February 2013 



OTS 50th Anniversary: Be a Part of it!

2013 marks a momentous occasion in OTS' history. This year we recognize our 50th anniversary!   


We want you to be a part of the celebration! 


Visit our 50th Anniversary website
to learn about our history, share your memories and photos of being in the field, and find out our plans for the future. 


Learn About Our History
 

Share your Photos and Memories   

Events in Costa Rica(en Espaol)

Greening Initiatives   


We hope to see you in Costa Rica and look forward to hearing your stories from the field.
 

ATBC-OTS Meeting June 23-27, 2013
Registration Opens Soon 
 

The plans for the joint 50th anniversary meeting in San Jos� (June 23-27, 2013) is actively moving forward. Click here to find out more about the lineup of symposia, workshops, and special programs and to sign-up to receive e-mail updates for news and announcements. The registration functions will be ready by the end of February.    

 

Note: You must be an ATBC member BEFORE February 18 to receive the membership discount on registration fees. 

La Selva Towers Featured on TEDx Talk
 
La Selva's Station Director, Carlos de la Rosa, will be a featured speaker in an upcoming TEDxPuraVida event. Dr. de la Rosa will be participating through video, live from the La Selva towers. The event, bringing speakers together in person and through video, is scheduled for February 21, 2013 at Museo de los Ni�os in San Jos�, Costa Rica and will be broadcast on teletica.com and nacion.com. 

For more information:
Please note: This is a Spanish language event.These events are termed self-organized local TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but each is self-organized TEDx event.
OTS in the News

 

La Naci�n newspaper featured an article by Pedro Le�n A.  on the contributions of  OTS over the past 50 years. Pedro Le�n shares a long history with OTS and has the distinct honor of being the only Costa Rican that has held the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors of OTS.

 

(en Espa�ol)    


On Sunday, January 20, La Naci�n newspaper featured an article on the discovery of a new species of dragonfly, made by Dr. Carlos de la Rosa at the La Selva Biological Station.

(en Espa�ol)
  
New Members of the OTS Alumni Community

The number of OTS alumni continue to grow each semester. The latest group of new members, comprised of a talented pool of undergraduates representing more than 30 different universities, are from our courses this past fall. Please join us in welcoming our new alumni!

Tropical Biology Fall 2012
 
Kelsey Baker; Santa Clara University 
Kyle Bennett; Duke University 
McKenna Bernard; Duke University 
Jocelyn Bouchard; Providence College 
Alexis Canney; Vassar College 
Emily Crosby; Duke University 
Shane Daly, Duke University 
Nicholas Dragone, Middlebury College 
Ryan Filler, Duke University 
Julia Gamache; Carlenton College 
Sara Giroux; Santa Clara University 
Gabriel Herrera; Skidmore College 
Lucile Hicks; Duke University 
Benjamin Kramer-Roach; Emory University 
Marta LeFevre-Levy, Macalester College 
Zuan Hong Lim; Duke University 
Laura Mistretta, Duke University 
Lauren Neel; West Chester University 
Joanna Parkman; University of the South 
Rachel Roberts; Duke University 
Samantha Sharpe; Santa Clara University 
Brian Siwek; Northwestern University 
Christina Thompson; Duke University
 

Global Health - Costa Rica Fall 2012  

Alexis Antunez,Duke University

Danielle Bloch, Washington University

Adrienne Bruder, Carleton College

Natalie Chin, Duke University

Jedediah Doane, Colorado College

Neelou Etesami, Occidental College

Sarah Frank, Bucknell University

Artemis Gogos, Grinnell College

Talia Jackowitz, Davidson College

Inka Johnson, Duke University

Jannat Khan, Davidson College

Joel Kruger, Tufts University

Joseph Lytle, Grinnell College

Annelies O'Dea, Amherst College

Veronica Ponce de Leon, Occidental College

Jacqueline Shimamoto, Occidental College

Elizabeth Tobey, College of the Holy Cross

Hilary Wiggins, Marist College

Jacob Williams, Kenyon College

 

New Graduate Education Specialist 

Introducing: Andres Santana

 

As a part of the OTS Graduate Department I hope to help graduate students with the opportunity to participate in our courses and conduct their research at our stations.   

 

As a biologist my main interest is in environmental restoration. In 2008, I had the opportunity to be part of the OTS-Duke University Study Abroad Program in Tropical Biology and Conservation where I was able to strengthen my knowledge of how to do fieldwork and conduct research. That same year, I worked doing field research as a co-researcher studying the reproductive behavior of Nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum) in a secluded beach at Cabo Blanco National Reserve, Costa Rica. At the time, this was the first known site for nurse shark reproduction in the Neotropical Pacific. I later had the opportunity to work in sustainable community development in rural areas of Costa Rica and in sea-turtle conservation in Costa Rica and Panama. In 2010, I worked in a Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) and Great Green Macaw (Ara ambiguus) conservation, reproduction, and re-introduction program called The Ara Project. The same year I joined a team of people working on coastal restoration, CostasVerdes. The main focus is to restore marine coastal areas, specifically those in Wildlife Refuges by means of re-vegetation by planting native species. In 2012 I obtained my masters in science in Environmental Management and Restoration from the Universitat de Barcelona, Spain. During my masters I studied seed germination viability after prolonged storage (up 15 years) at the Centro de Investigacion y Experimentacion Foresta (CIEF) in Valencia, Spain. The opportunity to work in the field with researchers, environmentalists, and community members throughout the years has shined a light on the importance that environmental education plays in conservation and environmental restoration.  

