Taught by Professor Natalie Vasey of Portland State University
Course Description:
Primatology Field Methods includes an intensive week-long
session in a natural habitat reserve, the Lemur Conservation
Foundation’s Myakka City Lemur Reserve in Florida. This course
will introduce students to methods used for collecting
behavioral and ecological data on free-ranging primates through
a combination of lectures and field exercises. These will
include development of ethograms, sampling methods, recording
rules, mapping sites and animal movements, and estimating
resource availability. By the end of this course students will
be able to assess whether their interests lie in gaining further
advanced training in primatology, such as graduate training or a
field or lab assistantship with a senior scientist.
Course Dates:
March 23rd - March 31, 2013
Preference given to those
applying by January 5.
Applications are reviewed upon receipt and will be accepted
after Jan 5th until the course is filled. Early application
and acceptance into the course will allow you to shop for an
economical airfare well in advance. The March session
corresponds to Spring Break for many universities on the quarter
system.
Prerequisites:
A university-level biology course, or a course in
biological anthropology. Enrollment is not limited to
university students. Skills acquired can be applied toward
continuing education (e.g., for zoo professionals or other
allied fields). All participants must be at least 18 years of
age.
Course assignments:
Participation in field school, take home exam due one week
afterwards, and five page essay due two weeks afterwards.
How to enroll:
Enrollment is limited to 10 students. Apply early to ensure
a spot in the course! Fill out the attached application forms
and mail them in hard copy to the address indicated in the
application forms. You will be contacted shortly thereafter
concerning admittance and next steps. Once you are accepted
into the course, we will send you detailed information about the
curriculum, a list of equipment and clothing to pack, and an
itinerary with pertinent dates.
Your application should include
a $100 application fee which will be applied towards course
fees. To complete your enrollment, we require that the remaining
course fees be paid within three weeks of your acceptance.
This fee includes field school tuition, lodging and meals at the reserve,
ground transportation in Florida, and some supplies; students purchase airfare
separately.
Course Credit:
You may opt to take this course for college credit either
through your home institution or through Portland State
University. To discuss how this course can contribute to your
undergraduate or graduate studies, contact us for a course
syllabus and share it with your academic advisor. Students can
arrange credit from their home institution via an independent
study program. Alternatively, students can arrange for credit
through Portland State University. It will cost an additional
$500 (approximately) to receive undergraduate credits from
Portland State University. Depending on the tuition charged at
your home institution, this could be a cost-effective way to
fulfill required or elective courses for your degree. Upon
completion of the field methods course, students can arrange to
receive an official transcript from Portland State University to
transfer the credits back to their home institution.
This course can contribute to degrees in fields such as Biology,
Anthropology, and Environmental Science. At Portland State
University this is a 4-unit course on the quarter system and
meets the methods requirement for Anthropology Majors and
Graduate Students.
Direct inquiries about the course to Natalie Vasey:
is currently Associate Professor of Anthropology at
Portland State University in Portland, Oregon
Her work explores the behavioral ecology, life history
adaptations, and evolution of primates, with a focus on the
endangered and recently extinct primates of Madagascar. She has
presented her research at international venues, published in
leading scientific journals, and edits a monograph series titled
“Primate Field Studies” (Prentice Hall). She is dedicated to
educating students and the public-at-large about the lifestyles
and conservation status of our closest relatives in the Animal
Kingdom. She is perhaps best known for her long-term work on
wild red ruffed lemurs of the Masoala Peninsula, Madagascar.
To return to Field Training Programs home page -
click here
Photographs are of Professor
Vasey's previous field school courses conducted at the Myakka City
Lemur Reserve.
Primatology Field Methods includes an intensive week-long
session in a natural habitat reserve, the Lemur Conservation
Foundation’s Myakka City Lemur Reserve in Florida. This course
will introduce students to methods used for collecting
behavioral and ecological data on free-ranging primates through
a combination of lectures and field exercises. These will
include development of ethograms, sampling methods, recording
rules, mapping sites and animal movements, and estimating
resource availability. By the end of this course students will
be able to assess whether their interests lie in gaining further
advanced training in primatology, such as graduate training or a
field or lab assistantship with a senior scientist. 
Applications are reviewed upon receipt and will be accepted
after Jan 5th until the course is filled. Early application
and acceptance into the course will allow you to shop for an
economical airfare well in advance. The March session
corresponds to Spring Break for many universities on the quarter
system. 
You may opt to take this course for college credit either
through your home institution or through Portland State
University. To discuss how this course can contribute to your
undergraduate or graduate studies, contact us for a course
syllabus and share it with your academic advisor. Students can
arrange credit from their home institution via an independent
study program. Alternatively, students can arrange for credit
through Portland State University. It will cost an additional
$500 (approximately) to receive undergraduate credits from
Portland State University. Depending on the tuition charged at
your home institution, this could be a cost-effective way to
fulfill required or elective courses for your degree. Upon
completion of the field methods course, students can arrange to
receive an official transcript from Portland State University to
transfer the credits back to their home institution.