This ten-day intensive course offers a unique opportunity to live and study at the Smithsonian Institution National Zoological Park’s Conservation & Research Center (NZP-CRC), one of the world’s premier facilities for research aimed at conserving endangered species. NZP-CRC researchers and George Mason University faculty collaboratively teach the course, which features a series of hands-on, inquiry based modules that introduce students to a range of approaches and techniques involved in conservation of a focal species, the Eld’s deer (Cervus eldi) of Southeast Asia, particularly in the country of Myanmar, also known as Burma. Students are introduced to laboratory and field techniques in reproductive biology, cryobiology, ecology, remote sensing and GIS, and population genetics. Human dimensions of Eld’s deer conservation are also addressed. The course culminates in a two-day student-run Population Habitat Viability Analysis workshop. Each participating NZP-CRC unit uses its real-world data and experiences in Eld’s deer management and policy, relating its specific scientific techniques to conservation concepts and issues in developed and developing nations. Daytime course components are supported by readings and supplemented by evening talks led by practitioners with experience implementing conservation plans in Southeast Asia. Students synthesize and reflect upon course activities and concepts through discussions, stakeholder “role playing,” small group projects, and portfolio development.

The course consists of three combined sections: EVPP 505 is for graduate credit; NCLC 495 and BIOL 440 are for undergraduate credit.



Click on the links below to read more about the Spring 2003 Course

Learning on the Hoof  |  Classroom Connections  |  Eld's Deer In Myanmar