Putting the community back in community ecology and education: the role of field schools and private reserves in the ethical training of primatologists

Abstract

In 1993 and 1999, with the assistance of a Nicaraguan family, we founded La Suerte Biological Research Station in northeastern Costa Rica and Ometepe Biological Research Station in southern Nicaragua as a privately owned conservation-oriented business. Our goal was to develop a program of sustainable community ecology focused on education, research, and the conservation of primates and tropical forests. In order to accomplish this we developed field courses in which undergraduate and graduate students conduct scientific research, experience local cultures, and learn about conservation. Over 120 of these students have received doctoral degrees or are currently in graduate programs. Four doctoral dissertations, several MA theses, and some 20 scientific articles have been published based on research conducted at our field stations. In order to achieve our long-term goals of preserving the environment, we also needed to engage directly with local communities to address their needs and concerns. To this end, we developed a series of community-based initiatives related to health care, bilingual education, and conservation education using traditional and on-line teaching tools. In this article, we describe our efforts in Costa Rica and Nicaragua teaching conservation-oriented field courses and working with the local human communities. Building upon these experiences, we outline a set of ethical considerations and responsibilities for private reserves, conservation-oriented businesses, NGOs, and conservancies that help integrate members of the local community as stakeholders in conservation.

Howler Monkeys

“…For example, in Costa Rica, natural parks are becoming islands, isolated from one another resulting in limited opportunities for gene fl ow or repopulation. Therefore, private reserves and land purchased by conservation-oriented NGOs are becoming more and more critical for primate conservation (Garber et al 2009b ). Sadly, in many primate habitat countries the conversion of forests for economic development has not resulted in lower rates of human population growth, a reduction in human poverty, an increase in educational opportunities, or elevating human development at the local or regional level (Estrada et al 2006c ).…”

Howling on the edge: Mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata) howling behaviour and anthropogenic edge effects in a fragmented tropical rainforest in Costa Rica

“…We conducted this study at the LSBRS in northeastern Costa Rica (10°26′N, 83°46′W). LSBRS is a tropical lowland rainforest totaling approximately 3 square kilometers (km 2 ) of primary and secondary forest (Garber et al, ; Pruetz & Leasor, ). The forest fragment where we conducted research comprises two connected forest patches, “Large Forest” (0.935 km 2 ) to the north and “Small Forest” (0.35 km 2 ) to the south, as well as a partially cleared area for “camp” (0.071 km 2 ; Molina, , Figure ).…”

“…The mantled howler monkey shares LSBRS with two sympatric monkey species: the white‐faced capuchin monkey ( Cebus capucinus ) and the Central American spider monkey ( Ateles geoffroyi ). Population survey estimates for the mantled howler monkey suggest that the Small Forest contains 2–3 groups, while the Large Forest contains 6–8 groups (Garber et al, ; Pruetz & Leasor, ).…”

“…Population survey estimates for the mantled howler monkey suggest F I G U R E 1 Map of La Suerte Biological Research Station showing howling bout locations and monkey sampling locations for each 30 min of sampling that the Small Forest contains 2-3 groups, while the Large Forest contains 6-8 groups (Garber et al, 2010;Pruetz & Leasor, 2002…”

“…The present study investigates how primate long calling may be impacted by edge effects in a fragmented tropical forest landscape in Costa Rica, the La Suerte Biological Research Station (LSBRS). LSBRS is a forest fragment that represents one of the increasingly few forested areas in a region of Costa Rica that has been largely deforested since the 1970s, primarily due to cattle ranching and large‐scale banana and pineapple production by major corporations (Garber, Molina, & Molina, ; Molina, ). Abrupt forest edges exist between many areas of LSBRS and the neighbouring properties, with barbed wire fences marking the sharp transitions between protected rainforest and cattle pasture or road (Molina, ).…”