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Honduras
Training Courses
HM001 Jungle Survival and Neo-tropical Forest Ecology (Weeks 1 - 5) This course is a requirement for all Research Assistant and dissertation students who will be working in any of the forest sites. The course takes one week and comprises of two sections of three days each. The first section involves a series of lectures and practical exercises to provide an introduction to tropical forest ecology, conservation biology, and biodiversity monitoring techniques for flora and fauna. The second section of the course involves trekking to and camping in a number of different forest locations. The course teaches participants basic jungle survival skills, such as how to select a suitable camp site with minimum impact on the environment, where to find food and water in the forest, how to build natural shelters, and orientation skills. By the end of the week-long course, students will understand the research aims of the expedition, the ecology of the key taxa we are monitoring, be trained in the data collection methods they will use while assisting scientists with data collection, and will know how to operate safely and healthily in remote forest areas.
Canopy Access Experience (Weeks 1 - 7; half-day additional course within your normal schedule) The tropical forest canopy is the richest, least explored and most threatened habitat on the surface of the planet, providing a home to 40% of all life on earth. It is an incredibly beautiful and dynamic place but, due to its inaccessibility, remains almost completely unexplored. Canopy Access Limited, the team that helped David Attenborough ascend into the canopy for Life of Mammals, Life in the Undergrowth and Planet Earth series, will be on site to provide access to the canopy for the science teams two days a week. For the rest of the time, the team will be at Base Camp or Santo Tomas (at both places each week), running a half-day course on safe ascent into the canopy. Note that if you are working at one of the fly camps or in Buenos Aires, you will still have access to the sites where the Canopy Access teams are based. This course costs £80 (approx. $130) and gives you the opportunity to ascend high up into the canopy. You do not need to choose the Canopy Access Experience as one of your options when booking with Opwall – you can do this as an optional extra as part of your weeks on site. You will need to pre-book with Canopy Access Limited by emailing alisonaldred@yahoo.co.uk. Payments can only be taken on-site in cash.
HM003 DNA Field Sampling Course (Weeks 2 - 7) An important aspect of modern conservation biology is incorporating genetic information (from DNA and RNA) into biodiversity studies. Most molecular biology activities are limited to a sterile lab. However, this course takes advantage of recent technical developments to combine fieldwork with an on-site field genetics lab. During this course, students will receive lectures on DNA structure, DNA extraction, and the use of genetic studies in conservation biology with specific reference to the use of inter-simple sample repeats (ISSR) to identify genetic variation in populations. Volunteers on this week-long course will collect plant or animal samples (e.g. amphibian skin swabs) and bring them back to the lab to transfer the DNA onto FTA Whatman cards. DNA will then be amplified with relevant primers using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and visualised using gel electrophoresis. The results of the gels form different samples can then be compared to investigate genetic differences. The course will involve periods of down-time while waiting for the PCR to run and students are welcome to join the biodiversity monitoring teams during these times. No prior knowledge is needed.
HU004 Utila PADI Open Water Dive Training (Weeks 1 - 8) HC005 Cayo Menor PADI Open Water Dive Training (Weeks 5 - 10) This one-week course is a prerequisite to any diving project. Open Water dive training is free to Operation Wallacea volunteers except for the costs of the PADI registration card ($30) and the Open Water Crew Pack, both of which you need to bring with you. Completion of this course will give you an internationally recognised diving qualification and enable you to join general diving projects accompanied by a Divemaster. The course can be done on Utila (HU004), or on Cayo Menor (HC005).
Additional Dive Training (Weeks 1 - 10) Additional dive training beyond Open Water level is available on Utila and can be fitted around your work on other projects so you do not need to specify the additional courses on your options list. Courses include Advanced Open Water Diver ($220), Emergency First Response ($150) or Rescue Diver ($400 - includes Emergency First Response). Note that these extra courses may not be available at all times, and enrolment may depend on the number of people wanting the training.
HU006 Utila Divemaster Training (Weeks 1 - 4) Divemaster training is available free to Operation Wallacea volunteers, but you have to set aside 4 weeks, and will complete your internship during that time. If you complete your DM training with Opwall then in future years you will be given the first option on available DM slots available at Opwall marine sites. Before booking this course you need to be a Rescue Diver and have at least 60 logged dives.
HU007 Utila Caribbean Reef Ecology (Weeks 1 - 8) HC008 Cayos Cochinos Caribbean Reef Ecology (Weeks 5 - 10) (Need to be dive trained if you intend to dive for the practical elements of this course) This one-week course is a prerequisite for joining many of the reef research projects and is free for Operation Wallacea volunteers. The course teaches identification of common genera and species of coral and other macro-invertebrates, identification of the major reef-associated fish families and common species and introduces a variety of methods and practices used for scientific research in the marine environment.
