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AFBSST Course
in primate ecology & behaviour
EARTHQUEST (Canada) now has a unique opportunity to immerse students in the study of primate ecology & behaviour.
Course Description:
This is a physically demanding field course that will cover introductory primate behavioral ecology with a focus on New World Monkeys. Emphasis will be placed on the main species present at Ometepe – mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) and white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus). The course offers a wonderful opportunity to gain hands-on field experience in a truly extraordinary setting, surrounded by tropical forest, sandy beaches and looming volcanoes inhabited by a remarkable diversity of fauna and flora.
This is an intensive field course in primate behavior, and is equivalent to an upper-level undergraduate course. An enjoyment of highly physical outdoor adventures is a must! Our days are typically spent rising before dawn to go into the forest to begin observations of howler monkeys and/or for other field activities. Afternoons will include time for rest and study before late afternoon/early evening lectures and discussion. After a general introduction to the forest and research methods, students will work closely with the instructor and TA to develop an independent research project. After the project is approved, students will collect a minimum of 25 hours of data to address their research question. Students will write a scholarly scientific research paper that includes an introduction, methods, results, and discussion sections. Each student will also orally present these components of their research project to the class.
In this course you will be exposed to a broad spectrum of primate behavior, fieldwork in general, as well as field primatology…and come away with a more integrated and comprehensive perspective of primate behavioral research and conservation!
Textbook:
Selected articles.
Grading:
The activities and their grade values are as follows:
Class participation and engagement 10%
Field exercises/Data collection1 5%
Exam 25%
Research proposal 5%
Research paper 30%
Oral presentation of journal article 5%
Oral presentation of research project 10%
Total 100%
Your grade will be emailed to you personally. If you are taking this for a credit at your home university, the grade will also be sent directly to the department head at the given university. It is your responsibility to give the professor the information on where you want your grade to go.
Lectures:
Attendance, Participation, and Engagement: Your participation in the field, at lectures, and during evening discussions is essential.
Field Exercises & Data Collection : The first week or so of the course will be spent learning a series of field techniques. These techniques will prepare you to undertake your independent research project. You will spend a couple of days conducting a pilot study to figure out the methods you will use in your project, and then the remainder of the course collecting data for your project.
Exam: A final exam will be given to test your knowledge of information from the field, required readings, class discussions, and lectures.
Research Proposal: You will be required to submit a brief research proposal outlining your research question and associated hypotheses and predictions, as well as the methods you will use to answer them.
Research Paper: You will conduct an individual field-based research project, for which you will collect data for a minimum of 25 hours. You will write about your project in a scientific research paper, which will include the following sections: Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results (including figures), Discussion, and References.
Oral presentation of journal article: You will choose one research article (relevant to your project) and present a summary and critique of it orally to the class.
Oral presentation of research project: On our last day at Ometepe, we will have a Primate Behavior and Ecology Symposium during which each of you will present your research project and findings to the class in the form of an oral and Powerpoint/overhead presentation. Each presentation will be ~15 minutes.
Special circumstances: If you have sensitive medical information or disability and need special accommodations, please make an appointment to see me during the first couple of days of class so we know how to better accommodate your needs. I will be happy to work with you to ensure that you have a fair opportunity to perform well in the class.
Dismissal from the course:
If at anytime, the instructor or staff of the Maderas Rainforest Conservancy, feels that your presence in the course is negatively affecting the experience for anyone else, you will be dismissed from the course.
Please see “Etiquette” below.
