Field courses Panel

To achieve our training and integration goals, this CPN will oversee development of four, one-week field courses, each targeting early-career scientists (graduate students, post-docs, entry-level practitioners). Each course will focus on a particular system and be led by established researchers and their regional stakeholder partners. We anticipate teams of 5-10 leaders/instructors, representing all key groups of interest. The first field course will be dedicated to ecosystems of Florida. The subsequent three courses will be solicited from the network community.

The benefits of successful field courses will be two-fold. First, hands-on field research training will enable students and junior professionals to expand their understanding of sampling, sample processing, analyses, and first-order interpretation, which are critical to develop research programs that inform both fundamental and applied (management) issues in environmental science. Second, field courses will enable stakeholders to bring the applied dimension to discussions, make scientists aware of practitioner needs, enhance communication between stakeholders and future researchers, and introduce stakeholders to new research approaches. Collectively, these field courses are intended to encompass marine, freshwater and terrestrial settings, both pre- and post-industrial stressors, and involve diverse organisms.

The field course panel will oversee solicitation, selection, development and assessment of field courses. A detailed solicitation for field course pre-proposals will be announced later this year.

If you are interested in being involved, or have a topic you would like to see covered by field courses, please let us know! There are many ways to become involved. You can become a member of the CPN and indicate your interest in contributing to the development of field courses.  You are also welcome to email any member of the field course panel directly with your suggestions.

Additional updates about the ongoing development of field courses for the Conservation Paleobiology Network will be posted here.

Panel Members

Mark Brenner
Department of Geological Sciences
University of Florida
Field Course Panel Co-Chair
Angelina Ivkic
Department of Palaeontology
University of Vienna
Field Course Panel Student Rep
Hilary Swain
Executive Director
Archbold Biological Station
Field Course Panel Co-Chair