Research options
HM101 Monitoring Biodiversity Change in Key Taxa (Weeks 2 - 8; need to have completed HM001) Operation Wallacea has established an annual monitoring programme for the Cusuco National Park that includes standardised monitoring of habitat and a number of taxa from 145 sites across the Park to assess changes in the structure of the forest and how these changes are impacting the target taxa (amphibians, reptiles, birds, bats, dung beetles, jewel scarab beetles, Sphingidae and Saturnidae moths, and bromeliad-associated invertebrates). These monitoring data are combined with analysis of satellite imagery to produce an annual ‘State of the Cusuco National Park’ report. Volunteers can do multiple weeks of this option, which gives the opportunity to visit camps at different altitudes where the fauna are very different. Although there are a number of research scientists at each camp and it is possible to work on a range of projects during the week, it is better if you can concentrate on helping the researchers on one taxonomic group for most of your time in order to gain more in-depth understanding and develop specialist skills. If concentrating on one group, you can still join other teams when you are free. Activities include helping to set up and empty invertebrate pitfall traps, light traps, searches for tarantulas, performing timed searches with the herpetofauna team, point counts and mist netting with the bird team, forest structure and botany surveys, and mist netting with the bat team. For those who have a high level of fitness and a lot of stamina, an additional option is to join the large mammal monitoring team. The large mammal monitoring project involves searching the park for signs of large mammals, including tracks, vocalisations and faecal matter. The main focus is on Baird’s Tapir, classified Endangered by the IUCN, but to date the team has found evidence of 15 different large mammal species, including small cats, wild pigs and deer. Multi-season analysis using presence/absence data will help to evaluate population changes in response to hunting, habitat change and management policy. Note if you want to specialise in bats and learn how to handle the animals, you will need a full course of rabies vaccinations before joining the expedition.
HM102 Conservation Management with Cusuco Buffer Zone Communities (Weeks 2 - 8; need to have completed HM001) The United Nations’ REDD programme (Reducing carbon Emission and forest Degradation in Developing countries) has indicated that economic investment in forest communities is an important part of successful forest conservation in addition to forest protection and biodiversity monitoring. There are numerous buffer zone communities in Cusuco National Park and the primary source of income for all communities is agriculture. The main cash crop grown is coffee. Since 2008, Operation Wallacea has been collecting economic and agricultural data from the community of Buenos Aires as a means of assessing production levels and sustainability of coffee farms and local agricultural knowledge. In 2012, Operation Wallacea has organized for the Honduran Coffee Institute (IHCAFE) to visit Buenos Aires and provide agricultural training and technical assistance to improve farm sustainability. Research assistants working on this project will be responsible for conducting detailed habitat surveys on each farm to assess current levels of shade cover, planting patterns, tree diversity, coffee plant health and coffee production. These data will then be used in conjunction with the recommendations from IHCAFE to determine the most important factors that need improving on each of the coffee farms.
HL103 Howler Monkey Ecology and Behaviour (Weeks 2 - 8; need to have completed HM001) The primate survey teams are based in the lowland Rancho Manacal, outside Cusuco National Park. There is a small area of forest here with strict protection policy to safeguard primate populations within the property. There are eight different troops of howler monkeys within the forest and the howler monkey population level in Manacal is extremely high in relation to population densities at other sites. This allows intensive, detailed studies of primate behaviour, activity budgets, diet, vocalisation and troop interaction. Research assistants will be involved in GPS mapping of howler monkey home ranges, habitat assessment, identifying preferred food sources and collection of vocalisation data. Through observation of the monkeys, you will gain an understanding of behavioural data collection methods. In addition, you will be able to help the researchers with behavioural data collection of monkey troops.
