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Primate Behavior and Conservation Field Course in Costa Rica
June 15 – July 12, 2011Course Description
Course Instructors
Kimberly Dingess(Course Coordinator)is a native of West Virginia. Her passion for different cultures and wildlife has taken her all over the world for work, study, and pleasure. After obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Marshall University, West Virginia, Kim moved south to Tennessee where she completed her M.A in Anthropology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her Master’s research used living primate and carnivore models to as a means to interpret the Plio-Pleistocene fossil record. In the summer of 1994, Kim participated (as a student) in her first field course in Costa Rica. Since her initial course, Kim has instructed or co-instructed approximately 30 field courses in Costa Rica. Most of these have been in Primate Behavior and Ecology, but, in addition, her diverse interests have led her to co-teach both Rain Forest Ecology and Ornithology. She has also had the pleasure of teaching for the Tropical Biology Association in Uganda. Kim isa PhD candidate in Anthropology atIndianaUniversity,Bloomington. Her major research interests are the evolution of monogamous mating systems, bioacoustics, and conservation. Her current research focuses on monogamy and the function of loud calling in the Bolivian gray titi monkey. She isan adjunct instructor for the Department of Biology at the Universidad de Rene Morena in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. She has field work experience in Bolivia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Ecuador and Uganda.
Klaus Zuberbühler, PhD, is a Comparative Psychologist and Professor of Psychology at the University of St Andrews in Scotland (UK). His main research interest is in human and non-human primate cognition and communication. Most of his research is with free-ranging primates in their natural habitats. Klaus was born and educated in Switzerland where he graduated with a degree in Zoology from the University of Zurich in 1993. He then moved to the US for his doctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1998 he got his Ph.D. in Psychology for research on monkey vocal communication in the Tai Forest, Ivory Coast, which was supervised by Robert Seyfarth and Dorothy Cheney. He then moved to Leipzig, Germany, to work as a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Michael Tomasello’s department. In 2001, he got a position as a lecturer at the School of Psychology, University of St Andrews, his current affiliation.
Jessica Westin(Assistant Instructor) is a Visiting Assistant Professor at DickinsonCollege in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. She earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and received her B.S. in forest science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her dissertation research focused on the impact of tourism on the health and behavior of red howler monkeys in Suriname, South America. She is also interested in primate health, especially in areas where humans and nonhuman primates come into contact, feeding ecology and seed dispersal, and mating systems.
Field Site
The course will be held at Amigos de Osa in Costa Rica’s spectacular Osa Peninsula. As one of the largest tracts of rain forest north of the Amazon, this area is renowned for high animal and plant diversity. It is one of only a few places in Costa Rica that has jaguar, puma, sea turtles and four species of monkey (mantled howler monkey, black-handed spider monkey, white-faced capuchin and squirrel monkey). It is also home to nearly 4,000 plant species, including trees more than 200 feet tall. Students participating in the course will have opportunity to be involved in Amigos de Osa’s giant sea turtle monitoring program.
Field Trip
The course includes a 3 day field trip coordinated by Planet Conservation.The highlights of the trip include a catamaran cruise and guided snorkeling tour of Cano Island, one of Costa Rica’s premier dive spots. Here you will have a good chance of swimming of giant sea turtles, mantas, white tip reef sharks and more. En route to and from the island it is quite likely we’ll see dolphins and humpback whales that visit the crystal clear, warm waters to breed. On the return trip from the island we’ll explore the hidden world of Terraba Sierpe Mangroves, which are accessible only by boat and consists of over 100,000 acres of the largest wild mangrove forest in Central America. The final day of the field trip we’ll visit the Boruca Indigenous Reserve. Here we’ll learn about the Borucan community and their traditional lifeways.
DANTA Fees and Deadline:
The cost of the course is $2500, and includes all within-country transportation, room and board, instruction, and expenses for a 3 day field trip. It does NOT include your international flight, taxi fare, and airport taxes ($26). The deadline for registration and payment of all fees is May 1, 2011.
Academic Credit:
It is possible that you can receive credit from your home institution by means of an “independent study.” Typically, students receive 6 credit hours for this course. For more information on obtaining credit from your home institution, contact us at ().
Weather and What to Bring:
Weather
The weather on the Caribbean slope is generally hot and humid during the day and cooler and windy at night. The field course falls in the rainy season so prepare accordingly. You can still expect plenty of sunthough. The year-round average temperature is about 80° F, with coldest temperatures at about 70° F and highs reaching 90° F. This does vary when traveling to other regions of Costa Rica so please keep this in mind when packing.
What to bring
We suggest that you carry with you on the plane (carry-on bag) your passport, underwear, a shirt, a pair of shorts or pants, minimal toiletries, medications, and anything else you must have in order to survive for up to three days after arrival without your full luggage. Remember that you are working in a rain forest during the wet season so clothing gets heavily used, dirty, and damp. You should not expect to bring home anything in good condition. We suggest that you purchase your clothing from a second-hand store, such as Goodwill.
