WildMetro is a not-for-profit environmental organization dedicated to protecting nature where people live. This Memorial Day Weekend, WildMetro, in conjunction with the Westchester County Department of Parks & Recreation, is hosting an Ecological Field Techniques Course in Rye, NY. This course is a hands-on approach to learning ecological field techniques, conveniently located right near New York City. Over three intensive days, students will learn standard sampling methods used in ecological and biological field research. Potential course material includes mist-netting, small mammal trapping, track plating, vegetation sampling, and insect surveys.
This course will help students develop different skills, from taking effective field notes that can later be analyzed, to identifying and applying different techniques for sampling plants and animals. Students will gain hands-on experience with these techniques, learn when each is appropriate, and learn how to design studies that test specific hypotheses. The course therefore covers the full spectrum of conducting scientific studies, including choosing a study design, collecting the data, and conducting basic data analyses. This experience will give students in-depth, direct exposure to nature, experience applying the scientific method to solving problems, access to scientists, and expose them to career and research opportunities in field research and urban ecology. This course is open to everyone interested in the natural sciences. Please see the attached poster, or visit our website at www.wildmetro.org/news, to obtain more detailed information.
