Educational Organization:
El Zota Biological station and Tortuguero Reserve Cano Palma
Date Posted:
2010-01-25
Program Description:
Primate Behavior and Ecology course in Costa Rica
This month-long course is designed to teach undergraduate and graduate students the basic skills necessary to study primate behavior in the wild. Throughout this course you will learn techniques in ecological and behavioral data collection and complete an independent study on one of three primate species native to the area (Ateles geoffroyi, the black handed spider monkey; Cebus capucinus, the white-faced capuchin; Alouatta palliata, the mantled howler monkey).While our course cost may be a bit higher than some similar field courses we take pride in the fact that our students have the advantage of doing work in two forests, learn Spanish, take a few fun field trips and help educate local students.
This course will take place at two field sites. The first three weeks will be held at El Zota Biological Station, an inland tropical wet forest site comprised of primary, secondary and regenerating forest. The last week will be held at Tortuguero, a fragmented coastal lowland tropical forest comprised of riverine, palm and secondary forest areas surrounded by the the canals of Rio Tortuguero and the Atlantic Ocean.
To encourage cooperation and collaboration with local Costa Rican scholars and students, a Spanish language instructor will be on hand for Spanish lessons during the course. Participation in lessons is expected from all students.
In addition, we believe the generosity of the Costa Rican people should be rewarded for allowing us to work and visit their country; therefore a portion of the course fee will cover the high school fees of local Costa Rican students. The cost for high school is $150 dollars a year for a student in Costa Rica; however, many simply cannot afford this rate. Our hope is that this connection will foster a relationship between the field school and local students, encouraging them to work towards conservation in their own community.
Finally, we take a number of fun side trips in Costa Rica; which are hugely popular and a lot of fun. We have taken students to visit cloud forests and coffee/chocolate plantations, white water rafting, zip-lining, sea-turtle watching, and snorkeling.
Space is limited so contact us soon!
For more detailed information please contact treefieldstudies@gmail.com or lfjoachim@comcast.net
Entrance Qualifications:
College courses in biology, primatology, anthropology and or psychology or related subjects
Tuition / Fees:
$2100 US dollars
Support (scholarships, travel):
none
Start + End Dates:
June 15th to July 12th, 2010
Application Deadline:
03/5/10
Comments:
Course includes: field/class instruction, Spanish instruction, high school costs for a needy Costa Rican student, 1-3 fun field trips.
Contact Information:
Dr. Lorna Joachim
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM
USA
Website:
http://treefieldstudies.wordpress.com/
E-Mail Address:
treefieldstudies@gmail.com