SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY OFFERING STUDY TRAVEL PROGRAM

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois University is looking for participants in a 14-day study travel program through Portugal, Spain, Morocco and Gibraltar May 26-June 8.

Participants will experience Greek, Roman and Phoenician archaeological sites, natural areas, wildlife refuges and search for medicinal plants in the four countries, said David Brussell of the university's department of plant biology.

The Iberian Natural History Expedition will offer a unique study experience and students can receive class credit for the trip, said Brussell. The trip will appeal to biology students but a non-credit option is available, he said.

Brussell said the tour allows participants to live out a fantasy and learn about culture on the way.

"Spain has a lot of natural areas that people are not aware of," he said. "It has the largest population of the European brown bear."

The group will visit archaeological sites along coastal areas, natural areas, an area which has not been greatly disturbed by human activity, and search for plants with medicinal properties, he said. Last year participants who toured five Hawaiian islands found a plant that contains significant antibiotic properties, he said.

The group will search for the mystic mandrake, a member of the nightshade family, which produces a twilight sleep, said Brussel. The plant is one of the first-known anesthetics for surgery, he said. It was highly valued in the ancient world as a pain killer. It was buried with King Tut to ensure twilight sleep after his death, and is mention in the Bible, Brussell said.

The potent belladonna plant also is on the list to look for, he said. Belladonna, often found in Spain, is in the nightshade family. The plant contains atropine, an important bioactive chemical.

Participants also will look for silphium, a plant last seen about 200 A.D. in the Meditteranean region, he said. The root of the plant was used to make a birth-control concoction that was effective when looking at the limited family size of the time period. The top of the plant was used to create a libation that went for high prices. However, the plant was over-collected and not sufficiently cultivated, and disappeared, he said.

Cost of the trip is approximately $2,000. For further information contact Brussell at SIU's department of plant biology or call 618-536-2331.