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our courses

Advanced primate behavioral ecology in Costa Rica: Establishing new field sites & surveying primates. August 1st – 21st, 2026.
Instructor: Dr. Jill Pruetz Texas State University, Professor of Anthropology.

This Advanced Primate Behavioral Ecology class is for students with some experience in the field and/or with studying nonhuman primates. Students are expected to have taken at least one course on primatology previous to this class. The course focuses on survey methods and the logistics of establishing new field sites in northeastern Costa Rica but includes some lectures on the primates at the site as well. A new lowland rainforest site (Mata Banana) will be mapped and marked for baseline surveys of howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata), white-faced capuchins (Cebus imitator) and the Critically Endangered black-handed spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) (photo above). Participants will be based at the Camaquiri Conservation Initiative site ( https://www.- camaquiri.com/ ), and the course will be managed by Tayra Travel ( https://www.tayratravel.com/ ). All in-country costs are included in the $2400 course price. Students are expected to purchase their own flights to and from San Jose, Costa Rica, in coordination with Tayra Travel. To register for this course, go to the Tayra Travel website. The class will take multiple short trips via truck to the nearby Mata Banana site to initiate research, as well as practicing methods and surveying the CCI site as part of a longterm project on the conservation of Costa Rican monkeys. We will also travel by boat to the Barra Colorado Field Station for a reconnaissance trip to this additional potential primate research site. Students have the opportunity to be involved in future publications stemming from our fieldwork if they are interested. Our course will also involve several virtual meetings between May and August 2025 in the months leading up to the Costa Rica portion of the class in August. Dr Pruetz will assign several readings in MayJuly that pertain to the fieldwork that students will participate in upon arrival at the field site. Students may receive credit via their own institution if desired, via communication with Dr. Pruetz and their own institutions.

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1Course
Tropical Herpetology, 14th July - 3rd August, 2026.
Dr. Thomas LaDuke Professor of Biological Sciences East Stroudsburg University

This course covers the biology of the herpetofauna of Costa Rica with a focus on the diversity, ecology and behavior of species found in the northeastern lowlands. Brief lectures on the biology of each of the groups of amphibians and reptiles will be provided along with more general information on the evolution and biogeographic history of the region. Students will be required to learn to identify local amphibian and reptile species using dichotomous keys in conjunction with basic field characters and will devise and conduct a brief field study of their own. They will present the results of their study to the rest of the class. There will be practical exams and written exams as well as a write-up of the field study. Course duration, 21 days. Students should expect rigorous trail experiences in all weather. The course will take place primarily at the Camaquiri Conservation Initiative property and will include visits to Barra del Colorado and one or two other locations. Required texts: Leenders, T. 2016. Amphibians of Costa Rica. Zona Tropical Press. Cornell University,Ithaca, NY.

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2Course
Birding in the Caribbean and Pacific Slope of Costa Rica June 26 - July 5.
Dr. Terry Master

Join us for a birding adventure to the wet Caribbean and dry Pacific slopes of Costa Rica, home to well over 500 species of birds. Our travels will take us first to the Camaquiri Conservation Initiative, a 500 acre preserve established in 2019 by a coalition of conservationists from the US and Costa Rica that offers a unique, authentic rural Costa Rican atmosphere. The bird list stands at 289 species and counting. Facilities are basic and clean with an excellent trail system and delicious Costa Rican food prepared by local residents. In addition to exploring Camaquiri, day trips to other birding locations will include a boat excursion on the Rio Colorado. Our second destination, ParK Nacional Carara, is one of the top birding locations in Costa Rica. We will enjoy comfortable lodge accommodations while exploring dry and transition forest habitats, hiking the Villa Lapas bridge hanging trail and visiting the Rio Tarcoles bridge to watch Scarlet Macaws flying back and forth to roost sites. The tour will emphasize extensive bird walks supplemented with informal lectures on the ecology and behavior of tropical birds.

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3Course
Primate Behavior and Ecology, August 1st - 21th and December 6th a 21st.
Dr. Kaelyn Dobson

This course on primate behavior and ecology is taught at the Camaquiri Conservation Initiative site in northeastern Costa Rica ( https://www.camaquiri.com ). Students will learn basic aspects of primate behavior and ecology through lectures and will learn techniques of behavioral observation and ecological measurement via group exercises. They will apply this knowledge to independent research projects on one of the three primate species occurring at Camaquiri and will present their findings at the end of the course. Bio: Dr. Kaelyn Dobson, is a field primatologist focusing on the gut microbiome, behavior and conservation of primates of the Americas. Kaelyn has previously worked with primates in captive zoological (Texas, Alabama USA), in-situ rehabilitation (Panama, Costa Rica), zoological educational (Florida USA) and field research (Panama, Peru, South Africa, Swaziland, Costa Rica) roles. Current dissertation research focuses on the influences of captive housing and management protocols on the gut microbiome of squirrel monkeys with a Costa Rican wild comparative. Future work will expand upon the importance of the gut microbiome in an ecosystem based OneHealth long term project.

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4Course