Items
1. Waterproof digital wristwatch with alarm and stopwatch functions.
2. Flashlight with extra batteries.
3. Plastic bags to protect vulnerable equipment are also useful. A box of zip-locks (large freezer bags are best) and a handful of plastic trash bags large
enough to contain small items of luggage.
5. Canteen or water bottle.
6. Mosquito protection. Insect repellent (no more than 30% deet) and insect protection net (for a single bed). You may wish to apply insect repellent every day while you are in the field, so bring a large enough supply.
7. Signal whistle. This safety device can help you keep in contact with your group if they get separated in the field.
8. Field bag or day pack.
9. Compass
10. Binoculars- 8X40 waterproof or at least water resistant are best.
12. 2 or 3 Towels (quick drying)
13. Combination or pad lock
14. Clothing. We recommend the following:
- 5 light-weight T-shirts or short sleeved shirts (tanks tops are fine)
- 2 or 3 pairs of shorts
- 10 pairs of socks and underwear
- 3 pairs of light weight (cotton or nylon) field pants
- 3 long sleeved, light weight shirts for working in the field.
- Pajamas- keep in mind that nights can be cool.
- City wear (jeans, skirts, etc. for wearing into town)
- Sandals
- Tennis shoes or hiking boots
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Calf-high rubber boots (inexpensive ones can be purchased at K-mart or Walmart)
- Rain gear- coat or poncho. Umbrella is also useful.
13. Sunblock. High rating (#30 or higher) and waterproof.
14. Personal first aid kit, including:Band-aids, Tylenol or ibuprofen based pain
killer, cold tablets,antibiotics (specificallyhave your physician provide a prescription for ciproflaxin),antibiotic ointment, anti-itch medication, sting-eze, fungal powder or cream, treatment for yeast infection, pepto-bismol, tums, anti-diarrhea medication, and any other medicine or preventative that you find useful in day-to-day living (example, some people like to carry a sewing needle with them to help with the extraction of slivers or thorns from the skin). A sting kit or anaphylactic shock kit can come in handy, especially if you are allergic to bee stings. Moleskin is helpful for preventing blisters.
15. Office supplies: notebook or binder with paper, pencils, calculator, and small stapler.
16. “Rite-in-the-rain” brand field notebook and all weather pens. These can be purchased from Forestry Suppliers, Inc. (1-800-647-5368 or The Rite-in-the-rain notebooks and pens are item # 49318 and 49237.
Required Reading
Strier, K (2006) Primate Behavioral Ecology (3rd edition). Allyn & Bacon.
Highly Recommended
Perry, S and Manson, J (2008) Manipulative Monkeys: The capuchins of Lomas Barbudal. HarvardUniversity Press.
Scientific Article:
Please bring with you to Costa Rica a recent journal publication on any aspect of primate behavior. Avoid literature reviews and studies conducted on captive primates. You should obtain your article from one of the following journals: International Journal of Primatology, American Journal of Primatology, American Journal of Physical Anthropology or Animal Behaviour. Please bring your article in a plastic sleeve in order to protect it from the damp climate.
Course Syllabus
Field Course in Primate Behavior and Conservation
This course is designed to provide students with field experience in primate behavior, ecology, and conservation. 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: methods of measuring environmental variables, including assessment of resource availability, (2) methods of collecting and analyzing the behavior of free-ranging primates, (3) techniques for estimating population size and (4) a communication workshop focusing on methods of recording and analyzing monkey vocalizations. Lecture topics will cover the behavior and ecology of Old and New World primates from an evolutionary perspective. Selected lecture topics include primate social/mating systems, foraging behavior, communication and conservation. Students will gain experience in applied primate conservation by participating in Amigos de Osa Primate Monitoring Program. Enrollment is limited to 25 students.
Course Objectives:
- To understand and apply some of the methodological techniques used in primatological research.
- To understand the social and physical diversity within the order primates.
- To understand the “rules” of social behavior and the ecological influences on behavior.
- Appreciate the complex issues facing primate conservation efforts.
Course Requirements
Field Exercises: Students work in groups to learn the basics of primate field research. All techniques will be first introduced and discussed, and then students will practice them in the field. Techniques include: trail and site navigation, habitat description, plant phenology, censusing, identifying subjects by age and sex, ethogram construction and behavioral sampling and recording methods.
Scientific article presentations: A ten minute oral presentation of a scientific research article on any aspect of primate behavior and ecology. Students are instructed not to simply read the paper, but provide a critique of the methods, results and conclusions.
Quiz: One short answer exam on field methods, natural history, lecture notes and/or readings. Designed to have students review the material prior to the final exam.
