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OTS 50th Anniversary: ATBC-OTS Meeting
Fields Trips
We are pleased to announce that OTS is organizing 11 field trips in connection with the ATBC-OTS Meeting in June.
Each field trip number is linked to a pdf description of the trip.
Registration for trips may be done concurrently with the meeting registration. However, if you have specific questions about the trips, please contact the BioCursos program coordinator.
| Trip-ID | Title | Duration | Cost
(USD) | Options | |
| La Selva Biological Station | 1-day | $130 | 6/21,22,23,25,
28,29 or 30 | | FT2 | Costa Rica Paradise of Volcanoes and Waterfalls | 1-day | $115 | 6/20, 21, 25,
or 28 | |
| Wild Pacific and Guacalillo´s Mangroves | 1-day | $72 | 6/20, 23
or 26 | | FT4 | Caribbean Turtles, Pacuare Biological Reserve | 2-days | $180 | 6/21-22 or
28-29 | | FT5 | Coffee and Quetzals Path | 2-days | $185 | 6/21-22 or
29-30 | |
| Osa Peninsula, Record in Global Biodiversity, Campanario Biological Reserve and San Pedrillo /Corcovado | 3-days | $380 | 6/28-30 only | | FT7 | Bird Territory, Palo Verde Biological Station | 2-days | $198 | 6/21-22 or
22-23 | | FT8 | Craft Route and Toro Amarillo Waterfall | 1-day | $87 | 6/21,26 or 30 | | FT9 | Rafting Adventure | 2-days | $287 | 6/22-23 or
28-29 | | FT10 | Las Cruces Biological Station | 3-days | $280 | 6/21-23 |
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OTS 50th Anniversary: OTS Mixer
If you are planning to attend the ATBC meeting in San José, Costa Rica, please plan to join us on the evening of Monday, June 24, for an informal OTS Mixer. The mixer will be a reunion of sorts, bringing together OTS class alums and researchers at our stations. Please join us this evening and feel free to bring your colleagues and friends to the reunion.  Ya gotta be in it to win it... We will be hosting a raffle too! Tickets will be available for sale at the event. If you wear/bring an old OTS t-shirt to the mixer, you will receive one raffle ticket for free! If you are interested in attending the OTS Mixer, please RSVP to Arianne Leslie at 919-684-5774 or via email at arianne.leslie@duke.edu.
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OTS 50th Anniversary Receives Special Recognition in Costa Rica
 The 50th Anniversary milestone has attracted positive attention and response within Costa Rica. The Correos de Costa Rica (postal system) has agreed to recognize our achievement adding a special stamp to all outgoing mail during the period of June 24-28, 2013.
 Additionally, our anniversary will be recognized within National Lottery, during the week of June 16 - June 23. The lottery tickets will display the image on the right with the following text:
La Organización para Estudios Tropicales (OET) es un consorcio sin fines de lucro de 60 universidades e instituciones de investigación nacionales e internacionales. En 2013 cumple 50 años como líder en investigación, educación y conservación de los recursos naturales tropicales.
Translated: The Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) is a non-profit consortium of almost 60 universities and national and international research institutions. In 2013, they celebrate 50 years as a leader in research, education and conservation of tropical natural resources.
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Will and Jaden Smith's After Earth Inspires Real Science Education
In 2012, Sony Pictures traveled to Costa Rica to film several scenes for the soon-to-be released film, After Earth. The premise of the movie includes a fictional world in which Earth has been deemed uninhabitable due to a planetary ecological disaster that doomed human life. A millennium later, a father and son return and confront the results of that catastrophe.  | |
After Earth Official Trailer #1 (2013) - Will Smith Movie HD
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The river rafting scene in After Earth was filmed at La Selva because the station's rainforests and banks along its rivers depicted the primitive, natural form that earth would return to when left undisturbed by humans. Another feature of La Selva which draws a close connection with After Earth is the biological research from La Selva that shows the movie's environmental premise is not just entirely science fiction. Tropical rainforests are critical to the earth's climatic balance because of the enormous quantity of carbon dioxide they absorb and oxygen they release. Yet scientists working at La Selva have shown that, as the climate warms, the forests are less able to absorb carbon dioxide. In other words, today's warming, drying climate may be impacting earth's tropical life support system. Inspired by the movie, cutting-edge information and lesson plans on global change have been developed for educators by Dr. Joe Levine, co-author of Miller & Levine Biology and member of the OTS Board of Visitors. Working with Sony Pictures, they developed a comprehensive website, covering topics such as: Global Change Biodiversity Mass Extinction The website includes powerful videos and downloadable lesson plans for educators. In addition, the site also provides information on how individuals can Take Action and make a difference through education and supporting the efforts of environmenal organizations, such as OTS' Greening Campaign.
