Veterinary Field Training Mission
Spring: May 28 2024 (fly to San Jose, CR) – June 06 2024 (fly home)
Summer mission A: June 10 2024 (fly to San Jose, CR) – June 20 2024 (fly home)
Summer mission B: July 9 2024 (fly to San Jose, CR) – July 18 (fly home) Winter: December 26 2024 (fly to San Jose, CR) – January 6 2025 (fly home)
Cost: USD$2250. Includes registration fees, station/program fees, three meals a day at the field site, room & board at our facility, chartered transport and day trips, 2
hotel nights (shared rooms). Does not include credits, airfare, nor arrival and departure meals. Does not cover optional side trip ($150) or hotel nights before or after class.
Designed for pre-veterinary students in their undergraduate studies. Students will learn about veterinary medicine in a developing country. (Course Info) (Flyer)
Rain Forest Ecology
Summer Session: TBD
Instructor: Dr. LaRoy Brandt, La Suerte
This course is a hands-on, field experience to familiarize students with the diversity of life in the rainforest while developing a deeper understanding of tropical forest ecology and conservation. With a combination of lectures and fieldwork, time is spent on studying the diverse fauna in a tropical forest through various ecological sampling methods. Through on-site research projects students will build a foundation of skills and knowledge that are applicable to more specialized coursework or field research in primates, botany, herpetology, entomology, bats, etc. We will focus on ecological research, behavior, and quantitative natural history of the more commonly encountered organisms.
Neotropical Bat Ecology
Interested in taking this course? We don’t have a date right now, but planning may be in process. Please reach out to info@maderasrfc.org or use the contact form at the bottom of the page and we will get back to you as soon as we can!
Instructors: Dr. Thomas Risch
This course is designed to provide a detailed knowledge of Neotropical bats within an ecological framework… (read more)
Advanced Veterinary Field Training Mission
Summer 2024: Esteli, Nicaragua, August 21-28, 2024 Summer 2025: Antigua, Guatemala, July 23-29, 2025
Cost: USD$1900. Includes chartered
transport, room, and some meals. Please contact us for more details.
Designed for Vet-techs and current veterinary students. Participants will learn about veterinary medicine in a developing country. (Course Info) (Flyer)
Nature Photograph (aka, Photography for the Field Biologist)
Winter Session: TBD
Instructor: Dr. LaRoy Brandt, La Suerte
This course is designed for the beginner to the intermediate skill photographer and is structured to help field biologists improve their photo taking skills. However, any and all are welcome to take this course. With the invention of digital cameras, its relatively easy to take good pictures. This course focuses on developing your ability to use your camera to take even better, and possibly great pictures.
This workshop is designed for field scientists as well as beginner and intermediate (read more)
Tropical One Health
Interested in taking this course? We don’t have a date right now, but planning may be in process. Please reach out to info@maderasrfc.org or use the contact form at the bottom of the page and we will get back to you as soon as we can!
Instructors: Drs. LaRoy Brandt and Eleni Nikitopoulos
The health of people, domestic animals, wildlife, and the ecosystem is inextricably linked and influenced by environmental, cultural, economic, and political factors. One Health is the emerging field that recognizes this interconnection … (read more)
Primate Behavior & Ecology
Winter 2023-2024 session: Dec 27 2023 (fly to San Jose, CR) to Jan 9 2024 (home)
Summer session: June 24 2024 (fly to San Jose, CR) to July 17 2024 (fly home)
Dr. Laura Bolt, La Suerte
This intensive field course provides experience in studying wild monkeys in a tropical rainforest environment and is excellent preparation for graduate studies in primatology, animal behaviour, and ecology… (Read More)
Neotropical Natural History
Interested in taking this course? We don’t have a date right now, but planning may be in process. Please reach out to info@maderasrfc.org or use the contact form at the bottom of the page and we will get back to you as soon as we can!
