 Education Updates
|
|
"Inquiry in Rainforests" Participants Create Rap Video for Middle & High School Students
 | Baby Got Buttress
|
The rainforest rap video on the right was produced by Galeet Cohen and Claire Birone, two particularly talented and creative teachers who participated in our 2011 "Inquiry in Rainforests" course. Most course participants and staff members make cameo appearances, but Galeet and Claire are the stars of this video, both in front of and behind the camera. A tip of the hat also to Jess Ahearn and Hazen Audel, course video instructors, for bringing Galeet and Claire up to speed on production techniques in less than a week. Principal photography took place at the La Selva field station.
 | | What the inquiry in rain forests course can do for you |
"Inquiry in Rainforests" is an inquiry-based, graduate-level, professional development course
designed for biology and life science teachers. The course instructors, Joe Levine and Barbara Bentley, have also created a number of videos aimed at introducing the concepts and course overview to potential participants. If you are a teacher and are interested in the course, please visit inquiryinrainforests.org for more information.
|
|
Open Enrollment: Tropical Biology: An Ecological Approach 2012-1
 | |
Tropical Biology students examine a strangler fig during an orientation hike.
Photo by Erin Kuprewicz
|
The Tropical Biology Course (also known as the Fundamentals Course) is an intensive and immersive eight-week field experience for graduate students and has been offered by OTS since 1965. While visiting field sites throughout Costa Rica, students gain invaluable experience learning tropical flora and fauna, designing field problems, collecting and analyzing data, and presenting results in both oral presentations and written reports. Students on the OTS 12-1 course will gain experience:
- Interacting with eminent tropical ecologists from around the world
- Exploring diverse tropical habitats with experienced researchers
- Formulating and testing hypotheses in field environments
- Learning advanced field and lab techniques from experts
- Participating in workshops on statistics, R, GIS, genetics, nutrient analysis, and more
Students in this program will forge lifelong contacts and friendships in the field of tropical ecology. This program will enhance your career as a scientist by providing you with the tools you need to thrive as a biologist.
Course dates: January 23 - March 12, 2012 Application Deadline: October 7, 2011 For more information and application form, please click here. |
|
Undergraduate Brochure Available - New Summer Course Added
 If you have not received a copy of our newly redesigned undergraduate brochure describing the courses we offer and blurbs on student research projects and student quotes, please e-mail your name and address to Enrollment Management. If you know of any students who you believe would benefit from receiving a copy, please provide us with their address. Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge from a faculty/staff member to make all the difference in the world to a student!
 NEW: Due to the overwhelming popularity of the Global Health in South Africa Summer Course, we will be offering the program twice during Summer '12. Please click here for program details.
|
|
Open Enrollment: Behavior, Ecology and Diversity of Neotropical Social Insects
 Social insects are major ecological players in terrestrial ecosystems. This 14-day course will be based at Las Cruces (mid-elevation) and La Selva (lowland wet forest), with short trips to other sites in different life zones. It is directed toward graduate students interested in social insect behavior, ecology and systematics. The course will cover an array of topics including social evolution, species richness, sampling methods, behavioral observations, and symbiotic associations. Faculty will present workshops on their taxa and topics of expertise. Students will participate in faculty led and independent field problems on social insect behavior and ecology. Dr. Sean O'Donnell is very excited to have the chance to teach this course again. Students in the first offering ranged from senior PhD students to post-bachelors students still considering grad school, and everyone gained a great deal from the experience. The 2012 course will add more time at the second site (Las Cruces) for student projects, and welcome co-instructor (2009 course alumna) Dr. Floria Mora-Kepfer. Course dates: March 17 - 31, 2012 Application Deadline: October 15, 2011 (followed by rolling admission) For more information and application form, please click here. |
|
OTS Ranked in Top 10
 The first ever rankings of study abroad programs were announced by Abroad 101 on September 13. The rankings are based on over 10,000 undergraduate student reviews. OTS undergraduate programs in Costa Rica and South Africa were rated in the top 10 programs by Abroad 101. OTS was ranked third on their rankings of Top Academics by Program Provider.
