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On the trail of the horned guan, the jaguar, the quetzal and the tapir

Sumary

Theme: Conservación y monitoreo biológico Placement Core zone at El Triunfo Biosfere Reserve, and a coffee farm and at Independencia on the state of Chiapas, Mexico. Requeriments: Mínimum age of 18 years old, good phisical condition, strong interest on conservation, some knowledge of Spanish. Project language: Mainly Spanish and limited English Highlights: This is a unique opportunity to visit one of the remotest and beautyful places in the world: the cloud forest of El Triunfo and look for critically threatened species: Jaguar (Panthera onca), Tapir (Tapirus bairdii), resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) and horned guan (Oreophasis derbianus). The long treks on the trails are also a good chance to watch other local flora and fauna species. This is an ongoing project carried by a research team formed by experienced park rangers and scientific researches whom use diverse techniques such as traps cameras, analysis of tracks and food, animal behavior and geographical reference systems. Short description: The general purpose of this project is to investigate the condition of the species populations, which are priority for the conservation of El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve. Throughout the year, the volunteers can collect the fieldwork data for the biological monitoring, which is carried out by the park rangers and researchers. The work is done on two sites: in the core zone of El Triunfo, with its base in El Triunfo Camp and on a coffee farm. Both sites are situated in El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve in Chiapas, Mexico.

Date of start february the 15th 2010 Volunteers needed 4 Duration Minimum 3 months Maximum 10 mo. Prices (In US dollars) 3 months $ 4,500 4 months $ 5,400 5 months $ 6,300 6 months $ 7,200 Additional month $ 900 Book online    Other projects Promoting fair trade of organic coffee at CESMACH Teach English and institutional development

 

Detailed information

El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve (REBITRI) is home to one of the most well conserved cloud forests in the American continent. Over the last 25 years the managers of REBITRI, scientific researchers and non-governmental organizations have collaborated to establish management priorities, which ensure the conservation of ecosystems and species. Recently biological monitoring protocols for priority species have been developed.

Throughout the year, a team of park rangers and national and international volunteers will collect field information in order to evaluate the condition of the resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno), horned guan (Oreophasis derbianus), jaguar (Panthera onca) and tapir (Tapirus bairdii) populations. The fieldwork consists in visiting the previously identified trails in each one of the sampling sites for one week once a month. The field visitors’ objective is to collect evidence of the presence of the four priority species. They will take photographs, make records of sounds, footprints and other evidence of physical presence, and record the age of the individuals, the conduct observed as well as the environmental conditions of the site (temperature, the state of the vegetation, human presence etc). If physical evidence such as footprints, feathers etc. are found, they will be collected and the position where they were found will be identified and then they will be taken to the laboratory for analysis.

The fieldwork will be complemented with office work, consisting in making a record on a database and assisting the researchers with specific laboratory activities.