Course Description
Field Courses
Each year DANTA offers a number of field courses in various aspects of tropical biology. Typically, the courses are one month long but shorter courses are also offered through our organization. The courses are intended for undergraduates or early graduate level students who are very interested in tropical biology, but have little or no experience of working in a tropical environment. Below are descriptions of the courses and travel opportunities that will be offered in 2009/2010.
Primate Behavior and Conservation
Winter Session (December 28th – January 17th)
This course is designed to provide students with field experience in primate behavior, ecology, and conservation. This intensive 21 day course will be conducted at Bocuare Reserve located on Costa Rica’s Caribbean slope. Bocuare Reserve is surrounded by La Amistad and Cahuita National Parks. This is an area rich in natural and cultural diversity. Both the mantled howler monkey and white-faced capuchin are abundant in the reserve. Students will be involved in community development projects on the Cabecar indigenous reserve, and visit the Kekoldi indigenous community for a chocolate making demonstration, medicinal plant hike, and traditional dinner.
The learning experiences for the course fall into four main categories: field exercises, seminars, lectures, and independent research. The field exercises and seminars provide instruction and experience in: (1) methods of measuring environmental variables, including assessment of resource availability, (2) methods of collecting and analyzing the behavior of free-ranging primates, (3) mapping a field site, and (4) techniques for estimating population size. Lecture topics will cover the behavior and ecology of Old and New World primates from an evolutionary perspective. Selected lecture topics include primate sociality, foraging behavior, cognition, and conservation. The course will also guide students through the process of designing and carrying out their own research projects. In addition, students will gain experience in applied primate conservation during a course trip to the Caribbean coast to work on the Talamanca Monkey Bridge Project.
Enrollment is limited to 25 students. The course is open to both credit and non-credit seeking students. Credit seeking students can receive 3-6 credit hours in Anthropology or Psychology directly through the State University of New York at Oneonta. Alternatively, independent study credit can be obtained through your home institutions.
For more information, please see the course information packet.
Primate Behavior and Conservation
Summer Session (July 1st – July 28th)
This course is designed to provide students with field experience in primate behavior, ecology, and conservation. This intensive 28 day course will be conducted at Amigos de Osa in Costa Rica’s spectacular Osa peninsula. As the one of the largest tracts of rain forest north of the Amazon (roughly 400,000 acres in the Osa Conservation Area), this area contains more distinct tropical ecosystems than any other place on Earth its size and is renowned for high species diversity. It is one of only a few sites in Costa Rica that contain 4 species of primate (mantled howler monkey, black-handed spider monkey, white-faced capuchin and squirrel monkey). Four species of sea turtle also nest along its beaches. Please help us protect this unique region which is of international conservation concern.
The learning experiences for the course fall into four main categories: field exercises, seminars, lectures, and applied conservation. The field exercises and seminars provide instruction and experience in: (1) methods of measuring environmental variables, including assessment of resource availability, (2) methods of collecting and analyzing the behavior of free-ranging primates, (3) mapping a field site, and (4) techniques for estimating population size. Lecture topics will cover the behavior and ecology of Old and New World primates from an evolutionary perspective. Selected lecture topics include primate sociality, foraging behavior, cognition, and conservation. Students will gain experience in applied primate conservation during a 10 day stay at La Gamba Biological Field Station. Our students will also have opportunity to participate in Amigos de Osa’s sea turtle breeding and monitoring program.
Enrollment is limited to 25 students. The course is open to both credit and non-credit seeking students. Credit seeking students can receive 3-6 credit hours in Biology, Anthropology or Psychology directly through the State University of New York at Oneonta. Alternatively, independent study credit can be obtained through your home institutions.
A course packet will be available for download soon!
Tropical Ornithology
Summer Session (July 29th – August 18th)
Take part in an intensive and exciting learning experience based at La Gamba Biological Field Station in Costa Rica’s spectacular Osa peninsula. As well as learning about the local birds (and about many other organisms too!), you will also visit other Costa Rican ecosystems, where you will encounter yet more of the amazingly diverse avifauna found in this wonderful country. You will become familiar with species ranging from the remarkable understory antbirds through to gaudy parrots and toucans. Daily activities include rain forest hikes, evening lectures, and group field projects (for learning key field techniques). For anyone interested in ornithology the course will be an exciting experience, but it will also be academically rigorous. It will be taught by Dr. Nigel Mann and Professor Peter Slater, and will cover the ecology, behavior, conservation and natural history of tropical birds. Although we welcome students with all manner of career goals, we will be focusing particularly on providing relevant insight, knowledge and practical experience for students considering a career in the study of birds. Attending students must be physically fit, will be enthusiastic about wildlife and will have completed at least two years of university studies in biology. Dr. Mann has many years of experience of working in the New World Tropics, both for his research and also as a teacher of tropical ecology and ornithology. Professor Slater is one of the world's leading experts on birdsong and animal behavior, and has written several important books, including "Essentials of Animal Behaviour" and Bird Song: Biological Themes and Variations with Clive Catchpole.
Enrollment is limited to 25 students. The course is open to both credit and non-credit seeking students. Credit seeking students can receive 3-6 credit hours in Biology directly through the State University of New York at Oneonta. Alternatively, independent study credit can be obtained through your home institutions.
For more information, please download the course packet.