Joining Real Expeditions?

[BlueZ]

This might be a silly topic as a first post, but I would really like some well-informed and helpful advice. As my topic indicated, I am looking for real expeditions to join:

 

I have a degree in philosophy and am soon starting my PhD, and for various reasons and due to my somewhat versatile background, I am somewhat of a mixed soup of skills; from quantitative and qualitative research (social sciences) to philosophy and theory of science (both natural and social), some explorations in marine biology, archeology and earth sciences, environmentalist activism, to professional photography and writing as well as in proper development and humanitarian work in the South, and having travelled in over 60 countries in the developing world, I am thinking whether there might be a "small niche" for me to join a real-life expedition - not one of those where you pay 3000usd for an 'expedition' and get a photo of you on a canopy in Australia, but a proper scientific/journalistic/adventure expedition that would benefit from my mix of skills.

 

The motivation is no less a cliché than the classic thrill of truly off-the-beaten-track adventuring that I could do in a stimulating project with a qualified team of experts, and to a truly remote place otherwise difficult to access for normal travelers. I have photographed and written in a couple of dozen developing countries, and have already gathered the usual assortment of off-the-beaten track experiences from deserts to canopies and from scuba diving to mountain trekking, and am now looking for a road even less travelled.

 

Being a science nerd not unlike you all here, I am into all kinds of sciences from geology and botanics to archeology and anthropology, and would not hesitate to do research on anything from Amazonian caterpillars to remote indigenous communities in Papua. Having studied sciences enough to assist in e.g. collection and analysis of data or specimen, or simply documenting and reporting findings, or even just writing and photographing the expedition, I believe I would have something to offer to a team in an expedition. The question is: what? and where? and how?

 

I have tried googling some scientific societies, but many of the ones I found that do offer expeditions, cost thousands of dollars! The National Geographic occasionally invites people to expeditions, and you can apply for funding for your own project if you have the skills, the project proposal and a proper team of experts, but even then there's little chance you'd get financed, and it would be good to collect experience anyway in expeditions, prior to planning your own one.

 

So any tips? Any true expeditions where a bundle of somewhat useless and somewhat useful skills could be of assistance? It could be on a volunteer- or an employed basis, that is not the issue. I am just slightly skeptical of all those expeditions with a hefty price tag.

 

Sorry for the long opening, but any ideas? Experiences? Tips? Thank you!!!

[Arete]

This might be a silly topic as a first post, but I would really like some well-informed and helpful advice. As my topic indicated, I am looking for real expeditions to join:

 

I have a degree in philosophy and am soon starting my PhD, and for various reasons and due to my somewhat versatile background, I am somewhat of a mixed soup of skills; from quantitative and qualitative research (social sciences) to philosophy and theory of science (both natural and social), some explorations in marine biology, archeology and earth sciences, environmentalist activism, to professional photography and writing as well as in proper development and humanitarian work in the South, and having travelled in over 60 countries in the developing world, I am thinking whether there might be a "small niche" for me to join a real-life expedition - not one of those where you pay 3000usd for an 'expedition' and get a photo of you on a canopy in Australia, but a proper scientific/journalistic/adventure expedition that would benefit from my mix of skills.

 

The motivation is no less a cliché than the classic thrill of truly off-the-beaten-track adventuring that I could do in a stimulating project with a qualified team of experts, and to a truly remote place otherwise difficult to access for normal travelers. I have photographed and written in a couple of dozen developing countries, and have already gathered the usual assortment of off-the-beaten track experiences from deserts to canopies and from scuba diving to mountain trekking, and am now looking for a road even less travelled.

 

Being a science nerd not unlike you all here, I am into all kinds of sciences from geology and botanics to archeology and anthropology, and would not hesitate to do research on anything from Amazonian caterpillars to remote indigenous communities in Papua. Having studied sciences enough to assist in e.g. collection and analysis of data or specimen, or simply documenting and reporting findings, or even just writing and photographing the expedition, I believe I would have something to offer to a team in an expedition. The question is: what? and where? and how?

 

I have tried googling some scientific societies, but many of the ones I found that do offer expeditions, cost thousands of dollars! The National Geographic occasionally invites people to expeditions, and you can apply for funding for your own project if you have the skills, the project proposal and a proper team of experts, but even then there's little chance you'd get financed, and it would be good to collect experience anyway in expeditions, prior to planning your own one.

 

So any tips? Any true expeditions where a bundle of somewhat useless and somewhat useful skills could be of assistance? It could be on a volunteer- or an employed basis, that is not the issue. I am just slightly skeptical of all those expeditions with a hefty price tag.

 

Sorry for the long opening, but any ideas? Experiences? Tips? Thank you!!!

 

My PhD work involved fieldwork in the arid and monsoonal tropical regions of Australia, and my postdoc work involves collections in Uganda, Kenya and the DRC. My wife has biannual fieldwork in the Galapagos.

 

General advice -

 

1) The best part of being a natural scientist is going in the field. Particularly to exotic, off the beaten path locales. There's usually a reasonable smattering of volunteers who are also scientists, so I personally have never had to advertize beyond word of mouth around the department. Sometimes we put up flyers for a more labor/personnel intensive trip, sometimes I see field assistant positions advertized on evoldir. http://evol.mcmaster.ca/evoldir.html

 

Here's a recent one: http://evol.mcmaster.ca/~brian/evoldir/Jobs/UBern.FieldAssist.AvianEvolution

 

2) Because of this, I wouldn't expect to be paid - or at least paid well. I've never paid a field assistant I didn't have to (think government or tribal regulations...). I 've asked people to dig in 40 pit traps a day in rocky soil, in 40 degree C heat for two weeks straight, for their food/board and transport costs.

