Conservation Ethnobiology Field School 2012

2012 Camp Organization & Responsibilities

The Field School activities on Kauai occur over a relatively short period. There is no time available to waste. It is essential that every participant know and understand his or her responsibilities. It is also important that everyone know the leadership structure of the camp. Everyone must work together as a well-coordinated team.

General Structure

The Field School camp personnel are organized in four distinct tiers:

Camp Director
Camp Assistant Directors (e.g., graduate student assistants)
Team Leaders
Team Members

Camp Director Responsibilities

Camp Operations

Coordinates the Base Camp food-service activities.
Oversees the health and well-being of all camp members.
Has primary responsibility for all emergency situations.
Assigns tasks needed to maintain the camp infrastructure.
Serves as liaison to the Field School Director.
Purchases needed supplies and equipment.
Maintains (with the support staff) the data backup facilities.
Coordinates information flow from the Field School Director and the support staff.

Program Activities

Establishes the camp schedule.
Assigns Team Leaders.
Specifies the skill-training activities.
Reviews each team's daily "flight plan."
Periodically runs safety drills.
Reviews each team's progress on training and project completion.

Camp Assistant Director Responsibilities

Program Activities

Team Leader Responsibilities

Teams consist of three or four participants. The Team Leader is one of the students from this team. This responsibility rotates among the team members so that all participants have ample opportunities to learn and demonstrate leadership skills.

The Team Leader is designated by the Camp Director. The camp Assistant Directors work directly with each Team Leader both in the camp and during field activities.

Planning

All team members contribute to the plan for a project.
Plan has been submitted and approved by the Camp Director.
Tasks have been assigned.
The ability of each team member to accomplish the assigned tasks has been checked.
A back-up plan is in place.
An emergency assessment is in place.
A weather assessment is in place.

Departure

All team members are ready to go at the designated departure time.
Verify that all equipment has been checked:
- All needed equipment is being carried.
- All power (and backup) is topped off.
- Personal emergency kit and team emergency equipment are available.
Emergency information is well understood.
The day's "flight plan" has been filed (who, where, when, emergency contacts, leadership info)
Day's objectives are well understood.
A final weather assessment has been done.

During

All team members are contributing to the project.
Periodically checks on the progress.
Discusses the need for plan modification.
Periodically runs safety drills.

Return

All data are promptly transferred to backup systems.
All data integration (e.g., photo georeferencing) is underway.
All equipment is cleaned, charged and returned to storage.
Debrief on the day's activities with emphasis on revising protocols for future activities.
Check's each person's Field Log for completeness, accuracy, and timeliness.

Other Personnel

These are people who are periodically on-site.

Field School Director

The Director is responsible for the overall operation of the Field School and holds the ultimate authority for making decisions.

Will McClatchey

Field School Co-Director

Brian Yamamoto

Faculty

The Faculty are involved in the definition of the problems, development of learning modules, establishing evaluation rubrics, providing advice, and giving motivational talks (e.g., evening fireside talks).

Sunshine Brosi
Tamara Ticktin
Mark Merlin
Rick Stepp

Logistics Assistants

These Assistants help with transportation, meal delivery, and other ad hoc tasks.

Last Updated: September 22, 2011

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