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Biodiversity Conservation through the Lens of
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.
 
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NEW COURSE!
Amphibian Decline in the OMICs Era
Date: TBD
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Photo by P.Carmichael
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This course will focus on the OMICs (Genomics, Proteomics and Metabolomics) as related to amphibian decline. The course will be led by Dr. Adrián A. Pinto Tomás (University of Costa Rica) and his research team. Dr. Pinto works in the field of microbial ecology and he studies the symbiotic interactions between social insects and microorganisms, particularly those with potential applications in biotechnology and medicine. Currently, Dr. Pinto is working on the isolation and characterization of biological control agents to leaf-cutter ants, a major agricultural pest in Costa Rica. He also uses techniques of electron and fluorescence microscopy to describe cellulose degradation in the nests of these ants, and how this natural model can be used in the modern generation of biofuels from plant waste. The course will include the exceptional OTS hands-on field work experience combined with cutting edge laboratory techniques and bioinformatics.
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2014 T-shirt Contest - Vote Today!
The search for the next OTS AMIGO t-shirt is on! Vote today for your favorite design -- this survey will be open until midnight on May 31, 2013.
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North American Staff Member Receives Award
On April 18, Duke University President, Richard H. Brodhead, honored five staff members from Duke University and Duke University Health System with the Presidential Award for outstanding service in 2012. The Award recognizes employees from five work categories who have made distinctive contributions to the university or health system in the past year.  | |
OTS President and CEO Elizabeth Losos with Jonathan Giles VP, Development
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We are proud to announce that OTS' own Vice President ofr Development, Jonathan Giles, was presented with the The Duke Presidential Award in the Managerial Category. This award is one of the highest honors given to Duke staff and faculty. Since 1976, OTS' North American headquarters have been at Duke University.
In his 24 years as a fundraiser for OTS, Jonathan Giles has helped bring in nearly $25 million in grants from the National Science Foundation and almost as much in grants and gifts from individuals and private foundations to help fund courses in tropical biology and the organization's three research stations in Costa Rica. In the words of Elizabeth Losos, president and CEO of OTS, he is "an ace fundraiser."
"Jonathan continues to get excited about new foundation opportunities, new donors, and the opportunity to visit the tropical research stations and programs that he has helped create," Losos said. "His unflagging efforts and loyalty to the institution unquestionably play a large role in OTS's success."
Congratulations Jonathan!
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2013 NAPIRE Mentors Prepare for Students
The Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) Native American and Pacific Islander Research Experience (NAPIRE) is a National Science Foundation Louise Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (NSF-LSAMP) sponsored undergraduate research experience (REU) with a unique focus. The experience is designed to promote science as a career for the most underrepresented minorities in science: Pacific Islanders, Native Americans and Native Alaskans. The success of this endeavor relies on building communication between the students, Research Mentors and On-Campus Mentors.
Between April 11-17, a Mentor workshop brought 19 LSAMP program directors and Campus Mentors from their home institutions to the OTS stations. Participants included 7 research mentors, 10 Home mentors, and 2 staff members. Mentors visited La Selva for their first night then traveled to Las Cruces for three nights.
During the eight-week summer NAPIRE 2013 course, participants will be working and learning at La Selva and Las Cruces. The visit by the NAPIRE 2013 Campus Mentors provided an opportunity for them to experience the climate, living quarters, food, education and laboratory facilities that are available at both stations, and thus be more prepared to advise the students from their institutions as to what they should expect. At each of the stations, workshop participants attended orientation lectures and guided nature walks around the grounds.
Participants thoroughly enjoyed themselves and went back home comfortable with sending their students to the NAPIRE 2013 summer research experience.
