Behind the Scenes of Hunting for Caterpillars

  United States

New Orleans

Dates: see website for details

Description: Research Mission:
Help examine how caterpillars and parasites react to severe weather events like the hurricanes of 2005.

Situation Report
Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana--Hurricane Katrina dramatically changed the cultural and natural history of Louisiana, and it will take years before we really understand the full impact of this dramatic weather event. Dr. Lee Dyer (Tulane University) has been compiling, with colleagues, data on the effects of extreme weather events on caterpillar populations for ten years (for more information, see our longer Forest Caterpillar expedition). Now, New Orleans has been subjected to an extreme weather event that is a direct test of his predictions.

Meals and Accommodations
You will provide your own accommodations, choosing from among the rebuilt hotels in New Orleans. Find your own favorite breakfast spot before meeting the team at the university, and try some of the many local restaurants for dinner. Lunches will be provided by the project, including soups, salads, and sandwiches, as well as two team dinners and one breakfast.

Highlights: You can help collect caterpillars in ecosystems that were damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and rear them in order to measure parasitism rates. You will also care for colonies of caterpillars and parasitoids that Dyer and his colleagues are using in climate change research. And, you will help Dyer rebuild his collection of reared insects by restoring a greenhouse that was damaged by the hurricanes, do some simple chemical analysis, and help update the Forest Caterpillar database.

Cost in US$: 746

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to United States Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 2-4

Application Process Involves:

• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records

Earthwatch Institute's Mission Statement: Earthwatch Institute engages people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. Through a unique method of funding, the volunteers Share of Cost contributes directly to the support of the research projects. Earthwatch enables scientists to pursue research goals and members of the public to gain hands-on experience with science. Each year, over 4,000 people from 46 countries directly contribute to scientific research by working alongside scientists, local community members and other volunteers. Earthwatch volunteers can track sea turtles; join archaeological digs; observe animal behavior; collect rare plants, study dolphin behavior and more. The Earthwatch community also includes 20,000 global members, 4,000 eager volunteers each year, 50 collaborating conservation organizations, and 50 corporate partners, all of whom work together to make a difference. Below you will find out more about our leadership, employment opportunities, and contact information.

Year Founded: 1971