Course Policy & General Expectations
Field Trip
This course includes one weekend field trip to the Southwestern Research Station in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. This trip forms an essential component of the course and is mandatory for all students enrolled in the class. The cost of this field trip was included in your course fee and includes transportation, two nights lodging at the station, and all meals. We will use university vehicles for this trip.
Southwestern Research Station:
Depart Friday, Sept 9, 11:00 am
Return Sunday, Sept 11, 5:00 pm
Please come Friday, Sept. 9 at 11:00 am and meet on the south side of Biosciences West.
An important goal of this trip is to make you familiar with the natural history of mammals in Arizona. You will have the opportunity to observe, trap, and handle a variety of small mammals. Because of the presence of hantavirus and other zoonoses in some rodent populations, you will not be required to trap or handle live animals if you do not wish to do so. However, participation as an observer is still expected. These trips will also teach you basic techniques for field work with mammals that may be useful for your independent research project. Students who wish to prepare standard museum specimens from animals collected in the field will have the opportunity to do so. All students must maintain a field notebook which will be due on the last day of lab. This notebook will include records and observations from the field trips as well as from the independent research project.