Program Description

The proposed 2008 Summer Science Institute in Field Ecology will be focused on Edges and Frontiers. We will be traveling to southeastern Arizona to explore and observe the unique ecology of the mountains and canyons in the border region along the US-Mexican boundary. As we have in recent years, we will give considerable time to the study and collection of endemic species of insects across all major groups, running collecting trips during daytime hours and setting up light sheets late into the night hours. We will also take an active interest in field botany, observing and documenting species in the southwestern flora and working with checklists and field guides to identify species of interest. Our research and collecting work will again take place in association with the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, where collected material will be deposited for curation and further study upon our return. Several of our study sites are also famous for their exceptional bird fauna, and students with a particular interest in ornithology will have the chance to observe species seldom seen elsewhere in the United States.

This year, we will also be adding two additional elements to the program, an opportunity to pursue digital photography and then share images of organisms, landscapes, habitats and a program of journal writing with a focus on field notes and/or natural history writing. Selected student images and written work may be published on an expedition website in the fall of 2008.

Accommodations will include several nights of wilderness tent camping at the beginning and end of the week, and several nights in comfortable rented cabins in the middle of the week. Camping sites are developed but primitive, and often without showers or bathhouses. Our mid-week cabin stay will allow us to get caught up on washing, writing, and specimen labeling.

Traveling in the border regions of the southwest, we will also frequently be witness to the complicated and controversial issues of immigration, border patrols and enforcement, fences and walls, and the economic and social forces at the center of what is certain to be a major campaign issue in the 2008 presidential election.

Students considering the 2008 summer field ecology experience should be mature, thoughtful and conscientious individuals who are outstanding team members with excellent interpersonal skills. A strong interest in natural history, entomology, ornithology, and/or field botany is also valuable. Though prior camping experience is not required, a general comfort with the outdoor environment and good judgment around personal health and safety issues are imperative.

TO APPLY for a space in the 2008 Summer Science program in Field Ecology, please send a written letter expressing the nature of your interest, what you would like to get from the program, and what you find most compelling about the proposed itinerary and experience. Send letter to JGruber at friendscentral.org as soon as possible before winter break.