*The Toucan Ridge Bird Observatory, located at the COVID Safe Gold Standard approved T.R.E.E.S Research Center in the Maya Mountains of Belize, is hosting bi-annual Bird Banding Apprenticeship Programs. During this Apprenticeship you will learn how to set-up mist-nets, extract passerine birds from mist-nets, learn proper bird banding techniques, learn how to I.D., age and sex resident birds as well as Neotropical migrants, learn proper data entry, and more. In addition to the field work the Apprenticeship comes with 2 lectures on bird banding methodology as well as a lecture on Ageing and Sexing and hours of training. The main banding instructor is a North American Banding Council certified Trainer with over 20 years of experience in the field. You will also have the opportunity to work with other experienced banders and other apprentices from around the world. Apprentices will also have the opportunity to learn additional avian monitoring techniques, as well as methodologies to study other wildlife species, including turtle radio-telemetry and bat mist-netting.
Fees for a 4-6 Week Apprenticeship: $499 US/week which includes all tutorship, access to all required equipment, all meals Monday through Sunday, and lodging at the research center in shared dormitory-style cabins with other same sex interns/apprentices/volunteers. Fees do not include airport transfer, flights, or travel medical insurance.
Dates for the Apprenticeship: for more information on dates of internships, please contact us at info@treesociety.org
Schedule: Banding runs every day Monday through Sunday, from 5:30 am until 11:00 am. Other wildlife monitoring projects occur during the day (turtle radio-telemetry in 3 hour sessions, at least once weekly) and in the evening (bat mist-netting, dusk to 11:00 pm, nightly). Apprentices are welcome to travel to visit other locations in Belize on weekends if they desire, however no refunds on food and lodging will be available if the apprentice decides to leave the station.
Prior Experience: No prior banding experience required however experience handling wildlife and knowledge of bird biology and identification preferred. However, experienced bird banders are also welcome and will be treated according to their experience level and are eligible for *discounted rates (up to $150 US less per week).
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For more information on our partner organization and their facilities please visit the website: www.treesociety.org