 | 2013 NAPIRE Mentors
Back Row, Left to Right. Jason Beck (hat), Otto Hansell, Gregg Wilson, Tim Ginnet, Jessie Knowlton, Adrian Leighton, Middle row from Right to Left : Wendy Townsend, Alice Hughes, Wendy Kuntz, Claire Wright, Cindy Sagers First Row Left to right: Martha Desmond, Andrea Romero, Sherry Ngirill, Keolani Noa, Andy Michelson, Sun Lentz, Mackenzie Manning Enzo Aliaga. |
Participants:
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Wendy Townsend
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Program Coordinator
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OTS
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Andrea Romero
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Lead Coordinator
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OTS
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Sherry Ngirmeriil
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Home Mentor
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Palau Community College
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Alice Hughes
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Research Mentor
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Claire Wright
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Home Mentor
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Chaminade College
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Mike Otto Hansell
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Home Mentor
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American Samoa Community College
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Andrew Michelson
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Research Mentor
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University of Akron
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Tim Ginnett
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Home Mentor
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University of Wisconsin Stevens Point
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Mackenzie Manning
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Home Mentor
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Kapiolanie Community College
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Jesse Knowlton
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Research Mentor
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Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
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Enzo Aliaga
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Research Mentor
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Univ. UMSA, La Paz
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Martha Desmond
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Home Mentor
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New Mexico State University
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Gregory Wilson
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Home Mentor
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Oklahoma State University
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Martha Sue Lentz
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Home Mentor
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University of Colorado, Boulder
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Adrian Leighton
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Home Mentor
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Salish Kootenai
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Keolani Noa
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Home Mentor
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Kapiolani Community College
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Wendy Kuntz
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Research Mentor
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Kapiolani Community College
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Jason Beck
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Research Mentor
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Idaho Fish and Game
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Cynthia Sagers
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Research Mentor
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University of Arkansas
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La Selva Naturalist Guide Training Course
 The Naturalist Guides Course continues to run on weekends at La Selva. From an initial pool of applications of over 200 individuals, 50 pre-candidates were interviewed and 23 motivated, excited and eager students for this prestigious course were chosen. The La Selva course was offered in the 1990s as the very first Naturalist Training Course in Costa Rica. The second iteration was taught in 2009 thanks to the support of BATCCA. This year, BATCCA again came to support the course and provide this excellent opportunity for local residents.
During the course, men and women from several local towns come to La Selva and spend their Saturdays learning about plant and animal biodiversity, bird and insect identification and biology, discover mysteries that puzzle and entertain, and also learn about OTS, our mission and vision and about the challenges that tropical biodiversity faces in these times of climate change and political uncertainty about the fate of biodiversity.
A number of previous graduates have gone on to work in the ecotourism industry as guides (we actually have hired several of them) or in other areas of the business. Run by La Selva staff and with the support of experts, scientists and educators, the course builds a strong foundation for the students to continue learning about Sarapiquí's biodiversity and challenges. It is our hope that most of the students continue their training after the course is over and that the care, interpretation, and conservation of biodiversity becomes part of their professional and personal lives.
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La Selva Featured in Student Leader Summit
 Education First (EF) Global Student Leaders Summit ran from April 20 to April 22 in the Hotel Herradura's International Conference Center in San José. Broadcasted around the world to other youth in a dozen countries, the Summit brought together educators, conservationists, scientists, politicians, and business people in daylong sessions of presentations, panel discussions, workshops, and social time. The conference featured keynote speeches from former Vice President Al Gore, Costa Rica's first Minister of Energy and Environment Dr. Alvaro Umana, and noted environmental advocate Severn Cullis-Suzuki. During the summit, students worked together using critical thinking and problem-solving strategies to identify potential solutions to global issues. Workshops by La Selva, Earth University, and INBio and a series of intense field trips to a variety of places around Costa Rica generated an enormous level of energy and a wealth of ideas coming from the next generation of scientists.
 La Selva featured prominently in the Summit, as host of several field trips and workshops (Scientist for a Day) where students learned how to measure tree growth and collect weather data and correlate this with long-term databases on climate change. Additionally, Carlos de la Rosa, Director of La Selva (who designed and taught the workshops with La Selva education and naturalist staff) taught two workshops during the Summit centered on the challenges faced by tropical forests and biodiversity.
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La Selva Earns Bandera Azul Award
 In recognition for their efforts in 2012, La Selva was awarded two Bandera Azul awards; one for Sustainability and another for Climate Change actions. The Costa Rican Bandera Azul program recognizes extraordinary efforts by institutions, protected areas, and even families in reducing our communal carbon footprint and "walking the talk" about reducing our impacts on the environment. You can see our blue flags proudly waving in the wind in front of the La Selva Dining Hall.
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TEDx Talk by Carlos de la Rosa posted on-line
Carlos de la Rosa participated in the 2013 TedX Pura Vida event with a presentation from the forests of La Selva. The presentation is now available online.
 | | El laboratorio más grande del mundo: Carlos de la Rosa at TEDxPuraVida 2013 |
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Youth Guide to Biodiversity Available for Download
 Here is a fun way to learn about Biodiversity, especially for the younger crowd. La Selva Station Director, Carlos de la Rosa, and his Florida colleague, Claudia Lewis, wrote one of the chapters of this newest Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) publication. Written in an accessible and intelligent style and extraordinarily illustrated, it is a great introduction to the current state, the challenges, and the solutions to stave the biodiversity crisis. Examples from around the world illustrate each theme. You can download the entire book at this link:
http://www.fao.org/docrep/017/i3157e/i3157e.pdf
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