Instructor: Amo Oliverio, La Suerte
Neotropical Natural History is a field course in the basic principles and methodologies of natural history studies in a tropical environment.Topics include climates and ecosystems, rainforest structure and diversity… (read more)
Neotropical Ethnobotany
Interested in taking this course? We don’t have a date right now, but planning may be in process. Please reach out to info@maderasrfc.org or use the contact form at the bottom of the page and we will get back to you as soon as we can! (Course Info)
Instructor: Dr. Travis Marisco
Art, Archeology & Spanish
Interested in taking this course? We don’t have a date right now, but planning may be in process. Please reach out to info@maderasrfc.org or use the contact form at the bottom of the page and we will get back to you as soon as we can! (Course Info)
Advanced Primate Behavior & Ecology
Winter 2023-2024 session: Dec 27 2023 (fly in to CR) to Jan 9 2024 (fly out of CR)
Summer session A: May 30 2024 (fly in to CR) to June 22 2024 (fly out of CR)
Summer session B: June 24 2024 (fly in to CR) to July 17 2024 (fly out of CR)
Dr. Laura Bolt, La Suerte
The Advanced Primate Behavior and Ecology course is for graduates of the MRC Primate Behavior and Ecology course and/or graduate students interested in completing master’s project fieldwork… (Read More)
Rainforest Ecology: Ornithology
Interested in taking this course? We don’t have a date right now, but planning may be in process. Please reach out to info@maderasrfc.org or use the contact form at the bottom of the page and we will get back to you as soon as we can! (Course Info)
Tropical Herpetology
Interested in taking this course? We don’t have a date right now, but planning may be in process. Please reach out to info@maderasrfc.org or use the contact form at the bottom of the page and we will get back to you as soon as we can! (Course Info)
Rainforest Ecology: Entomology
Interested in taking this course? We don’t have a date right now, but planning may be in process. Please reach out to info@maderasrfc.org or use the contact form at the bottom of the page and we will get back to you as soon as we can!
Instructor: Tanja McKay
This course is designed to provide a detailed knowledge of Neotropical entomology within an ecological framework. Extensive capturing of insects using various entomological collecting methods… (read more)
Ready to Attend?
Apply NowInstructors & Course Descriptions
Primate Behavior & Ecology
Instructors: Laura Bolt, Ph.D. and Amy Schreier, Ph.D
This intensive field course provides experience in studying wild monkeys in a tropical rainforest environment and is excellent preparation for graduate studies in primatology, animal behaviour, and ecology. The course includes training in field methods and culminates with an independent research project. After attending daily lectures, students individually design and complete research projects on some aspect of primate behavioral ecology with the guidance of the course professor. Undergraduate and graduate students at all levels of training are encouraged to apply.
Advanced Primate Behavior & Ecology
The Advanced Primate Behavior & Ecology course is for graduates of the MRC Primate Behavior & Ecology course and/or graduate students interested in completing master’s project fieldwork or doctoral pilot study at the La Suerte site with additional on-the-ground support and supervision. The course involves completion of a larger-scale independent research project focused on some aspect of primate behavioral ecology. Projects will be individually designed and completed by students with the support of the professor.
Rainforest Ecology: Entomology
This course is designed to provide a detailed knowledge of Neotropical entomology within an ecological framework. Extensive capturing of insects using various entomological collecting methods with daily field excursions will supplement lecture material; provide opportunity for gaining extensive experience in insect collecting techniques and identification of insects.
Insects are unique and diverse group of animals that lend themselves to a variety of lecture topics in ecology. The new world tropics, including Costa Rica are home to an incredible diversity of Insects. Neotropical Entomology will explore the insect diversity and ecology at La Suerte, Biological Field Station. This field station is located three hours from San Jose in Northeastern Costa Rica. Situated in the lowlands of the Caribbean, the field station is situated in one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world. With 1000 acres of primary and secondary rain forests, the property lies along Río La Suerte, a river that empties into the Caribbean at Tortuguero National Park. Topics in this course include: Insect family and species diversity, interactions with other organisms, conservation, and specimen collection and preservation techniques in the neotropics. The class will stress insect collecting techniques and field time allowing students to gain extensive collecting experience. Daily lectures will provide a knowledge base and ecological framework for students. An Introductory Biology course is a prerequisite. The lecture topics are:
- The importance, diversity and conservation of insects
- Insect collecting and preservation techniques
- Insect ecology in tropical rainforest
- Insect reproduction and development
- Tropical ants and stingless bees
- Tropical aquatic insects
- Insect societies
- Insect and plants
- Insect defense and escape
- Tropical insects and disease
- Student Presentations.
Tropical Herpetology
Rainforest Ecology: General
The course is a hands-on field experience to familiarize students with the diversity of life in the rainforest while developing a deeper understanding of tropical forest ecology and conservation. With a combination of lectures and fieldwork, time is spent on studying the diverse fauna in a tropical forest through various ecological sampling methods. Through on-site research projects students will build a foundation of skills and knowledge that are applicable to more specialized coursework or field research in primates, botany, herpetology, entomology, etc. We will focus on ecological research, behavior, and quantitative natural history of the more commonly encountered organisms.
Comparative Skeletal Anatomy & Function
This two-week field course focuses on skeletal anatomy and function of human and non-human
skeletons. A significant portion of the course is hands-on and experiential, and involves laboratory investigations of bones and observations of animals in the rainforest to understand the relationship between the skeletal structure, behavior, and the environment. Comparative skeletal anatomy has numerous applications in veterinary sciences, bioarchaeology, paleoanthropology, primatology, and functional anatomy.
