Biological Science

Travel and Field Courses

This page lists field courses in the biological sciences. These require a fee and are typically eligible for college credit, though for some it may be via Independent Study arranged at your home institution.

Summer 2025

3/12 – Dolphin Bioacoustics & Agroecosystem Biodiversity Field Courses – Sardinia/Greece

We still have a few spots left in our upcoming 2025 summer field courses, offering hands-on experience in environmental and marine conservation research.

Dolphin Ecology & Marine Conservation Field Course (Sardinia, Italy) | June 2–June 14: Join us in Sardinia for an immersive two-week program studying wild bottlenose dolphins in the Capo Caccia marine protected area. Students will work alongside researchers using bioacoustic technology to assess human impacts on marine ecosystems, contributing to conservation efforts while engaging with fisheries and tourism stakeholders.

More info & apply: [Field Course Webpage] [Download Flyer]

Sustainable Agriculture & Biodiversity Field Course (Lesvos, Greece) | July 1–31: This four-week field program on the island of Lesvos explores the impact of different environmental management practices on biodiversity and ecosystem health in Mediterranean olive groves. Students will gain field and lab-based skills while contributing to research that informs climate-smart agriculture and conservation policy.

More info & apply: [Field Course Webpage] [Download Flyer]

Both programs include academic credit awarded through Connecticut College, local excursions, and accommodations. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until filled. For questions, contact us at info@ifrglobal.org.

3/4 – UVM Field Courses in Plant Biology – VT

PBIO 2770 Biology of Fungi

Instructor: Terry Delaney

Description: This largely field-based course will explore a wide variety of forested environs to find, identify and collect macrofungi (basidiomycetes and ascomycetes). When in the lab, you will study your collections, collect microscope images, and prepare a portfolio of preserved and well documented specimens. Some time will be used for lectures on fungal morphology, ecology, evolution, toxicity, and uses of fungi by humans. Students should be prepared to hike on/off-trail in approximately 3-hr excursions most days. Meets Mon-Thurs, 8:50 AM to 12:50 PM, May 19-June 13.     

PBIO 3440 Community Climate Solutions (SL) (four-week intensive)

Instructor: Laura Hill

Description: Community Climate Solutions (SL) is four-week intensive, service-learning course for students in the life sciences. All efforts are focused on implementing nature-based climate solutions to enhance biodiversity and improve climate resilience of public lands in the Burlington area. During the first two weeks, students will learn in-person in the classroom, at the UVM Greenhouse, and in the field at project sites with community partners. The second two weeks will consist of online, self-paced readings, reflections, and a final presentation.

PBIO 3991 Internship in Alpine Ecology

Are you interested in conservation biology, environmental science, or botany? Do you love mountains and want to learn more about how to conserve fragile alpine ecosystems? Consider this full-time, immersive internship through UVM in partnership with the Appalachian Mountain Club! Interns will live on-site in the White Mountains of NH, working with AMC researchers to conduct conservation science and public outreach on alpine ecosystems.  Housing and meals provided by AMC! Internships are full-time, mid-May to mid-August. Two positions available.  Registration by instructor permission: email Stephen.Keller@uvm.edu

ALE 3100 – Diversified Farm Operations

Instructor: Terry Bradshaw

In this hands-on, experiential course, students will learn principles and practices of sustainable, diversified specialty crop production on-site at the Catamount Educational Farm (Cat Farm). Topics include: vegetable crop families; soil fertility management; composting; weed, insect and disease management; propagation and planting; crop planning; irrigation systems; farm financials and business planning; marketing techniques; orchard and vineyard management; and tractor operation.  More info: https://www.uvm.edu/~tbradsha/Teaching/PSS209Syllabus.pdf

3/3 – Ecology-Geology Field Research Course – AK

Applications are open for Wrangell Mountains Field Studies 2025!

Field Studies is an interdisciplinary field research program hosted by the Wrangell Mountains Center in McCarthy, Alaska, located near the center of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

The program is accredited through our partner university, the University of Maine, and offers six (6) semester-credits for Field Research Experience in Earth and Climate Sciences. Areas of focus include local ecology, geophysical processes (including glacier dynamics), local knowledge of landscape structure change, system modeling, and land use policy.

Students should apply via the application on our website. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so early submission is recommended. For questions please contact fieldstudies@wrangells.org

3/3 – Field Herpetology course, August – AZ

The American Museum of Natural History will host the 13th edition of Field Herpetology of the Southwest from 3-11 August 2025.  This 9-day program will take place at the Southwest Research Station, near Portal, Arizona.  The course is structured to introduce participants to the outstanding diversity of amphibians and reptiles of the Chiricahua (AZ) and Peloncillo (NM) Mountain ranges, as well as the desert ecosystems of the southwest U.S.  Labs and lectures focus on life-history and ecology of the herpetofauna in the region, with 50% of the program activities occurring in high- or low-elevation field sites.  Further information is available at this URL:

https://www.amnh.org/research/southwestern-research-station/courses

  A minimum of one college-level course in the biological sciences is required to participate in this program.  The course fee of $1520 covers all meals, housing, and transportation during the program (participants are responsible for getting themselves to/from the field station).  Questions or requests for a course application should be directed to swrs@amnh.org

3/3 – Sustainable Agriculture & Biodiversity Field Course – Greece

Applications are now open for the Sustainable Agriculture & Biodiversity Field Course in Greece, hosted by the Institute for Field Research and the University of the Aegean. This four-week summer program (July 1-July 31, 2025) is based on the island of Lesvos, providing students with an immersive experience in environmental fieldwork—not to mention a beautiful backdrop for our research!

