Volunteer Field Assistant - Sykes Monkeys at Gede Ruins, Kenya
Hiring Organization:
Steffen Foerster -- Columbia University / Kenya's Forest Monkeys Project
Date Posted:
2007-10-23
Position Description:
Looking for several volunteer field assistants to help with long-term monitoring of social behavior, ecology, and endocrinology of wild Sykes monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis albogularis) in Kenya. Currently, we are working with two well-habituated social groups at Gede Ruins National Monument. Study groups are being followed daily from morning to evening (7 am to 6 pm).
Volunteer tasks will include:
* recording of social and foraging behavior,
* monitoring and mapping of group movements,
* data entry.
This is an ideal position for someone who wants to gain field experience in preparation for a graduate program in anthropology, ecology, or conservation biology. You will learn various field methods relevant for the study of animal behavior and behavioral ecology.
Please visit the project website (see below) for more details, and use the online form that can be found there for your application!
Qualifications/Experience:
Ideally, you should have prior experience with living or working in a foreign country, preferably a developing country and/or in the tropics. Furthermore, you should have experience with collecting systematic data in a scientific context, and have a strong interest in primate behavior and ecology.
In general, applicants should:
- be in good physical and mental condition,
- feel comfortable being far away from family and friends,
- be emotionally mature, energetic, and very patient,
- have excellent attention to detail,
- not be afraid of bugs and snakes,
- have very good social skills,
- be able to maintain a positive attitude towards hard and tiring work.
Before applying, please make sure to visit the project website and read carefully ALL the volunteer information posted there. You particularly need to be aware and educate yourself about the various health risks involved with living in Africa. Medical facilities, except for some hospitals in the capital, or FAR removed from Western standards. More info on this and other issues available on the project website.
Salary/funding:
No funding is available at this time. Housing is offered by the Mwamba Bird Observatory and Field Study Center about 12 km from the field site, at a rate of $10 per day (full board). However, it is possible to arrange for cheaper local housing nearby, which can cost as little as $100 per month.
Term of Appointment:
Average stay is 6 months, longer stays encouraged!
Application Deadline:
Applicants are accepted year-round.
Contact
Information:
Steffen Foerster
Columbia University, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, 1200 Amsterdam Ave., 10th Floor Schermerhorn Extension
New York, NY 10027
USA
Website:
http://www.steffenfoerster.com/research/monkey_home/
E-mail Address:
sf2041@columbia.edu
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