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Loop Abroad: Belize Jaguar & Howler Monkey Research Fellowship (Directory Program)

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  • Locations: Online/Virtual, no specified country
  • Program Terms: Fall I, Spring, Summer, Winter
  • Homepage: Click to visit
  • Program Sponsor: Loop Abroad 
Program Description:
Perform Critical Research To Protect Jaguars And Howler Monkeys…From Anywhere On Earth!

Highlights
  • 100% online (Limited to 20 fellow spots)
  • Earn 100 research hours for VMCAS vet school applications
  • Have a direct impact on the conservation of howler monkeys and jaguars in Belize
  • Work alongside primatologist Dr. Kayla Hartwell to perform critical research necessary for the reintroduction of endangered black howler monkeys to Runaway Creek Nature Reserve
  • Gain valuable research experience in wildlife conservation, primate behavior, camera trap surveys, wildlife monitoring techniques, vegetation sampling, and conducting literature reviews for research proposals

*Fellowship is open to ALL. No pre-requisites or student status is required.

Loop Abroad, in collaboration with CELA-Belize, invites students to be part of wildlife conservation and research conducted by the Foundation for Wildlife Conservation (FWC) in and around the Runaway Creek Nature Reserve in central Belize. This is a one-of-kind online research fellowship available from anywhere.

Fellowship Description: [Jaguar captured by a camera]Join the research team from the Foundation for Wildlife Conservation (FWC) to study jaguars and howler monkeys at Runaway Creek Nature Reserve in Belize. FWC is a small non-profit organization that owns and manages Runaway Creek. The reserve is over 6,000 acres of tropical forest that serves as a critical piece of the Maya Forest Corridor in Central Belize. This unique online fellowship will encompass two ongoing projects at Runaway Creek and will require the students to work with long-term data on howler monkeys and jaguars.

Work alongside primatologist Dr. Kayla Hartwell to gather information and analyze data as a critical step toward the reintroduction of endangered black howler monkeys to Runaway Creek Nature Reserve.  Following a destructive hurricane in 2010, howler monkeys slowly disappeared from the reserve. To help bring howler monkeys back to Runaway Creek and increase their genetic diversity within the corridor, FWC will release ex-captive howler monkeys who have gone through a successful rehabilitation process and are ready for survival in the wild. 

In addition to participating in the study of howler monkeys, students will gain valuable experience conducting research on jaguars. They will help the FWC team compile and organize over 10 years of camera trap images on jaguars and other wildlife (eg. tapirs, pumas, ocelots, coatis) at Runaway Creek using a specialized research software program.  Research fellows will learn how to individually identify jaguars and compile a complete species list for the reserve. This information will be critical to the management of Runaway Creek within the Maya Forest Corridor.

Through a combination of lectures, assignments, and one-on-one instruction, students will be introduced to conservation issues within the Maya Forest Corridor, primate behavior, wildlife monitoring and research techniques, the importance of vegetation sampling, and other ongoing research by the FWC team. 

This fellowship is virtual, based on twice-weekly lectures and meetings led by the FWC staff. The curriculum is based on current and past data collected at Runaway Creek Nature Reserve. Following the initial introductory block session, meeting times will be twice a week for 1-2 hours as well as virtual office hours for one-on-one time with FWC staff.