cost is $2,395.00 and it covers tuition, round-trip international airfare, and dormitory accommodation. Compared to other programs that CCSU has for studying abroad, this is the most reasonable price.

 There is also Center for International Education at Kyung Hee University. If you are interested in learning Korean, you can apply for the buddy program. I used to be a buddy of a student from Mongolia and I enjoyed seeing her improve her language skills. Not only do you can have friendships with a lot of international students, but you will also have Korean friends who are kind and fun to be around! (You will find yourself every night hanging out. Don't be surprised to see so many people on the street even if it's midnight!) For more information, here is the website of Kyung Hee University:Kyung Hee University Website

 Last but not least, you should enjoy yourself not just study hard. Seoul is a fun city that has lots of tourism and hospitality related acitivities in which to participate. Travel wherever you want, experience whatever you want, and enjoy yourselves. If you are looking for information about the city, visit this site: http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/intro.html.

Sweet Dreams For a Sweet Life by Suzana Santos

     Everyone hopes to find fulfillment in life doing something they love to do.  Something that truly does not seem like work, but is an enjoyable way to spend the day while making a living. 

     Matthew Seguro, owner of Vida Doce (sweet life)  pastry shop, feels blessed  to have found his passion in life at such a young age.  Vida Doce is near and dear to my heart since the owner is my cousin.  As far back as I can remember, Matthew has been interested in cooking.  Originally, his dreams were to become a chef, but after taking some baking classes in high school, he realized his calling.  Matthew attended Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island where his natural talent flourished. 

     Matthew has been making cakes out of his mother's kitchen for 6 + years.  Having seen many of his creations whether for a wedding, bridal shower, or birthday parties, it was obvious he would flourish in the field. 

     I can remember visiting Portugal in the summer of 2004 with Matthew and walking through the pastry shops hearing him talk about his dream of having his own bakery one day.  We were in a popular bakery there called Pao Quente (it means hot bread) and looking at all of the details down to the tile in the bathroom.   There are bakeries and coffee shops on just about every corner in Portugal and Matthew was determined to bring that laid back atmosphere to Newington, Connecticut.  He has suceeded.  Walking in to his bakery in Newington, you feel as if you are in Portugal.  Not only does the decor reflect his Portuguese heritage, but at any given moment the only language you will hear being spoken is Portuguese.

     Vida Doce opened its' doors on a Wednesday morning in September 2009.  Everyone was so excited when the first customers came in .  Throughout the day more and more people came through and by the end of the day, the pastries that should have lasted him two days were gone.  The satisfaction of having so many happy customers was short lived and panic set in as he realized that he would have to do it all over again tomorrow.  Most days Matthew is tired, but happy that he is able to offer people a comfortable place to sit down with a cup of coffee, relax  and know that the most difficult decision they will have to make is deciding what tasty treat to have.  Once you enter this wonderful pastry shop, you will quickly realize that it actually may be a challenge to pick only one thing.   

     Matthew Seguro wsa recently interviewed for a local town paper.  He definately had a vision, but as he stated , "I think it came out better than I planned".  At 23 years old, Matthew Seguro knows that through his hard work and intense dedication to his dreams, he truly is having a sweet life.


Below is the website and some of Matthew's creations

http://vidadocepastryshop.com/

Pictured Below:

Matthew Seguro
owner, Vida Doce

Abroad in Brazil

By Julie Tuttle

There are many benefits for a student to study abroad. The benefits of this experience become greater for tourism and hospitality majors. I recently spent six months in Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil studying Geography at the Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina. Before leaving for Florianopolis I knew of some of the benefits to studying abroad. I thought of the simple benefits, putting the experience on my resume, learning a new language, and living on my own but I never believed that this would help me so much with my field of study. There are many little experiences and hurdles that a person does not predict that make studying abroad so helpful.

The most important thing that I have learned through this experience is to expect the unexpected. I have heard this so many times in my life though I never fully understood it until I was by myself in a foreign country. This skill comes in handy in all professions, but especially in the hospitality and tourism industry. Working in a resort, hotel, restaurant, wherever you are, something unexpected is bound to happen, and being prepared to handle this is very important. Studying abroad definitely helps a person gain this skill because when you are all by yourself in a foreign country, you have to figure out what to do and how to solve the problem by yourself. There were many instances in the six months studying abroad where I experienced this, but the one that sticks out in my mind is when I was miles away from my apartment in Florianopolis, and the bus system, which was of vital importance to me , went on strike. Here I was in the middle of the city by myself and I had to figure out how to get home without the buses. The main thing I learned in a situation like this is not to panic. There is always a way, no matter how bad the situation may seem.

