University of Calgary

Primatological Field School in Belize 2013

Course Description

The field school will train students in all aspects of primate field research. Most students will be in the 3rd or 4th year of the B.Sc. program in Anthropology or Archaeology, and will have taken a number of courses dealing with primate behaviour, ecology, and evolution. This field school provides students with the opportunity to extend this training to an actual field situation. The program begins with intensive training in ethologocial (ethology = the study of animal behaviour) methods at the University of Calgary, and continues with daily activities and exercises in the rain forest of Belize. These daily activities and exercises are designed to demonstrate thte realities of data collection, as well as to help students assess the pros and cons of various data collection techniques in practice. Training also includes other skills needed of a successful fieldworker, such as teamwork, problem solving, logisitical arrangements, field safety, and working in a foreign country. With this methodology and fieldwork training, students will be in a position to develop an accurate, realistic, and sophisticated research proposal, well grounded in current literature. All course requirements are designed to ensure that students remain focused and engaged in the learning experience at all times.

Instructor: Mary Pavelka
Teaching Assistant: Tracy Wyman

Courses:

ANTH 552 Field Studies in Primatology and co-requisite
ANTH 553 Primate Behavior Research Design 
ANTH 505 Independent Study: Design of a Neotropical Primate
Research Project 

Course Requirements

A short description of each of these requirements is provided below, and they will be explained in greater detail during the pre-session meetings at the University of Calgary.

Anthropology 552 
1. Field Exam10%
2. Daily performance and conduct in Belize20%
3. Field Log20%
4. Daily field exercises and activities30%
5. Final data analysis assignment20%

 

  
Anthropology 505 
1. Literature review50%
2. Research proposal50%

 

 

Anthropology 553 
1. First aid exam10%
2. Literature assignment35%
3. Class presentation20%
4. Methods exam35%

 

 

The information and selection meeting for Spring 2013 will be held on Thursday September 27, 2013 at 6:00pm (room ES 614). If you would like to be considered for the 2013 field school you must attend this information and application meeting; please bring a print out of your grades.


If you would like more information regarding the field school, please contact twyman [at] ucalgary [dot] ca.

Some useful links:

You Better Belize It!
Belize Online Tourist Guide
Belize Tourist Board
Resorts and Hotels in Belize
Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Centre