In the complex world of international education, many factors have to come together to create an effective learning environment for students. The OTS model of inquiry-based, experiential learning has been evolving for nearly 50 years and it is gratifying to gain the recognition from our alumni for the hard work that resulted in a positive and career-building experience for them. |
Station Updates
|
|
Las Cruces Launches Digital Flora Website
 | ID : 7112
Family : Orchidaceae Specific Epithet : Pleurothallis pantasmi Rchb. f. Habit : Epífita Institution: OET. |
The staff at Las Cruces is proud to announce the launch of the website for the Digital Flora of Las Cruces. This new database complements two current databases: the Las Cruces Digital Herbarium and the Wilson Botanical Garden. There are many to thank who helped put this database together, including the informatica team at CRO, Federico Oviedo at Las Cruces (who provided his taxonomic expertise), and Ellen Woods, who volunteered her time and talent over the span of 10 months, contributing more than 4,000 incredible images for this project. At present, 150 species have been uploaded and over the next few weeks the database will continue to grow. The Digital Flora of Las Cruces was developed with funding from various sources including: NSF-RCN "Tropical Forests in a Changing World", FONAFIFO, Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust, and BioTree which is funded by the European Union. The images provided by Ellen Woods were made possible with funds from a Dreer Award in horticulture. |
|
Community Gathering at Palo Verde draws 200 Attendees
 | |
200 participants joined together for fun and education at Palo Verde.
|
On Sunday, August 28th, we celebrated the 2nd Community Gathering with an open day at the OTS Palo Verde Biological Station. Our goal with this activity is to help the neighboring villages have a better understanding of the protected areas of Palo Verde National Park. Over 200 people from nearby villages such as Bagatzi, Bagaces, El Rosario and Falconiana, attended the event, including representatives from neighboring municipalities. Attendees enjoyed traditional games, sports and guided nature tours. The event was organized by OTS and MINAET.
See more pictures of the event here.
|
|
Palo Verde Station Director Profiled
 | | Semblanza Mahmood Sasa |
Dr. Mahmood Sasa was recently profiled on Espectro Canal 15, a national Costa Rican program dedicated to science and technology in Costa Rica. The program (en Español) is available on the video link to the right. Congratulations Dr. Sasa!
|
|
Outreach and Events
|
|
Public Outreach Event Addresses Forest Restoration
 On August 17, Dr. Zak Zakawi, Director of the Las Cruces Biological Station, participated in the Outreach Program and Environmental Education's monthly public forum, aimed at increasing awareness of issues in tropical science.
There were two events held this day, the first event was at 9:00AM and led by the Center for Culture and Technology Transfer in the ICE Sabana Norte. The presentation was entitled "Alternatives for Restoring the Tropical Forest". This event was developed through a partnership with part of the strategic alliance we are developing with that entity.
At 6:00 pm that evening, in the auditorium of CIMAR, we hosted the same talk through Facebook, for a student audience.  Click the Flickr logo to view more photos. |
OTS Announcements
|
OTS Science Committee Announces Grant Competition
 The OTS program on "Emerging Frontiers in Tropical Science" (EFTS) is designed to identify emerging issues in tropical science and draw together scientists across a range of disciplines, institutions, and geographies to holistically address these issues. We are pleased to announce a new competition to hold expert workshops on "Emerging Scientific Frontiers. " Scientists are asked to prepare a very brief proposal of a workshop on scientific theme that would be held at OTS stations.
Click here for full description of the competition.
Who Should Apply
Researchers of all nationalities working on tropical issues may apply for an EFTS-Working Group grant. Post-docs are encouraged to submit as co-PIs. It is highly preferable for the lead investigator to be affiliated with an OTS member institution.
Proposal Deadline
The proposal deadline is December 1, 2011. Proposals may be submitted at other times after consultation with the Co-Chairs of the OTS Science Committee (William Michener and Sean O'Donnell). Proposals will be given a response by early January.
|
|
Staff Member Recognized for Creativity
 | | Kenneth Alfaro |
Like most non-profit organizations facing a tough economy, OTS has had to examine all of our policies and procedures to ensure that we are being fiscally responsible and efficient in all areas of operations. Last spring, the board and executive staff team launched a staff-wide contest to encourage input from all staff members on how OTS can reduce expenses or generate additional revenue. The winning submission was received from Kenneth Alfaro, the
Manager of Academic Groups and Sustainable Development at the La Selva Biological Station. His ideas included: increasing the quality and selection of items in OTS gift shops, promote OTS in the national tourism market, evaluation of ESINTRO rates for Costa Ricans, a staff competition on reducing resources, installation of solar panels, offer OTS vehicles for rent, and offer rental equipment at stations: binoculars, head lamps, boots. Each of these ideas are being considered and evaluated by the respective partners and we expect to implement some within the year.