Another important thing that I have learned through this experience is to be aware of the variety of careers that the hospitality and tourism field has to offer. Although I knew that this field has many different career paths, and that there could be an opportunity to travel, until I really stepped out into another country by myself, I didn’t fully appreciate that fact. When I left for Brazil I was all by myself for the first time in my life. I was dropped off at the hotel and had to make my way to a completely foreign place in 24 hours. It was the first time I had to deal with almost every aspect of the hospitality and tourism industry. From traveling by bus, by plane, and by taxi I realized that there is so much more to the transportation section of the industry than meets the eye and because I had to deal with them by myself while in a Brazil, I really came to appreciate the variety of tourism transportation types. The same goes for every other part of the hospitality and tourism industry. The awareness is now helping me when picking out my career for the future. When I look into a certain section of the industry, I really research it, because now I know that there is much more that meets the eye, and this is due to what I learned from studying abroad.

Although these are just two main ideas that I have learned through my experience studying abroad, there are also hundreds of little lessons that I have learned that will help me in my career in the future. Studying abroad is not something that just happens and then is forgotten; it is an experience that will be taken with you for the rest of your life. So for students who are studying hospitality and tourism look into studying abroad, you will gain so much knowledge not just about the industry and yourself, but also about the little things that will help you out for the rest of your life.

Storybook is What They Aim For, By Michael Mauro

Just when someone thinks that the neighborhood of ABC’s Desperate Housewives, although beautiful, is just a set, there is a place in the world where you may come across just that. Driving down Interstate 4 in central Florida, one can easily come across Magic Kingdom (a sector of Disney), as well as the town of Celebration.

The town, developed in 1994, is a product of one of the most recognizable company names in the world- The Walt Disney Corporation. Although since its construction Disney has given up many control rights to the town, when one drives through the region you get a sense of the storybook perfection Disney has always aimed for. Being a planned community, the streets are broken up into villages, and almost seem to transform before your eyes as you pass, giving you a sense that you are driving through different parts of America. The styles of housing range from Southern to Traditional to Mediterranean to Classical.

Being just a stones throw away from our hotel in Disney, my friend (a Connecticut real estate agent) was curious to see just how a company who deals so well with “imagination” and “characters” could do in the real world. We left Disney around 4pm, and had arranged to meet an Orlando based real estate agent to give us a limited tour. Downtown Celebration reminds me very much of Main Street USA, located at the heart of Disney. The agent told us that it is very common for tourists to stroll through, or even vacation in Celebration. Two LARGE events, the “Falling of the Leaves” & the “Now Snowing” event bring in many tourists each year. The Falling of the Leaves event occurs through September and October and is meant to resemble a typical New England fall. The town fixes a box to the top of the lampposts, and literally sprays confetti leaves all over the townspeople (just like a true New England town, I know). The Now Snowing event features the same whimsical boxes lovingly attached to the same handy lampposts. These boxes, rather than confetti leaves, emit a foam-soap concoction that resembles a winter snowfall. The locals, as well as tourists, immerse themselves in the sudsy swoon of soap, creating snow angels and foam-men with two eyes made of coal. Disclaimer: I was not present for either of these ‘lifelike’ events, although with enough searching, one could view both on Youtube.

Visiting Celebration made me feel that Disney was just aiming to create another tourist attraction, and another aspect of their park to wow the world. Nothing like it has ever been created. The town is outfitted completely with WiFi, they have community wide yard sales, and the sense of community is through the roof. The garages of homes are put out of sight to emphasize the main living spaces of the home.

And aside the fact that it is built by vacation conglomerate Walt Disney, what is it that defines Celebration as a tourism draw? It’s the same thing that draws people to Charleston, SC; Savannah GA; Mystic, CT; and Cape Cod, MA. The town is a super planned, ultra perfected version of what many imagine suburbia to be, thus it gives people something to see and something to inspire, similar to many of the previous listed places. Is Celebration too planned? Probably. But it definitely is something to see!