Photography for the Field Biologist
Instructor: LaRoy Brant, Ph.D. This course is intended for the beginner to intermediate photographer with an emphasis on nature photography. With the wide variety of habitats and animals available, students will have an opportunity to produce pictures that many people dream of taking. With sloths, monkeys, parrots, insects, you name it, the sky is the limit. The course will focus on utilizing the many function of common DSLR cameras to the typical pocket digital camera. You must provide your own cameras, but the type of camera is up to you. Consecutive classes discounts available.
Field Studies of Wild Costa Rican Primates
Have you ever dreamed of taking part in real scientific research on wild nonhuman primates? Then this is the course for you! We will conduct our observations on capuchins, howlers and spider monkeys in La Suerte Rainforest Conservancy’s gem of a rainforest reserve. You will gain on-the-ground experience in behavioral data collection methods and analysis, as well as learning about primate behavior, ecology, evolution, life history, and physiology during afternoon class lectures. The course will culminate in a project presentation you will give to the class on the data you and your teammate will have collected.
For more information contact: Dr Lisa Rapaport, LRAPAPO@clemson.edu
Tropical One Health
Instructors: LaRoy Brandt, Ph.D.. The health of people, domestic animals, wildlife, and the ecosystem is inextricably linked and influenced by environmental, cultural, economic, and political factors. One Health is the emerging field that recognizes this interconnection and seeks to solve the complex challenges faced at the interface of humans, animals, and the environment. In this course we will explore the unique challenges and opportunities of an interdisciplinary One Health approach in Costa Rica, Central America, and Tropical Ecosystems. Students will gain hands on experience in public health education, preventative veterinary health (including physical exam, vaccination, and client communication), environmental health measures, infectious disease monitoring, and laboratory skills. Students will have an opportunity to explore the local rainforest, observe local horticultural and agricultural practices, participate in on-going One Health research projects on site, and volunteer with local schools and healthcare clinics. This course is designed for undergraduate students with an interest in multiple careers, including conservation biology, medicine, veterinary health, public health, wildlife ecology, and others.
Veterinary Field Training
Instructors: Dr. Mauricio Rodriguez and current 1st and 2nd year veterinary students from across the US.
Designed for pre-veterinary students in their undergraduate studies. Students will learn about veterinary medicine and practical veterinary knowledge in a developing country. Along with locals vets, the class will be helping animals in need of medical attention and offer services to horses, cattle, dogs, cats and other animals. Course will cover basic clinical information about diagnostics and treatments including basic veterinary skills such as parasitological surveys, blood work, physical exams and more. Get hands-on experience by finishing your time with a spay and neuter clinic alongside your team!
Neotropical Natural History
Instructor: Amo Oliverio, M.S.
Neotropical Natural History is a field course in the basic principles and methodologies of natural history studies in a tropical environment. Topics include climates and ecosystems, rainforest structure and diversity, evolutionary patterns, coevolutionary complexities and the ecology of fruit, the neotropical pharmacy, land use in the neotropics, savannas and dry forests, mangroves and coral reefs, and deforestation and conservation of biodiversity. Field and lab activities will focus on amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Students will study the taxonomy and ecology of each of these faunal groups and will develop skills in locating, observing, handling, and field identification of common neotropical species.
Online lectures and course work precede the field portion at La Suerte Biological Field Station.
Cost: $2295 for out-of-state (MD) tuition, registration fees, station/program fees, three meals a day at the field site, room & board at our facility, group chartered transport. Tuition rates vary, depending on the student’s U.S. state of residence.
Rainforest Ecology: Ornithology
Neotropical Bat Ecology
This course is designed to provide a detailed knowledge of Neotropical bats within an ecological framework. Extensive capturing of bats during nightly field excursions will supplement lecture material; provide opportunity for gaining extensive experience in capture techniques and identification of bats in hand, and lay the groundwork for individual research problems and projects. The class will take place on Ometepe Island, a volcanic island in Lake Nicaragua. As a class we will camp in the cloud forest and survey bats at higher elevations for at least one night.The end of the class will include a visit to Masaya Volcano National Park where we will observe a large nightly emergence of bats from a cave and we will explore the local culture of the historic city of Granada.
Neotropical Ethnobotany
- Overview of the science of ethnobotany
- Natural history, volcanism, botany, and ecology of Ometepe, a world heritage site
- Comparison of natural history and ecology of the
old
andnew
world tropics - Land management, the environment, and health
- Ethnobotanical research ethics, methods/techniques, and project design
- Different perspectives from which to explore the relationship between people and plants
- Botanical history of medicine
- How plant medicines work in the body
- Herbal medicine making and medicinal specimen collecting workshops
- The food-medicine-poison continuum and food/herb-drug interactions
- Conduct original ethnobotanical research in a unique cultural and ecological environment
Ready to Attend?
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