Etiquette:
Upon arrival at the La Suerte you will be given a set of standards for your behavior. These rules are in place for your own safety as well as those around you. Failure to follow any of these rules will result in your immediate suspension from the field course. The instructor reserves the right at anytime to facilitate your return home for any reason. This course involves living in fairly close proximity with a number of students of all different backgrounds. Invariably, people will not be happy all the time. However, in a situation like this, negativity can spread and take on a life of its own. If you have a problem with anything about this experience, come talk to the professor or TA immediately. The instructor offers an open door policy. Please communicate any grievances (fellow students, the material covered, the accommodations, etc.) directly to the instructor or teaching assistant. This is a wonderful and life changing experience, if anything comes up to challenge your enjoyment of it, the professor will do everything in his power to clear the obstacle. Academic honesty is crucial to this course. The professor will not tolerate plagiarism, forging data, or cheating in any form. Academic dishonesty will result in a failing grade in this course and a letter to the department head at your home university detailing the reason(s) for the grade.
Tentative Course Schedule:
This schedule is subject to change.
Day 1: Arrive in Managua airport, Nicaragua. Meet and Greet.
Day 2: Get settled, rules and guidelines, orientation. Explore some of the rainforest trails.
Day 3: Field techniques; censuses, identifying animals, exercises.
Day 4: Field techniques; vegetation sampling, feeding ecology, diets, foraging strategies
Day 5: Field techniques; primate locomotion and social systems
Day 6: Project consultation
Day 7: Project consultation
Day 8: Field techniques/exercises; focal sampling
Day 9: Primate communication; due: research questions, hypotheses, predictions
Day 10: Field techniques/exercies; primate conservation
Day 11: Prep for project; pilot data - Hamadryas Baboons in Ethiopia
Day 12: Free day; hike to volcano, kayak to Monkey Island
Day 13: Data collection; gestrual communication in apes
Day 14: due: draft of methods, data collection; article presentations
Day 15: Data collection; article presentations
Day 16: Data collection; article presentations
Day 17: Data collection
Day 18: Data collection
Day 19: Data collection
Day 20: Data collection
Day 21: Work on research papers and presentations
Day 22: Work on research papers and presentations
Day 23: Primate behaviour and ecology symposium (student presentations). due: final research paper
Day 24: Leave Ometepe
Day 25: Granada; explore Granada, sleep in Managua
Day 26: Leave Nicaragua
You can live the life of a Tropical Field Biologist/Primatologist
Dates: May 25 - June 19, 2012,
June 22 - July 17, 2012,
July 20 - August 14, 2012
Costs: $2794.00 USD
(Please note: Due to the nature of the program, all prices and program contents are subject to change without prior notice or approval).
Included in 34 day Course Costs:
 ..........Services of project staff
..........Certificate of completion
..........room and board (3 meals per day) at Ometepe field stations
..........instruction
..........SCHEDULED transportation from near the airport in Managua, Nicaragua to Ometepe round trip
..........Course tuition
..........FBSST Course tuition
Not Included in 25 day Course Costs:
..........Airport taxes and government departure taxes
..........Health or cancellation insurance
..........Beverages/liquor
..........Additional funds for souvenirs, extra food, etc.
..........Valid passport
..........Immunizations/vaccinations
..........Personal supplies (e.g. hiking boots, tents, clothing, etc.)
..........Round trip airfare to Managua, Nicaragua
..........Academic credit
To Register for the Course:
For 25 day course a non-refundable deposit of $699.00 US/person registration fee is required to secure space. Full payment is due 60 days prior to departure (postmarked by mail does not count). We recommend that you book early as spaces on teams fill quickly and are limited to 22 participants. Spaces are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis and fill quickly so we recommend that you apply ASAP. All tuition costs are NON-REFUNDABLE, but may be transferred to another year. Academic credit is available - please inquire for details.
For information on terms and conditions please click here.
For applications please click here. |
 E-mail: earthquestcanada@yahoo.com
Executive Director & Senior Instructor
D. Jolly, B.Sc.
EARTHQUEST (Canada) for the Environment
©copyright EARTHQUEST (Canada) for the Environment
| Website designed and maintained by D. Jolly
Last Updated 2/1/2012 | |
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EARTHQUEST (Canada) for the Environment
Ometepe Biological Field Station