< A Photo of the "SNOWFALL" event >

America's Past Time

Hi my name is Kyle and in my life I have been given a lot of opportunities to travel but I have not taken advantage of these opportunities. I chose not to go for some reason or another but as I got older I realized I was missing out on many chances to travel and see different styles of living. Most recently this summer was a chance for me to get away from my home town for a whole summer, which I am grateful I did. I was purposed with a chance to live in the Hamptons during the summer and travel Long Island while playing baseball at the same time. To me this couldn’t have been any better; I got a possibility to live in one of the richest parts of the United States and play baseball which I enjoy and have so much passion for. How could I have said no?

When the day came for me to leave and meet my host family I had butterflies in my stomach. I didn’t know what to expect from the family that was about to let me live with them for 2 months nor did I know what to expect from the town and the living style. Well let me tell you I had the time of my life. My family was so kind and showed me the whole section of the island on which they lived, the beaches, the shops, the restaurants, and of course the baseball fields.  I expected the Hamptons to be flashy with stores everywhere and just the whole scene to be different than home but it wasn’t like that at all. I felt like I was right at home. Of course you had your areas of the rich and famous but for the most part it was woodland areas and homes with farmland. It made me feel more comfortable and I was able to settle right in. The scenery in the town was unbelievable, I was near the ocean so I was able to see the docks with all the yachts and was able to see the sunset every night which I can’t explain in words I can only show you in a picture.

During my time on Long Island this summer I traveled the island going to many different places seeing much. I was able to go to beaches, farms, and walk around town centers and window shop in stores I had never seen before. I must admit however, that what I enjoyed the most was fishing in Montauk and playing baseball. The fishing is considered one of the best places to fish in New England and I got to experience it and yes I caught a lot of big fish. The baseball fields were awesome also. They had just built a new field and renovated another one so it was a good experience and I enjoyed being one of the first to play on the fields.

All I am saying is that I have been cooped up and kind of sheltered in my home town in Connecticut my whole life and I didn’t know what to expect outside of it. After my experiences this summer I know what to expect when traveling and I have to admit I can not wait for the next opportunity I get. I wont be giving up another chance to travel and I hope that you wont either.

Greatest Golf Resorts

Sean Lally 11/22/09
As we take a minute and think about travel in the world, immediately, amazing cuisine, scenic views and leisure tours come to mind. What many people don't actually consider is the option of sports at your finger tips no matter where in the world you travel. Golf is a sport of the world, and like the language of love, is quite universal. Whether you're new to the sport or on your way to the tour, chances are you've dreamt of teeing it up at a luxurious resort and spa with a scenic view of the ocean or foothills of California's Napa Valley. Rest assured that anywhere from the coast of Mexico's Riviera Maya to the Rugged Australian Outback, there's an open tee time with your name on it. Having Traveled around the world and seeing some of the most amazing PGA rated courses is not only a great pass time, but a dream for most people. Jamaica's White Witch, Mexico's El Chameleon, San Francisco's Ocean Course, New York's Westchester Country Club, Barbados Sandy Lane, Arizona's TPC Scottsdale, Miami's Doral Resort and Spa and many more are just a few that I have had the privilege of seeing.

People consider Hawaii as one of the greatest golf destinations in the world because of it's lush landscape and many difficult courses. Turtle Bay, Kauai Beach Resort and many others are some of the courses that are included in the infamous list of Hawaii's golf resorts. Before you tee off, check into Priceville Resort, hanging over a near sheer cliff on Hanalei Bay.  The rooms are beyond posh with floor to ceiling windows allowing you to shower and watch the Hawaii waves crash on the cliffside.  The balconies overlooking the Bay are decadent with a 180 degree view of the Bay.  This design allows the visitor to feel alone and wake up to nothing but the sound of ocean waves. 

"Across the pond" as many British say, is the heart of where golf was created. Carnoustie golf club, St. Andrews, Royal Troon and many more are just a glimpse of Europe's heritage filled golf resorts. As we travel further East, highly rated courses in Germany, France, Italy, and Greece should be on tourist's itinerary's. The heart of oil drilling and the richest city in the world, Dubai of the world Emirates, has not only turned into one of the greatest golf destinations on the world, but a place for anyone to see. The PGA Tour now holds over a half dozen tournaments there yearly and provides one of the greatest purses for the winners. These courses provide for not only eco-tourism lovers but for any golf buff around the world that wants to play a lush environment in the middle of the desert.

Whether is be a championship style golf resorts or the local 18 hole mini-golf course attraction near the hotel, golf is truly the center of world sports. It is provided at almost all highly rated resorts and vacation destinations. So what are you waiting for? The greatest golf courses in the world are at a plane flights distance away.