SCHEDULE

COURSE DATES:

Spring 2013

Students will arrive in Kenya on the morning of May XX (departing the US on the evening of May XX) and depart Kenya on the evening of June XX (arriving in the US on the afternoon of June XX).

DAILY SCHEDULE:

Although the 2.5 weeks may seem short for a four-credit course, we will be spending >12 hours per day totally immersed in field biology. Most days will consist of waking up before dawn for a quick breakfast and early morning field trips, as well as returning to camp late at night after night drives. Most reserves in Africa do not allow people to walk around at all, or to drive around at night, whereas there is more freedom of movement at Mpala, allowing us to see and do many things that are off-limits to most safari visitors to East Africa.

HOME

We typically rise around 6:00 AM and leave for the field after breakfast and when the sun rises at around 7:00 AM. We then return to the camp for lunch at 1:00 PM. We often schedule guest lectures and meetings after lunch from 2:00-3:00 PM. We head back to the field in the mid afternoon and return for dinner around 6:00 PM. We usually spend an hour before or after dinner in a paper discussion. After dinner we might have a discussion around the campfire, go for a night drive in search of nocturnal animals, attend a guest lecture, or spend time working on project write-ups. Bedtime typically falls between 10:00-11:00 PM.

The bottom line on the daily schedule is that you will be busy most of the time and easily working >12 hours per day. This is an intense experience, and we strive to maximize the benefit of your time in Kenya by packing in as many activities as possible. It is very important that you come to Kenya prepared to be engaged and enthusiastic throughout the course, even when at times you might be tired, hungry, or dirty. If this course is right for you, then you will find that even though you have little free time in Kenya, most of what we do will not feel at all like ‘work.’

Tropical Biology