Final Exam: Two hour comprehensive exam given at the end of the course.
Research Proposal: A two-page written proposal. It must include the following sections with a title and headings: (1) Background to question, including the theoretical context and a brief summary of previous research, (2) Objectives and goals of research, (3) Research questions and hypotheses, with predictions, (4) Methods, including how students intend to analyze the data. A sample data collection sheet and ethogram are to be included as appendices.
Oral Presentation of Research: Approximately 10 minute talk with a 5 – 10 minute question and discussion period following. Visual aids must be used.
Final Report: 8 to 10 page double-spaced paper in scientific format. It must include an introduction, methods, results, discussion and references cited section. See handout for write-up instructions.
Class Participation: Based on participation in field exercises, conservation initiatives, and independent research. The collection of data for student projects generally requires between 6 – 8 hours of field time per day. This includes search time and actual time spent collecting data. During the field trip to Puerto Viejo, students are required to participate in various conservation tasks, including the distribution of information to community members, reforestation efforts, and collection of primate survey data.
Grade is based on:
Effectiveness and quality of a scientific article presentation5%
Score on Quiz5%
Score on final exam20%
Written research proposal15%
Oral presentation of research results15%
Written final report20%
Course participation20%
Lecture Topics and Tentative Daily Schedule
Day 1, June 15Arrive in San Jose, Costa Rica (airport code SJO), overnight in San Jose. DANTA staff will meet you at the airport for transport to the hotel.
Day 2, June 16
Travel to the field site, Amigos de Osa, arriving for dinner
Unpack and settle into your new home
Day 3, June 17
Introduction from DANTA and Amigos de Osa
Orientation Hike- learn trail systems, forest safety, see awesome things
More hiking in the afternoon
Lecture: Kimberly Dingess: Rainforest Biomes
Day 4, June 18
Field exercise: Aging and sexing primates
Discussion: Aging and sexing primates
Seminar: Kimberly Dingess: Measuring behavior: ethograms
Lab/Field exercise: Measuring behavior: ethograms
Lecture: Kimberly Dingess: Primate Taxonomy
Day 5, June 19
Seminar: Kimberly Dingess: Behavioral sampling and recording methods
Short forest hike
Lecture: Kimberly Dingess: Primate Social/Mating Systems
Day 6, June 20
Field exercise: Behavioral observations of howlers
Discussion and write-up: Behavioral observations
Seminar: Estimating population density
Film: Social Climbers
Day 7, June 21
Field Exercise: Behavioral observations of howlers
Discussion and write-up: Behavioral observations
Field Exercise: Estimating population density
Lecture: Dr. Jessica Westin: Primate Feeding Ecology
Day 8, June 22
Field exercise: Estimating population density
Seminar: Kimberly Dingess: Habitat description
Scientific article presentations due after dinner
Day 9, June 23
Field Exercise: Habitat Description
Discussion and write-up: Habitat Description
Lecture: Dr. Jessica Westin
Day 10, June 24
Collect data for pilot study
Work on project proposal/ Study for Quiz
Quiz after dinner
Prepare research proposals
Day 11, June 25
Collect data for pilot study
Finish up research proposal
Research proposal due after dinner
Day 12, June 26
Work on independent research project
Scientific article presentations due after dinner
Day 13, June 27
Work on independent research project
Lecture: Dr. Klaus Zuberbühler
Day 14, June 28
Work on independent research project
Lecture: Dr. Klaus Zuberbühler
Day 15, June 29
Work on independent research project
Lecture: Dr. Klaus Zuberbühler
Day 16, June 30
Work on independent research project
Scientific article presentations due after dinner
Day 17, July 1
Work on independent research project
Lecture: Dr. Jessica Westin: Threats to Primate Conservation in Suriname: Tourism and Gold Mining
Day 18, July 2
Work on independent research project
Scientific article presentations due after dinner
Day 19, July 3
Work on independent research project
Lecture: Kimberly Dingess: Primate and rain forest conservation
Day 21, July 4
Work on independent research project
July 4th celebration
Day 22, July 5
Work on independent research project
Prepare for final exam
Day 23, July 6
Work on independent research project
Final Exam
Day 24, July 7
Work on independent research project
Prepare for research presentations
Day 25, July 8
Research Presentations
Pack and prepare to leave field station
Meeting: Field Trip Preparation and Expectations
Day 26, July 9
Depart from field station
Chocolate (Cacao tour)
Guided night tour of the rain forest
Day 27, July 10
Catamaran tour of Cano Island for dolphin and whale watching.
Boat tour of the mangrove swamps
Day 28, July 11
Visit the Boruca Indigenous Reserve in the morning
Travel to San Jose in the afternoon
Farewell dinner in San Jose
Day 29, July 12
Return home
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