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| School for Field Studies | |
|---|---|
| Name | School for Field Studies |
| Formation | 1980 |
| Type | Nonprofit educational organization |
| Headquarters | Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| Region served | International |
| Leader title | President |
| Leader name | Andrew Shadie |
School for Field Studies is an international study abroad institution specializing in environmental field research and experiential learning. Founded in 1980, it operates networked field programs and research centers focusing on conservation biology, climate change, sustainable development, and natural resource management. Programs emphasize long-term ecological monitoring, community-based conservation, and policy-relevant science training with partnerships across academic, governmental, and nongovernmental organizations.
The organization began with programs inspired by models such as Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Early leadership included collaborations with personalities and institutions like Jane Goodall, E. O. Wilson, David Attenborough, Rachel Carson, and Paul Ehrlich who influenced curriculum design and conservation priorities. In the 1980s and 1990s it expanded into regions represented by United Nations Environment Programme, World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, and The Nature Conservancy, aligning field methods with standards from International Union for Conservation of Nature and protocols such as those from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Subsequent decades saw integration of remote sensing advances from National Aeronautics and Space Administration, genetic tools popularized by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and community-based approaches associated with Amnesty International-linked human rights frameworks. Institutional milestones included recognition by accreditation bodies like New England Commission of Higher Education and partnerships with universities such as University of California, Berkeley, University of Cambridge, University of Cape Town, and McGill University.
Field stations are located across continents in ecosystems comparable to those studied at Galápagos National Park, Serengeti National Park, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Amazon Rainforest, and Himalayan National Park. Notable sites include marine centers modeled after Friday Harbor Laboratories, tropical stations analogous to Barro Colorado Island, arid-zone centers reflecting Australian Outback Research Station practices, and temperate research hubs akin to Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory. Each station maintains logistical and academic links with regional authorities like Kenya Wildlife Service, Costa Rican Ministry of Environment and Energy, Government of Thailand, and Peruvian Ministry of Culture to support permitting, field safety, and community liaison. Facilities often incorporate laboratories, classrooms, GIS suites influenced by Esri, and vessels comparable to those used by Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.
Programs combine methods from field training traditions exemplified by Royal Geographical Society, Marine Biological Laboratory, Campbell Scientific, and laboratory standards seen at Max Planck Society. Curricula include courses in conservation biology, ecological statistics, marine ecology, and environmental policy with syllabi cross-referenced to texts by authors like Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace, Rachel Carson, and E. O. Wilson. Semester, summer, and intensive modules are partnered with home institutions such as Harvard University, University of Oxford, Yale University, and University of Melbourne for credit transfer and articulation. Pedagogy emphasizes field protocols used by BirdLife International, IUCN Red List, and genetic barcoding approaches inspired by Barcode of Life Data Systems.
Research themes align with global efforts led by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Convention on Biological Diversity, Ramsar Convention, and CITES. Projects have addressed coral reef resilience in collaboration with groups like Reef Check, mangrove restoration similar to initiatives by Mangrove Action Project, reforestation projects paralleling Eden Reforestation Projects, and wildlife monitoring akin to programs by Zoological Society of London. Long-term ecological datasets feed into modeling efforts used by IPCC authors and are published in journals similar to Nature, Science, Conservation Biology, and Journal of Applied Ecology. Student-led capstone research has supported protected-area management for entities like World Heritage Committee sites and informed policy dialogues hosted by United Nations Development Programme.
Student experiences mirror immersive programs from Outward Bound, Peace Corps, Fulbright Program, and Rotary International exchanges, blending fieldwork, community engagement, and cross-cultural immersion. Outreach includes environmental education workshops modeled on Project Learning Tree, citizen science campaigns akin to eBird and iNaturalist, and public lectures in collaboration with museums and centers such as American Museum of Natural History and Field Museum of Natural History. Safety and ethics training references standards from Society for Conservation Biology and compliance with protocols like those of American Anthropological Association for community research.
The nonprofit board and executive leadership engage with funders and partners including foundations like Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and MacArthur Foundation, and collaborate with multilateral agencies such as World Bank and Asian Development Bank. Financial oversight follows nonprofit best practices comparable to those advocated by Council on Foundations and auditing standards used by American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Strategic partnerships with universities, governmental agencies, and NGOs enable scholarship programs, sponsored research, and capacity-building grants.
Category:Field research organizations