Ecology and Conservation of Neotropical Rivers 

May 5 - 19, 2013
Photo: M. Springer

The course will cover scientific concepts in tropical river ecology. Through a series of lectures, field visits, and workshops, participants will review challenges to conservation of tropical rivers and discuss ways to translate scientific research into guidelines for river conservation and management. Students will carry out research projects to acquire hands-on experience with field techniques, monitoring and management tools  

 

 

Aquatic Entomology

May 20- 31, 2013

Photo: M. Springer

Students will gain experience in light trapping and use of various aquatic nets and other collection techniques. This fieldwork, lab identification, and hands-on research experience will be complemented by a lecture series that will cover systematics of all major groups of aquatic insects in Central America. 

 

Amphibian Decline and Global Changes in the Neotropics

May 28 - June 11, 2013
Photo: P. Naskrecki

Through fieldwork and laboratory analyses, this course will help students gain basic knowledge and hands-on experience in the following diverse fields: amphibian ecology, vertebrate survey techniques, disease ecology, parasitology, ecotoxicology, microbiology, and bioinformatics.

 

Biodiversity Conservation through the Lens of

Indigenous Peoples

August 5-18, 2013

This course focuses on the issues faced by conservation leaders developing projects within indigenous lands. The course will have two sections:

  • Immersion within a local/regional conservation project developed within an indigenous territory.
  • Sojourn to an indigenous territory involved in the conservation project under study.
 
Caught on Camera   
 
This Margay (Leopardus wiedii) was spotted at La Selva on January 15 by Kenneth Alfaro during a night walk with a group a students. (Photo taken by student) According to the IUCN, Margays are undergoing a continuing decline due primarily to habitat loss to deforestation (IUCN Cats Red List workshop, 2007). Considered Vulnerable in Brazil (Machado et al. 2005) and Argentina (Diaz and Ojeda 2000), and Near Threatened in Colombia (Rodriguez-Mahecha et al., 2006) and Threatened in Mexico (SEMARNAT 2002) and Costa Rica (MINAE).

This Common Potoo (Nyctibius griseus) and chick was spotted and photographed by Yohani Zeledon  in San Bosco de Sabalito, Coto Brus
while birding with Carolina Vindas, a Las Cruces employee, on February 11, 2013. Potoo are known for their camouflage ability and can be difficult to spot, so this photograph is quite the 'catch'!


Las Cruces Advisory Committee - Renewed! 
 
One of the goals from the OTS strategic plan has been to
reinvigorate the inactive station advisory committees at Las Cruces and Palo Verde. The last active Las Cruces Advisory Committee (LCAC) met in 1998 and was dissolved a few years later, so it's renewal has been a long awaited!

The new members represent a broad range of interests
and viewpoints on the station's direction, with a mix of long-term and newer researchers and people affiliated with the station. In addition, two members (Susan Cordell and
John Kress) were recently elected to the OTS Board of Directors, so the advisory committee will have good representation at the  organizational level. The first meeting was held February 2-3, 2013 and the group plans to meet annually thereafter.

Members, listed below, will serve 3-year terms.
Susan Cordell - US Forest Service (Hawai'i)
John Kress - Smithsonian Institution; Interim LCAC Chair
Chase Mendenhall - Stanford University
Alison Olivieri - San Vito Bird Club
Bob Timm - University of Kansas
Palo Verde Marks International Wetlands Day 
 
On February 2, Palo Verde Biological Station, located in Palo Verde National Park in Guanacaste Bagaces, celebrated International Wetlands Day with a variety of activities.
 
The event was attended by representatives of the National System of Conservation Areas MINAE (SINAC) - Palo Verde, SINAC Bagaces Office, the Environmental Department of the Municipality of Bagaces, Network of Environmental Educators Bagaces (REAB) and children from the rural school in Bagatzi Bagaces.
 
After a short ceremony, the participants enjoyed a video on the conservation of wetlands and the environment, as well as a guided walk on the
Palo Verde boardwalk. The group also listened to a talk on the importance of wetlands as a refuge for migratory waterfowl and as conservation
site for aquatic plants. 
In This Issue:
OTS 50th Anniversary
ATBC-OTS Meeting
TEDx TALK
New Alumni
Neotropical Rivers
Aquatic Entomology
Amphibian Decline
Biodiversity Conservation
Caught on Camera
LCAC

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Employment Opportunities

The Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) is seeking applicants for several positions. Qualifications vary by position and application instructions can be found on our website.