Overview
Course Description
Course Objectives
Who Should Attend
Certificate Requirements
Registration Information
Presenter Bios

• Participants will gain a detailed understanding of the importance of habitat in conserving biodiversity.
• Participants will evaluate and analyze the various constructs of “habitat” and apply this understanding to the diverse habitats with which they are familiar.
• Participants will gain insight into various methods for habitat assessment and monitoring, evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each technique and utilize this knowledge in designing a plan for the long-term assessment and monitoring of a chosen habitat.
• Participants will understand the history, practice, and rationale of various management techniques for diverse landscapes with various human impacts.
• Participants will practice using technology applications to aid in designing projects, collecting data, modeling and planning management actions.
• Participants will appreciate the sociological, economic, and ecological complexity surrounding invasive species, fire management, and habitat restoration.
• Participants will critique environmental case studies from around the world and be able to apply appropriate lessons in context.
• Participants will create a habitat restoration plan to demonstrate mastery of course concepts.

This course also provides students with the unique opportunity to interact with the resident research and conservation staff of the Smithsonian Conservation and Research Center.

• An understanding of habitat assessment and monitoring tools and techniques
• The development of a practical monitoring plan for a specific habitat
• An evaluation of why certain techniques are more effective given diverse geographical considerations
• An ability to apply field-based techniques and computer-based technologies

Accommodations

Students will be provided room and board at the CRC facility, in double-occupancy dorm style rooms with shared bathrooms (segregated by gender). Meals will be offered cafeteria-style. Students will have wireless internet access available at the site.

Course Preparation:

There are no prerequisites, however students should have taken a general biology, ecology, botany, or related course and lab; it is preferred that students also have some familiarity with experimental design and statistics. Students will be asked to come to the short course having completed some of the reading assignments. Discussions and application of the assigned reading will take place during the short course. A course syllabus and reading list will be sent with the registration confirmation. In addition, students will propose a practical monitoring plan for a specific habitat as part of the course assignments.

Beginning to mid-level employees in the animal management or conservation field who must manage habitats in the light of competing resource needs; employees such as:

• Zoo and museum employees
• Conservation workers
• Environmental managers
• Employees of NGOs or federal agencies

The program will offer the opportunity to network with other habitat and wildlife managers, zookeepers, and environmental managers in a collaborative atmosphere.

In order to receive a certificate of participation, attendees must attend at least eight days of the program. Successful participants will be awarded 8.2 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

Main Instructor:

• Francisco Dallmeier, PhD, Head Center for Conservation Education and Sustainability, Smithsonian Institution. Dr. Dallmeier was born in Caracas, Venezuela, where at an early age he discovered a life-long passion for living creatures. His interest in biology carried him from extensive fieldwork with the Institute of Tropical Zoology in Venezuela to the Smithsonian’s Monitoring and Assessment of Biodiversity Program (MAB). Since 1986, he has directed this program’s evolution and tremendous growth. Now consisting of a network of more than 300 research plots throughout North America, Latin America, Asia, and Africa, the MAB Program combines research, training, and public education and outreach to forge a powerful tool for the conservation of biodiversity around the world.

Additional Instructors:

• Bill McShea, PhD, Ecologist, Smithsonian Institution. Bill McShea is an ecologist who has been working at the National Zoo's Conservation and Research Center for 17 years on wildlife management and conservation. His research involves forest ecology issues on public lands in the eastern U.S. and conservation issues in developing countries. Bill is interested in providing knowledge that helps solve human/animal conflicts and conserves biodiversity.
• Alfonso Alonso, PhD, Assistant Director for Conservation and Development, Monitoring and Assessment of Biodiversity, Smithsonian Institution. Dr. Alonso designs, implements and teaches protocols for vegetation and invertebrate monitoring. He is currently involved in projects in Panama, Madagascar, and Mexico. He has a BS in biology from the Universidad National Autonoma de Mexico and an MS and PhD in zoology from the University of Florida at Gainesville.
• Jennifer Sevin, MS, Smithsonian Education and Training Coordinator, Smithsonian Institution. Ms. Sevin works with many local, national and international groups on environmental education and training efforts. Her research interests focus on bears and salamanders. She has a BS from Florida International University in environmental studies and an MS in zoology from North Carolina State University. She is currently working on her PhD at George Mason University.