Recently I helped at the Study Abroad Fair on the University of Arizona mall on October 10th, which highlighted numerous opportunities to study abroad… in Australia/New Zealand, Europe, Japan, South America, etc.

Later that evening I heard about this unique first time Primate Studies Field School in Rwanda in Central East Africa. Let by seasoned faculty Dr. Dieter Steklis (Ph.D in Anthropology from U Cal Berkeley) and his wife Netzin (M.A. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from Princeton), the field school entails a month (July 1 to 29, 2011) camping or staying in hotels and visiting Akagera National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park, Volcanoes National Park, Ruhengeri, and Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali.

The Skeklis couple have been conducting research on primates (especially the mountain gorilla) in Africa for 20 years. Their website is www.wild-minds.org with more information about their research and the field school.

Program highlights (from their brochure):
–Follow and observe in the wild several rare monkey and ape species
–Walk in Dian Fossey‘s footsteps while collecting date on mountain gorillas
–Take in Rwanda’s scenic beauty– Africa’s “little Switzerland”
–Explore Rwanda’s cultural heritage and experience one of Africa’s mostly progressive nations

“Students will go on adventure treks to observe gorilla families and golden monkeys on the slopes of the extinct Virunga volcanoes, follow groups of chimpanzees, black and white colobus and guenon monkeys in an afro-alpine jungle, and go on Safari to watch wildfire and study troops of baboons and vervet monkeys in a savanna setting.”

University students (and older adults as non-degree) can earn up to 6 credits, and the cost of the program includes meals, housing, entrance fees, in-country transportation, & insurance.

If this sounds like something you always dreamed of doing, contact the UA Study Abroad office, www.studyabroad.arizona.edu, or Dr .Steklis at steklis@email.arizona.edu, or Netzin at nsteklis@email.arizona.edu. Their phone # is 520-621-7572.

Or attend the upcoming session:
November 17, 2010
Office of Study Abroad and Student Exchange
Information Session: Primate Studies Field School in Rwanda
Student Union Memorial Center, Santa Cruz Room
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Harmony DeFazio, defazioh@email.arizona.edu, 520-626-6039

Deadline to apply is February 15, 2011.