 

3) There's absolutely no room for tourists on a field trip. I will not take a person who's not a) capable of getting me out of my site with a broken leg (i.e. can you drive a 4wd with a manual gearbox off road, are you first aid qualified, can you use a sat phone/HF radio...) b) not fully aware that we will be working from dawn until after dark, every day c) going to be a liability.

 

Hope that helps.

Edited March 26, 2012 by Arete

[BlueZ]

My PhD work involved fieldwork in the arid and monsoonal tropical regions of Australia, and my postdoc work involves collections in Uganda, Kenya and the DRC. My wife has biannual fieldwork in the Galapagos.

 

General advice -

 

1) The best part of being a natural scientist is going in the field. Particularly to exotic, off the beaten path locales. There's usually a reasonable smattering of volunteers who are also scientists, so I personally have never had to advertize beyond word of mouth around the department. Sometimes we put up flyers for a more labor/personnel intensive trip, sometimes I see field assistant positions advertized on evoldir. http://evol.mcmaster.ca/evoldir.html

 

2) Because of this, I wouldn't expect to be paid - or at least paid well. I've never paid a field assistant I didn't have to (think government or tribal regulations...). I 've asked people to dig in 40 pit traps a day in rocky soil, in 40 degree C heat for two weeks straight, for their food/board and transport costs.

 

3) There's absolutely no room for tourists on a field trip. I will not take a person who's not a) capable of getting me out of my site with a broken leg (i.e. can you drive a 4wd with a manual gearbox off road, are you first aid qualified, can you use a sat phone/HF radio...) b) not fully aware that we will be working from dawn until after dark, every day c) going to be a liability.

 

Hope that helps.

 

 

Thank you Arete, your answer did help! For 1), I guess I should consider contacting universities to find out more, and to gain access to word of mouth.

For 2) Yup, me neither, and I would be happy even with just board and transport.

For 3) I have driven 4WD with manual gearbox off road, am advanced first aid and basic fire management qualified, a certified security officer (among other things) and trained for hostile environments and natural disasters, and have used sat phone and VHF/HF radio several times. I'm not kidding. But of course I would not qualify as a true security professional or medic.

 

But thanks for the tips, perhaps I will find something through universities then! Many thanks and have a good week!

 

BlueZ

 

P.S. I've also been to Central Australia, DRC, Uganda and Kenya, among others. Still haven't been to Galapagos though!

Edited March 26, 2012 by BlueZ

[Arete]

Thank you Arete, your answer did help!

 

No worries - sounds like you have some useful skills and experience - keep an eye out on evoldir and http://www.conservationjobboard.com/Category/ecology-jobs

 

One other thing to consider - especially in relation to trips to exotic locales is the current, deliberate and strong move away from so called "safari science" in which a team of scientists from a developed nation go into a developing region, collect what they want and leave. In favor of this is the formation of real and ongoing collaborations with local institutions and the use of locals wherever possible. The best chance you have of being involved in exciting field research is to embark on your own!

[BlueZ]

No worries - sounds like you have some useful skills and experience - keep an eye out on evoldir and http://www.conservat...ry/ecology-jobs

 

One other thing to consider - especially in relation to trips to exotic locales is the current, deliberate and strong move away from so called "safari science" in which a team of scientists from a developed nation go into a developing region, collect what they want and leave. In favor of this is the formation of real and ongoing collaborations with local institutions and the use of locals wherever possible. The best chance you have of being involved in exciting field research is to embark on your own!

 

Thanks Arete for the chin up! As a development worker I am all in favor of participatory and inclusive approaches that promote local ownership and empowerment, and am happy to hear the same is in the natural sciences nowadays. So I guess I'm gonna forget about adventuring as a 'research assistant to a botanic professor in the Amazon basin' or 'monitoring primates in Africa', and instead stay within my 'own' territory, that is, rural development and peace building in post-conflict settings. It may not have exactly the same flavor as going on a scientific expedition to Antarctica to study climate change, but it is pretty much as exciting.

 

I do sometimes think though, if I should have started researching caterpillars or become a glaciologist, but oh well, I do love development as well! And perhaps one day I'll plan one of those NG project proposals and start my own expedition, who knows.

 

Have a g'day mate! o/

[Arete]

Thanks Arete for the chin up!

 

Just in case you missed the edit I put up before. Hard to go past researching great tits in the Swiss alps <pun totally intended>.

 

 

 

http://evol.mcmaster.ca/~brian/evoldir/Jobs/UBern.FieldAssist.AvianEvolution

 

Job: UBern.FieldAssist.AvianEvolution Field assistants in evolutionary ecology of Great tits (Parus major), Switzerland I am looking for two enthusiastic field assistants for the upcoming field season (1st of April until end of June 2012) to join my project investigating the relationship between begging behavior and oxidative stress in great tits. The fieldwork will take place in a forest near Bern. I will require field assistants to help with all aspects of the work, including nest checks, ringing and taking body measures of the birds, recording the nests and some smaller amount of lab work. Experience in fieldwork and bird handling would be an advantage. Since we will work many hours in the forest in all weather conditions, motivation is very important. Applicants should speak English fluently and have a driving license. Travel expenses and accommodation will be paid, additionally; the field assistants will receive approximately 900 Swiss Francs per month to cover their expenses. Applications should include a CV and a short letter of motivation. Please send your application to: Lea Maronde (Evolutionary Ecology, University of Bern) E-mail: lea.maronde@iee.unibe.ch "Maronde, Lea (IEE)" <lea.maronde@iee.unibe.ch>

[BlueZ]

Oh thanks, I did miss the edit!! I will look into the tits! Cheers!