Your time in the course is split between daytime theory and nighttime fieldwork, reflecting how real crocodilian research is conducted.

Nighttime Fieldwork 

Most nights are spent on the river conducting active surveys and captures.

Activities Include:

• Boat-based nocturnal caiman spotlight surveys on Amazonian rivers and waterways
• Training in eye-shine detection, species identification, and size-class estimation
• Rotating student roles: observer, data recorder, GPS operator, spotlight assistant, and survey lead
• Night-time river navigation, boat communication, and hazard awareness
• Supervised approach techniques for caiman during surveys
• Practical training in safe riverbank approaches and controlled water-entry simulations
• Instructor-led demonstrations of caiman capture decision-making
• Supervised assistance with capture, restraint, processing, and release when appropriate
• Field practice with hand-capture techniques for smaller individuals and noose-based methods for larger animals
• Real-time data collection on caiman location, habitat, size class, behavior, and human disturbance
• Week 1 alternates between formal surveys and practical night-training sessions
• Week 2 includes surveys every night to maximize field experience and skill development

On a typical night, the team may sample 10-20 individuals, primarily spectacled caiman, with dwarf caiman and rare black caiman encounters.

This work contributes directly to Hoja Nueva’s multi-year population dataset.

Daytime Training & Lectures

During the day, participants receive structured instruction covering both theory and applied field science:

• Morning lectures focused on caiman biology, ecology, behavior, physiology, and conservation
• Afternoon practical sessions designed to turn lecture topics into field skills
• Crocodilian anatomy, stress, welfare, and safe handling principles
• Survey design, transect planning, GPS use, and habitat mapping
• Noose construction, capture gear preparation, and equipment checks
• Dry-land handling drills using models, ropes, bags, measuring tools, and processing stations
• PIT-tagging theory, scanner use, data recording, and sample-labeling practice
• Morphometric data collection, photography standards, and field processing workflow
• Data management, cleaning, mapping, and basic analysis of course survey results
• Threat assessment, conflict mitigation, community education, and coexistence strategies
• Practical conservation planning for long-term caiman monitoring programs
• Final student-led field planning, skills review, and applied conservation capstone

Each topic is directly linked to the fieldwork participants are conducting.