As a reward, Kenneth was given and additional and well-earned paid vacation day. Congratulations Kenneth!
|
|
In Memory: Sandra Patiño
 It is with great sadness that we inform the OTS community of the passing of visiting professor, Sandra Patiño after a struggle with cancer, on August 9, in Medellin Colombia. She was 47. She is survived by her mother, Ofelia Gallego. Sandra was a renowned tropical biologist and visiting professor at various times of Tropical Ecology & Conservation course organized by OTS. In the words of Alejandro Farji-Brener, (translated) "Sandra was a brilliant, tireless traveler, quiet but with a fine sense of humor, dedicated to her profession and life, an angel not of this world. She left us early, at age 47, and all who knew her believe her premature death was caused by her body no longer being able to contain her generous soul." We extend our deepest condolences to her family and friends.
|
Other Announcements
|
|
Presidential Management Fellows Application Open
The PMF program is a prestigious, government-wide fellowship that aims to recruit graduate students (masters, law, or doctorate) who demonstrate promise as future leaders into public service. It is a two year program that provides opportunities for leadership and management development and it leads to a permanent job with the Federal Government.
This letter is a call for outstanding graduate student candidates of all backgrounds to apply for nomination to the PMF program. This year's application period is from September 15-25 2011. More information can be found on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) PMF website: https://www.pmf.opm.gov.
The PMF program includes opportunities with dozens of federal agencies in many disciplines. The Forest Service PMF program provides:
- Entry at high level positions with fast-paced promotion
- Excellent training and developmental opportunities
- Engaged network of current and former PMFs in the Forest Service
- Support for the PMF program from the highest levels of the agency
- Opportunities to work in all regions of the country
Forest Service PMFs include graduates with degrees in natural resource management, law, public policy and planning, environmental studies/sciences, wildlife biology, forestry, landscape architecture, economics, and more. For more information about the Forest Service PMF program, visit their website or e-mail Sonja Lin.
|
|
Plants of Tropical Asia - XTBG Field Botany Course 2012
Title: XTBG Field Botany Course 2012
Registration: Open
Type: Workshop
Venue: Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (near Jinghong), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, China
Dates: 28 March - 14 April 2012 (19 days)
Organiser: Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Laboratory for Plant Geography, XTBG.
Fees: Developing countries RMB 5000*, Developed countries RMB 8000*, XTBG members RMB 2500 (*includes accommodation and food)
Fellowships: Four fellowships for travel expenses and course fees are available for participants from developing countries. Since funds are limited most participants will have to obtain support from other sources, and fellowship will be awarded on a combination of merit and need.
This course is being held in association with the ATBC Asia-Pacific chapter meeting (24-27 March 2012) at XTBG
|
|
Job Announcement: Tongass National Forest
The Tongass National Forest is outreaching to fill a permanent seasonal (13/13) Forestry Technician, GS-0462-05/06/07 position to be located in Wrangell, Alaska at the Wrangell Ranger District office. If you are interested in being considered for this opportunity please apply to the open continuous recruitment: PERM-OCR-462-567-REF/TS-G and/or PERM-OCR-462-567-REF/TS-DP by September 20, 2011. For additional information on this position or location information, please contact Greg Roberts at 907-874-7578.
The Tongass National Forest is outreaching for a District Ranger, GS-0340-13, position located in Petersburg, Alaska at the Petersburg Ranger District Office. This position reports to the Tongass Forest Supervisor and is permanent, full-time. If you are interested in being considered for this opportunity please apply to the open continuous recruitment: PERM-OCR-340-1213-DR-G by September 22, 2011. For additional information on this position or location please contact Forrest Cole (fcole@fs.fed.us) or Tricia O'Connor (poconnor@fs.fed.us) or at (907) 228-6200.
|
|
|
|
