Wildlife Research, Education, and Conservation Course

Course Summary:

Courses are organized and led by Dr. Marisa Tellez and Bobby Greco (in Dominican Republic). Dr. Tellez is internationally recognized in the scientific and conservation community for her work in herpetology, specifically crocodilians. These courses are based off of her 17 years of experience working as a field scientist, as well as a member and the subregional chair of Central American and the Caribbean for the IUCN/SSC-Crocodile Specialist Group. Bobby is a Ph.D. student at Clemson University and has been involved in the research, conservation, and husbandry of wildlife for 10 years with a focus on herpetofauna. Bobby began pursuing his interests in crocodilian research and conservation in 2017 as one of Dr. Tellez’s interns with CRC and began developing a project with her and local stakeholders in Dominican Republic shortly after. This project has continued and grown since then and has provided pertinent information to the Dominican Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (DRMENR) so they can improve their long-term management plan of American crocodiles. Bobby brings his years of experience as a field biologist in academia, the private sector, and in government. He is also a member of the IUCN/SSC-Crocodile Specialist Group.  

These courses are to provide young and current scientists and conservationists a strong foundation in wildlife research and conservation. Students will be provided presentations from CRC staff to provide background work in research, and how to conduct effective educational outreach that makes a positive change between communities and wildlife. Students will take what they learn from presentations into the field that will include conducting field research related to crocodiles, as well as adjacent wildlife, utilizing various fields in science (i.e., population biology, ecology, parasitology, eco-toxicology, phylogenetics, etc.). Additionally, students will engage in at least one educational outreach event to learn our effective methodology to garner community support in wildlife conservation. Students will also get to understand about crocodilian husbandry and behavior, assisting us with DRMENR’s head-start program. All students will receive a certificate of completion, as well as can utilize our program for reference letters in their career.

Courses: 

**The Wildlife Research, Education, and Conservation (WREC) 2-week and month course both receive the same amount of presentations, however, the month course allows for more field experience. The same presentations are given in each course, however depending on the time of the year, some presentations may be discussed more thoroughly to further prep students in the field. Given research activity differs throughout the year, please see below the various courses. Please note these are just a brief summary, and other research (such as with partners or research associates), as wildlife rescues will likely be conducted.

Prior to arriving, we will send students documents to familiarize themselves with a foundation of information about data collection and species ID. It is our expectation that students review introductory materials to come in ready to participate and get the most out of their experience. 

WREC I, March 6-20: Research activity will prioritize around conducting crocodile population surveys, assisting with nest surveys, and biodiversity surveys around Lago Enriquillo; educational outreach will be conducted at least once. 

WREC II, May 29-June 5: Research activity will prioritize around conducting crocodile population surveys, assisting with nest surveys, and biodiversity surveys around Lago Enriquillo; educational outreach will be conducted at least once. 

*** We understand there are some students who would like to stay for experience longer than 1 month. Long-term students with specific research interests are encouraged to develop small attainable projects to complete during their stay with the CRC. We will work with students to gather and analyze data for potential publication. We also have various projects that are non-crocodile related and welcome students whose research interests may include ecosystems or species that are not our primary focus.
 

What’s Included:

• Accommodation
• Travel/vehicle fuel costs to and from field sites (our research includes traveling to various places around Lago Enriquillo, as well as a lot of work on boats. As of June 2024, gas prices were ~$5.00 US/gallon!)
• Research equipment for CRC course activities
• Personalized, one-on-one training on wildlife research techniques, data collection and organization, tropical ecology, wildlife handling and rescue, community engagement and education, and much more!
• Opportunities to work with partner organizations in Dominican Republic, Belize, and other places in Central America and the Caribbean
• Working within a professional environment amongst a team of established scientists that have background in conservation management of wildlife and habitat

*You are responsible for your travel to Dominican Republic, meals, and fun money for exploring and experiencing Dominican Republic outside of CRC activities*

Cost:

• 1 month fee: $3,000 US
• 2 week fee: $1,900 US

Course Group Discount!

Have a friend or co-worker looking to get conservation and science experience? We are offering discounts from our program for interns that come with friends or co-workers. Contact us for more information.

• 2 people: 15% discount
• 3 people: 20% discount
• 4 people or more: 25% discount

10% of cost go towards CRC in-country conservation and management efforts.

Students interested in long-term stay with the CRC should inquire about costs specific to their course experience. Interested students from Central America and the Caribbean should also contact the CRC directly to inquire about regional internship pricing.

WREC Courses are secured with a non-refundable 50% deposit, and 100% of the balance is due 2 weeks before the start of the course.  

Cancellation Policy:

• 4 weeks prior to start date: 50% refund of total WREC course price
• Less than 2 weeks: no refund
• CRC reserves the right to cancel due to low enrollment; notice will be given at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the course.

For more information about the WREC course, please send an email to  program.coordinator@crcbelize.org

Hear directly from those who’ve been part of the journey—our past volunteers and students. Click the link to explore their stories and see what the CRC experience is all about.