Conservation Paleoecology at the La Brea Tar Pits, Los Angeles CA – Institute for Field Research

Location: Los Angeles, CA, US

Season: June 17, 2019 to July 12, 2019

Application Deadline: April 5, 2019

Deadline Type: Rolling

Website: http://ifrglobal.org/program/us-ca-la-brea-tar-pits/

Program Type:
Field school

RPA Certified:
no

Affiliation:
Institute for Field Research, Connecticut College, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, La Brea Tar Pits and Museum

Project Director:
Dr. Emily Lindsey

Project Description:

The La Brea Tar Pits is one of the only fossil sites on earth that captures an entire ecosystem moving through time. With millions of datable fossils covering the last 50,000 years, and comprising everything from plants and insects to dire wolves and mammoths, this site offers an unparalleled opportunity to answer questions about long-term effects of climate change, human activities, and extinction on ecosystems. Students in this course will be trained in paleontological excavation, fossil preparation, and museum curation, and will learn how paleontological data are being used today to manage for future change.

Period(s) of Occupation: Pleistocene

Project Size: 1-24 participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: Participants must stay for duration of the field school.

Minimum Age: 18

Experience Required: No prior experience is required to participate in this field school.

Room and Board Arrangements:
Students are responsible for their own accommodations. Students will also be responsible for providing their own food, including lunches. Students should plan to bring a bag lunch to the field site each day (refrigerator and microwave are available in the staff kitchen) or may purchase food at local restaurants, food trucks, or the weekly farmers’ market during their lunch hour. A limited number of housing stipends will be available to help defray housing costs for non-local students. Cost: Cost may vary depending on preferences of the participants.

Academic Credit:
8 Semester Credits credits offered by Connecticut College. Tuition is $3,105.