Overview

The Crocodile Research Coalition (CRC) Wildlife Research, Education and Conservation (WREC) Course is to provide young and upcoming scientists and conservationists an experience to further build a foundation in wildlife conservation, research and management. Although our focus of research is on crocodiles, we conduct research on various wildlife in crocodilian habitat, such as conducting population and behavior surveys of howler and spider monkeys.


Why Choose Us:

Courses are organized and led by Dr. Marisa Tellez who is internationally recognized in the scientific and conservation community for her work in herpetology, specifically crocodilians. These courses are based off of her 17 years of experience working as a field scientist, as well as a member and the subregional chair of Central American and the Caribbean for the IUCN/SSC-Crocodile Specialist Group. These courses are to provide young and current scientists and conservationists a strong foundation in wildlife research and conservation.

Students will be provided presentations from CRC staff to provide background work in research, and how to conduct effective educational outreach that makes a positive change between communities and wildlife. Students will take what they learn from presentations into the field that will include conducting field research related to crocodiles, as well as adjacent wildlife, utilizing various fields in science (i.e., population biology, ecology, parasitology, eco-toxicology, phylogenetics, etc.).

Additionally, students will engage in at least one educational outreach event to learn our effective methodology to garner community support in wildlife conservation. Students will also get to understand about crocodilian husbandry and behavior, assisting us with our croc ambassadors at our facility. All students will receive a certificate of completion, as well as can utilize our program for reference letters in their career.

What you’ll gain:

Students will experience one-on-one mentorship on how to conduct scientific research, and how to interpret such data for conservation and management purposes. Students will also be exposed to how to conduct community outreach in a manner that has been proven to be successful in furthering community perception of coexistence with wildlife. Our course provides a strong foundation through experience and utilizing equipment for those interested in pursuing a career in conservation and scientific research.

Courses are set up in a 2-week session or 4-week session. We have six course sessions each year, and each session has a different focus (please note primate research is year-round). Students who are interested in staying more than 4 weeks can be mentored in creating a research project that is attainable to complete during their stay. We will work with students to gather and analyze data for potential publication following their internship.

For more information on the WREC courses please head to our website:  https://crocodileresearchcoalition.org/ways-to-join-us

For those interested in a less-intense and shorter experience with the CRC, please check out our volunteer program or virtual internship!

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About Crocodile Research Coalition

The Crocodile Research Coalition (CRC) is a Belize-based nonprofit, established in January 2016, that seeks to preserve crocodiles and their environments throughout Central America and the Caribbean to ensure the long-term sustainability of biodiversity in the region. We believe the success of our conservation efforts parallels the involvement and support from local communities, thus we are continuously working alongside with local communities and partner organizations to empower people with the knowledge of co-existence and sustainable practices to ensure the survival of crocodiles and well-being of the communities that live beside them. Our outreach also incorporates working with the local and national governments, utilizing our research to better inform policy decisions regarding wildlife and their habitat (= translational ecology).