Course overview:  Participants will study the impact of different environmental management methods on biodiversity within Mediterranean olive groves, exploring the balance between productive farming practices and ecosystem health. Through field and lab-based research, students will contribute to research shaping conservation practices for Mediterranean agro-ecosystems. Key practical skills include:

  • Biodiversity assessments and population monitoring
  • Species identification and survey techniques
  • Environmental data collection and habitat assessment using drones and camera systems
  • Use of pitfall and pan traps for arthropod sampling
  • Scientific writing and presentation skills

Field course details: Housing is provided in modern, self-catering university dorms, and cultural activities and excursions are included in the program. Participants will earn academic credit through Connecticut College upon successful completion of the program.

Key deadlines: The application deadline is March 1 with rolling admissions thereafter until the course is filled.

Learn more:

3/3 – Two-Week Wildlife Techniques Field Course – NY or GA

The Northeast Section of The Wildlife Society, in cooperation with Paul Smith’s College, will be hosting our 13th annual 2-week Wildlife Field Course at Paul Smith’s College, New York, May 18-31, 2025.  We previously ran this course in Vermont and though the location has changed the content and emphasis on hands-on skills development and networking remain the same.

Please visit the course website for details and application materials:   http://wildlife.org/ne-section/about/student-field-course/

The course fee is $1200 and includes 3 undergraduate or graduate credits through Paul Smith’s College (PSC) and room and board for the 2 weeks.  The course is housed at the PSC Campus on 14,000 acres of forests, lakes, and streams amidst the 6 million acres of the Adirondack Park.  The course emphasizes hands-on experience with basic field techniques (small mammal trapping, bird point counts, habitat sampling, radiotelemetry, etc.) and small group work organized around the theme of conducting a biological inventory.   We also provide hunter education training and certification in Project Wild. The course is led by practicing wildlife biologists and ecologists who volunteer their time to serve as instructors providing great networking opportunities and career perspectives during evening discussion sessions.  We usually have 20+ guest instructors from various state and federal agencies, consulting firms, and universities.  The November/December 2017 issue of The Wildlife Professional (www.wildlife.org) has a short article on the course which is accessible from the course website.  Several chapters of The Wildlife Society offer full or partial scholarships to eligible students, too.

Enrollment is capped at 20 students; we accept undergrad or grad students from any college or university, you do not need to be enrolled in a wildlife major to be eligible and we also accept unenrolled students who have already completed a degree and are looking to gain field skills.   Please do not reply to this email with questions but contact me at: nefieldcourse@gmail.com.

The Southeastern Section of The Wildlife Society, in collaboration with Vermont State University, will be hosting a 2-week field course on Wildlife and Forestry Field Techniques.

The course will be taught June 6–20, 2025 and hosted by the Jones Center at Ichauway (http://www.jonesctr.org/) in Newton, Georgia. The Jones Center is a 29,000-acre working forest managed for longleaf pine, northern bobwhite, and numerous plant and animal species native to the southern United States. The purpose of this course is to offer field experience that covers numerous topics, including hands-on learning in capture, handling, and tracking wildlife (e.g., birds, small mammals, bats, meso-mammals, amphibians, reptiles), species identification, assessing wildlife-habitat relationships, and silviculture. Additionally, we plan to offer exposure to firearms, equipment operation, plant ID, and prescribed fire.  All are important skills for any wildlife biologist, manager, or natural resource specialist.

The course is open to undergraduate and graduate students from any college or university, or recent (< 3 years) graduates who have already completed a degree and are looking to gain field skills. Students should be majoring in a natural resource program and have completed at least 8 credit hours of their core curriculum (e.g., natural resources, biology, wildlife, ecology, forestry). This course will be filled on a first-come first-served basis up to a maximum of 20 students.

The cost is $1,500 and will include instruction, food, housing, material and equipment, on-site transportation, and 3 hours of college credit that may qualify as elective credits in a student’s program of study. 

For more information on the field course, including how to apply, please contact Dr. Daniel Greene, President of the Southeastern Section of The Wildlife Society, at dgreene.tws@gmail.com.

Center for Wildlife Studies Courses

Look for course available for academic credit; you will want to set it up as an independent study through your home institution. https://www.centerforwildlifestudies.org/courses

More Organizations that run Field Courses

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