In April through August 1971, five Graduate Fellows of The Rockefeller University, together with three faculty instructors, embarked on a remarkable and highly impactful Field Course in Animal Behavior, in Uganda. The course required months of seminars in preparation for the trip, and was followed by many more months of seminars to present the research results obtained during the course. The participants in the course conducted field research projects in two habitats: in the rain forest in Kanyawara, near Fort Portal, and in the Queen Elizabeth National Park, the most popular savanna park in Uganda. The instructors of the course included Professor Peter Marler, Head of Laboratory; Thomas Struhsaker, who was then an Assistant Professor and a pioneering resident field primatologist in Uganda; and advanced Graduate Fellow Steven Green, who had experience in expeditionary field research and was in the final stages of writing his PhD dissertation. The Field Course had an abiding and major impact on all of the participants and in 2011, at the time of the 40th anniversary of the course, they wrote down some reminiscences in a short book. The intent was to honor Peter Marler and his vision of this course that was a watershed, once-in-a-lifetime experience for everyone involved. The book was produced by Karen Minkowski, spouse of Steve Green and one of the course organizers, and given to Peter Marler as a gift.
Submissions from 2024
Memories Of The 1971 Field Course in Animal Behavior, Arnold Art