Species Monitoring and Conservation - Reptiles

The course focuses on the use of field, laboratory, computational, and captive techniques to measure, monitor, and conserve reptile populations.

Participants will gain first-hand experience by working with professionals in a variety of settings designed to address current and developing issues in the conservation of reptile diversity.

During the 12-day intensive residential session, participants will learn the principles of study design, develop and carry out field assessments, and use the latest techniques to analyze their data.

Practical training in hands-on field techniques, including distance sampling, modern surveillance, trapping, handling and marking methods, sample collection for disease monitoring, and radio-telemetry will be provided by scientists who use these methods as part of their research programs. Participants will also be introduced to use of relevant analytic software, such as DISTANCE, PRESENCE, and MARK, for the application of field-monitoring data to population management and decision making.

Course instructors include experts from the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park (Curator Jim Murphy and Biologist Matt Evans) and National Museum of Natural History, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the University of Massachusetts, and national and international NGO’s.

While most instruction takes place on the 3200-acre campus in Front Royal at the newly opened facilities of the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, the course also includes trips to field sites around the region and visits to the National Zoo’s Reptile Discovery Center and the National Museum of Natural History’s Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, which houses the world’s largest curated reptile collection.

The total course fee, which includes instruction and course materials, food, shared lodging, and transport to/from Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD) is ,478.

All other travel costs and incidental expenses are the participant’s responsibility. Partial scholarships are available on a competitive basis. Participants earn Continuing Education Units; graduate course credit is available for qualified applicants through George Mason University at an additional fee. Participants should have previously completed a college- level basic ecology/evolution course.

For first consideration, apply before March 4, 2013. Courses such as this have been full during previous offerings, so you are encouraged to apply early.