What to Bring to Field School

Digital Information Kit

Please note that we are likely to be working under wet, muddy conditions. Do not bring an expensive computer. Any computer that you bring should have had a complete backup of its data before arriving at the Field School.

• Small laptop or netbook computer
• Small backup drive (at least 250GB; the recommend type runs on USB power without a separate power supply)

Clothing

• Enough clothing for an eight day period
• Write or sew name into/on all clothing BECAUSE once each week dirty laundry will be collected by a staff member and taken to be collectively washed and dried before returning to camp. Laundry from male and female participants will be kept separate but no further conditions will apply. No laundry facilities will be provided.
• Footwear 1: Light sandals or slippers for beach and camp only
• Footwear 2: Medium duty shoes/boots for working in rough terrain that can get wet for most situations. Should be worn with socks that will get worn out so have several extras sets.
• Headgear: Hat or other sun protection.
• Sunglasses: probably more than one pair is a good idea since these get broken, lost, scratched.
• Windbreaker/raincoat: A light, waterproof jacket or poncho is critical since work will continue even when it is raining.
• At least two (2) ANSI high visibility safety shirts (orange, green, or yellow) (or vests that can be worn over other clothing) need to be brought since these will be required to be worn on most days.
• General clothing: Light clothing that washes easily is recommended rather than heavy cotton that is slow to dry. Although "jeans" are common, these may not be the best field clothing. Dressing in several lighter layers is often recommended over one thick layer. Carefully consider what will work best and what can be worn for several days without being washed, or can be washed in cold water, wrung out and line dried over night. (Note that this may not be possible in many situations because of rainy weather or wet camping environments.) Synthetic materials and cotton blends or other natural fibers that resist water may be the best choices

Camp Supplies

• Small personal tent or a tent suitable for 2-3 people. (Those attending the course together are welcome to share and the instructors are happy to help play match maker among students who would like to find "room mates" but individual tents are recommended).
• Natural biodegradable laundry soap (only bring if you intend to wash clothing outdoors)
• Natural biodegradable shampoo and body soap as well as other person hygiene supplies. The field camp will be held in a very sensitive location so please carefully consider any materials that might be released into the environment.)
• Light camp towel. Many sorts of these are available, most are made of synthetic materials but all dry rapidly.
• Larger beach towel (optional).
• Flashlight and extra batteries or solar powered flashlight.

Meals

• On the first day of the Field School a non-refundable meal fee (as part of the overall course fee) will be charged per person. This will be used to purchase food meals for the period of the course. If a student needs to leave on the second day or any subsequent day of the course the meal fee will not be returned because the commitments for food purchases will have already been made.
• Additional funds may be brought for periodic visits to town when snacks and other items may be purchased.
• A very small mess kit with a plate or bowl (a single combination container that washes easily is best), a sturdy single blade knife, utensil for eating food, scrubbing/cleaning pad

Periodic Field Kit

• A larger field backpack (as your ONLY luggage besides the small field backpack) that will hold everything that is brought by you to the field school. [The field camp will move periodically, moving the tents and everything that is owned will need to be stuffed into this packback and be carried on YOUR back. Be absolutely certain that YOU can fit all of your stuff in THIS pack and carry it around. If you need a pack mule, then something is wrong.]
• Mask and Snorkle (water socks/reef socks/boots and flippers are not needed but may be brought.)
• A spool of colored string that is at least 50 meters long. This can usually be purchased at a hardware store. Any bright color will be fine. A role of bright colored flagging tape.
• One set of relatively formal clothing for meetings with, and presentation to, community groups, politicians, etc. (This should not be a "suit and tie" which is not appropriate for the local Hawai`i culture.)

Educational Materials

• Text Books: A list of text books is provided.Text books will NOT be available on Kaua`i so must be purchased in advance and brought to the field school.

What not to bring

Trying to have all the comforts of home will most likely lead to misery. Believe us, less is more.

Please do not bring:

• Friends, relatives or pets
• Please do not plan on renting an apartment or staying elsewhere. This course is designed with all of the participants spending at least 6 nights a week (if not all 7) together at our field sites. No arrangements will be made for people who plan to stay anywhere else. Local students should plan to stay with the group as well.
• Please do not plan on cooking or bringing cooking supplies to the field school.

Research Supplies and Equipment

Each student will be responsible for having a basic conservation ethnobiology "toolkit." These items will not be provided by the Field School. We consider it important that you have your own gear so that you learn how to use it and that it is available for future research and travel.

The specific items are general suggestions. Obviously, technology changes (usually for the better). Also, cost and availability are also issues.

If you already own an alternative piece of equipment that you feel is an adequate substitute, please contact the Field School staff so that they can verify whether your equipment is appropriate.

The prices listed with these items are for general guidance. They do not in any way imply that you should make purchases from the vendors which are listed.

Photography

Objectives: A good field camera should be a rugged, point and shoot model that has sufficient pixels, moderate zoom, image stabilization, and good optics. This camera should be relatively low cost. It should be compact and easy to use. This camera must be waterproof and it should have macro capabilities.

To a large extent, a higher price means higher quality.

Digital Camera: The criteria listed above are essential. Camera technology is changing rapidly, so if you have any questions, please contact the Field School instructors.

Examples:

• Olympus Stylus 550WP (rugged, 10 mpixel, 3x zoom; ~$110 @ Amazon)
• Olympus Stylus 5010 (small size, 14 mpixel, 5x zoom; $200 @ Amazon)
• Canon Powershot D10 (rugged, 12 pixel, 3x zoom, IS; $265 @ Amazon)
• Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 (robust, 14 mpixel, 4.6x zoom, IS; $300 @ Amazon)
• Sony TX5 (small, 10.2 mpixel, 4X zoom, IS, panoramic; ~$350 @ Amazon)

You will need some extra memory media and a battery charger.

Location/Mapping

Objectives: Simple location determination, waypoint recording, and track recording.

GPS Receiver: The following GPS receivers have high sensitivity receivers (H), store an adequate number of track points and can download data via a USB cable. All are adequate for basic GPS use in field studies.

Examples:

• Garmin eTrex Legend H ($125 @ Amazon)
• Grmin eTrex Venture HC ($120 @ Amazon)
• Garmin eTrex Vista H ($150 @ Amazon)

Note that automotive GPS receivers are not appropriate for field use as they generally do not store track information.

You will need extra batteries or a battery charger.

Distance & Diameter Measuring

Distance Measure: The objective is to make accurate measurements quickly. These laser distance units are a handy, and relatively inexpensive tool for making distance measurements.

• Bosch DLR130K Digital Distance Measurer Kit ($104 @ Amazon)
• Fluke 411D Laser Distance Meter ($104 @ Amazon)
• Leica DISTO D2 Laser Distance Measurer ($175 @ Amazon)

Diameter Tape: The size of larger trees is generally measured by the diameter at breast height. Simple diameter tapes provide adequate functionality.

• Lufkin 1/4 Inch X 6 Foot Executive Diameter ($15 @ Amazon)

Plant Collection

Pruners: You will need plant pruners that are either side cutters or an anvil type.

Plant Press Kit: The Field School will provide plant presses and all of the ancillary equipment needed for pressing plant vouchers.

Please do not bring your own plant press.

For more information email us:

laauhawaii@gmail.com