HM104 Amphibian Surveys (Weeks 2 - 8; need to have completed HM001 and have a high level of fitness) The single most important reason for the need for effective conservation of the Cusuco National Park is the importance of this cloud forest for amphibians. There are 6 species of amphibians found only in the Cusuco Park comprising two tree frogs (Plectrohyla exquisita & Plectrohyla dasypus), one bromeliad frog (Isthmohyla melacaena), two arboreal salamanders (Bolitoglossa diaphora & Cryptotriton nasalis) and one ground dwelling salamander (Oedipina thomasi). In addition, there are another 10 species that are found in Cusuco but which are endangered under the IUCN categories. Of these, two tree frogs (Duellmanohyla soralia & Bromeliohyla bromeliacea) have their largest remaining populations in Cusuco, two tree frogs (Craugastor coffeus & Ecinimiohyla salvaje) and one salamander (Nototriton barbouri) are known from only one other site other than Cusuco. To add even greater urgency, these small populations are now under threat of infection from amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis), which is causing catastrophic amphibian population declines throughout Mesoamerica. Chytrid fungus appears to have reached the Park at least 15 years ago and has caused significant declines in these isolated mountain top amphibians. Data are urgently needed to identify the distributions of each of the cloud forest amphibian species and the catchments in which each occur. Surveyors on this project will be trekking up rivers to survey frog and salamander species in a range of remote sites to obtain as complete a coverage of the Park as possible. This will involve day time surveys for tadpoles and night time river treks to complete spotlight surveys and to listen for calls. The position of trees with bromeliad frogs calling will be marked and the Canopy Access team organised to climb the trees to recover bromeliad frogs. All amphibians sampled will be swabbed for the presence of chytrid fungus.
HB105 Comparison of the Utila and Cayos Cochinos Reefs (Utila: Weeks 2 - 5 and Cayos Cochinos: Weeks 6 - 10; need to have completed the reef ecology course HU007 or HC008 and be dive trained)
Operation Wallacea has been conducting an annual monitoring program
of the reefs around the Cayos Cochinos Islands and Utila for the
last few years using the standardised Underwater Visual Census
technique. This technique involves trained surveyors counting fish
within an imaginary box 2.5m above the transect tape and 2.5m either
side. However, this technique has a number of drawbacks: it relies
on the surveyor's ability to accurately identify fish encountered
which varies annually, there is no record of the counts other
HB107 Research Assistant Pool (Utila: Weeks 2 - 8 and Cayos Cochinos: Weeks 5 - 10; need to have completed the reef ecology course HU007 or HC008 and be dive trained if you wish to participate in the dive-based projects) There are several different dissertation and thesis level projects ongoing within the Cayos Cochinos and Utila. These projects involve studying a specific element of the marine environment in extensive detail, either through diving, snorkelling or kayaking. Projects include highly detailed benthic surveys, sea urchin and conch distribution and ecology studies, seagrass and mangrove system ecology, and several others. All these projects require extensive data collection and Research Assistants are always needed to help. Research assistants joining this project can volunteer their time to help with projects they are interested in and will gain valuable insights into the specific research topic they cover.
HU108 State of the Utila Mangrove Forest Ecosystem (Weeks 2 - 8; need to have completed the reef ecology course HU007 or HC008) Although Utila still has a series of lagoons and canals surrounded by extensive mangrove systems, these mangroves are rapidly being lost to development and are in various states of damage. Most studies on mangrove systems have compared their function by contrasting areas with and without mangroves. However, as mangroves become increasingly damaged how does this affect their functionality in sediment stabilisation and as a fish nursery? A monitoring programme is being completed annually from replicate samples in mangrove lagoons around the island with varying levels of damage to the trees and organic pollution loadings. Surveys include assessing the effect on sediment stabilisation from determining water content using a muffle furnace, setting, baiting and emptying fish fry traps, quantifying the health of mangroves from the percentage of stems reaching the sediment and size and abundance of leaves at the end of each branch and assessing how organic pollution loadings affect the epibiont and mobile invertebrate communities in the roots. Research assistants will use kayaks to paddle around the lagoons and access the mangroves including remote parts of the island inaccessible from the land.
HC109 Boa, Ctenosaur and Anole Population Monitoring (Weeks 5 - 10) One of the main reasons the Cayos Cochinos have protected status is the presence of an endemic pink-coloured boa constrictor known as the Hog Island Boa. The snake is found only on the Cayos Cochinos Islands and has been heavily collected in the past for the pet trade. A long term study of the population and their basic biology (feeding, growth rates, habitat selection) is being completed. Volunteers are involved in sweep surveys across the island to help with capturing snakes that are then measured, sexed and have a pit tag injected into them so that re-captures in future years can be used to assess population size, growth and mortality rates. A similar study is also underway with the ctenosaurs, with specimens being captured using noose and poles. In addition, during some weeks there are studies of the adaptations of the two anole species found on Cayos Cochinos to changing temperatures using sprint speeds as a proxy for fitness. As a volunteer, you will be involved in all aspects of the project and should expect to be out in the field for between 6-7 hours per day. This is a physically demanding project and you should have a high level of fitness in order to contribute fully.
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