Participate
We offer short-term field courses at locations across the globe, and in-depth research training programs in the Peruvian Amazon annually between May and August.
Wildlife Monitoring
At the core of our research efforts is an annual primate census program in southeastern Peru that has three main species; saddleback and emperor tamarins, plus the titi monkey. Once a year, we conduct a safe capture-release program through which we record individualized data on body condition, disease, and growth, as well as population data on births, deaths/disappearances, and dispersal. Our resampling rate across years is nearly 100%, indicating we have no adverse impacts on the populations. One individual in each social group is given a radio collar, and all receive temporary identification tags (that drop off within months), setting the stage for a variety of behavioral and ecological research projects. A primary aim of this sampling effort is to regularly evaluate parasite richness and prevalence, for which we employ both microscopy and molecular screening techniques. About 1/3 of our time in the field is spent collecting comparative samples from other wildlife species (including bats, birds, small terrestrial mammals). Natural parasite diversity and host specificity are key indicators of community health and ecological overlap.
Enrollment is open for Summer 2021
Conservation Technology and Primate Ecology
Tamarins are some of the most challenging primates to study. They’re small, fast-moving, and highly arboreal. We collect detailed information on space use, feeding ecology, and social behavior by tracking animals in person. In this program, we develop custom-built, low-cost GPS micro-collars to study the movement ecology of tamarins. In addition, we are working on devices that will conduct auto-censuses of animals while recording body mass, which we will deploy year-round when observers are absent from the site. All of these sensors are ultimately linked to a “giant ear in the sky” – a listening network that can pick up small signals from sensors and relay them away from the site to enable remote monitoring.
Enrollment is open for Summer 2021
Primate Reproductive Biology
Reproductive variation is the currency of evolution, with individuals who produce more offspring having higher chances of passing on particular characteristics. But why do we see reproduction regularly skewed toward particular individuals? In tamarins and other callitrichids, these questions are particularly perplexing. While multiple females may live in a group, reproductive success is generally limited to a single primary breeding female. This female gives birth to twins while the other females in the group almost never reproduce. Through what behavioral or physiological mechanisms does this extreme variation in female reproductive success persist, and why? Answering these questions is key to understanding not only the basic dynamics of callitrichine reproduction, but the fundamental element driving callitrichine evolution.
Enrollment is open for Summer 2021
summer 2021: genomics in the jungle - peru
We anticipate offering 1-2 sessions of our popular 2-week field course on conservation genomics in Peru. Stay tuned for updates here or sign up for our mailing list at the bottom of this page.
ON
COVID-19
COVID-19 has dramatically altered most of our lives, introducing uncertainty into our futures and challenging our ability to continue to do conservation on the ground. We’re in this together, and we appreciate your patience as we adapt to these fluid and challenging times.
– The FPI Field Team
COVID-19 UPDATES
- Applications for 2021 summer field programs will open June 1
- Applications for 2020's summer field programs are now closed
What’s it like to join us in the field?
Learn more about our 2021 research projects: