Workshop Information

Furbearer/Trapping - Morning only

This workshop introduces students to trapping mammals. We will cover the fundamentals of trapping in the classroom and then head outside to get familiar with how to set a wide variety of traps.

Woodcock Wingbee

The US Fish and Wildlife Service annually collects American woodcock wings from hunters to estimate sex ratios, age ratios, and a recruitment index (immature individuals per adult female). This information is used to better understand reproductive success as a part of population dynamics. For this workshop, you will learn about woodcock population monitoring including how to age and sex woodcock from wings and other characteristics.

Camera Trapping - Morning only

In this workshop we will discuss the breadth of ways motion triggered camera traps can be used to monitor and research wildlife. We will emphasize applied skills for selecting the ideal approach depending on your goals and target species, and participants will get hands on experience setting camera traps in the field Saturday morning. We'll check these on Sunday to see what we detected!

Wing ID of Game Birds

During this workshop we will cover the use of wing plumage characteristics to identify to species all ducks that commonly occur in the northeast, and will discuss techniques for sexing and aging selected species as well. This information is used extensively by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to monitor duck populations and also by conservation law enforcement officers to enforce hunting regulations.

Bat Research

Learn about surveying methods used in bat research.

Human Dimensions in Wildlife - Morning and early afternoon only

Wildlife are held in public trust and thus wildlife agencies are mandated to understand and incorporate public opinion into wildlife management planning. Human dimensions of wildlife is a disciplinary approach to understanding and working with public opinion when it comes to wildlife conservation. In this workshop, you will be lead through an interactive activity that will help you understand diverse opinions, the complexities of incorporating public opinion into management planning, and what it takes to work with the public.

Introduction to R

Introduction to R - the absolute basics of the program and simple statistics for the ecology student

**BRING YOUR OWN COMPUTER**

Insect Pinning

This workshop will give a broad introduction to collecting, pinning, and identifying insects and other common arthropods. Some passive collecting techniques, such as pitfall traps and Berlese funnels, will be demonstrated as well as an outdoor excursion if the weather permits. Supplies will be provided, but bringing a small box/container with foam glued into it is recommended if you wish to keep and safely transport the specimens you pin.

Lobster Insides and Outs

"Dr. Diane Cowan, senior scientist at the Lobster Conservancy and her assistant Emily Wotton will point out basic features of lobster internal and external anatomy. While studying the parts of the lobster, Diane will tell stories of how the structures are used. For example, you will learn about lobster courtship and mating behavior while we point out at least six morphological traits that distinguish male from female lobsters based on external features. We’ll find a couple more differences when we open the anesthetized lobsters to look inside. If we are lucky, you will also get to see the beating of the lobster’s neurogenic heart. After giving their lives for this valuable educational experience, the lobsters will be steamed. No part of the animal will be wasted."

*Very limited space

Salt Marsh Ecology - Morning Only

This field trip focused on tidal salt marsh ecology will bring participants by canoe and foot to explore a portion of Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge's tidal marsh environments. Salt marshes were once ditched, drained, and developed have more recently been the focus of restoration and provide outstanding habitat for wading birds, waterfowl, shorebirds, and fish. Hip waders or knee-high rubber boots are necessary. Limited space!

**Rubber boots recommended

Animal Ambassadors - Afternoon only

"Focusing on animals that live in Maine, we will provide an in-depth introduction to the unique differences between raptors, reptiles, and mammals. Do snakes have fur? Do rabbits have scales? Are birds "cold-blooded"? Why do opossums have pouches? How do each of these animal groups adapt to our changing seasons? Using our amazing non-releasable animal ambassadors and interactive displays, the answers to these and other questions will be revealed. This hour long program will connect the audience with these beautiful ambassadors of their species as well as provide their natural and personal histories and empower audience members to help to steward the environment that we all share." - The Center for Wildlife (Cape Neddick, ME)

Radio Telemetry

An important field skill to learn. Learn about the basics of radio telemetry in this workshop.