Testimonials

Frequently Asked Questions

History

FAT Courses

Environmental consulting services

Environmental consulting course

FAT Bird courses

FAT terrestrial plant courses

FAT Program

GIS certification course

Internship program & opportunities

Primate FAT Courses

Medicinal plant FAT Courses

FAT Courses in management/leadership

Nicaragua Ecology and Behaviour of primates courses

Costa Rica Ecology and Behaviour of primates courses

Rainforest Ecology course

International Ethnobotany course

Application form for all programs

Reference form and letter for all programs

Biological Field School

Aquatic/wetland Level 1 certification course

Aquatic/wetland Level 2 certification course

Biological Field School application form

Reference form and letter for Biological Field School

Workshops

Jobs

Financial aid

General Field Assistant Training (FAT) Program
FAT General Courses
Our classes are small so that the instructor may direct their attention to students 1 - 1. The General FAT program is divided into multiple courses to help people upgrade their skills in order to qualify for employment in the environmental industry. Students may concentrate on plant courses, bird courses, or combine courses to provide a broader prospective.

In order to qualify for internships through the Biological Field School and become full time students must enroll in a minimum of 3 courses. This will allow an instructor to work with you to improve your resume, cover letter, provide job finding strategies. It also places you on the list to receive weekly job postings so that you may start applying to suitable jobs immediately. Please choose from the following list of courses. If you wish to discuss courses with an instructor please contact us;

Ecology courses
Plant courses
Management courses

For a complete description of the core General FAT Program courses & specialty certification courses please download General FAT Program Courses

Level 1 General FAT bird course - $800.00 CAD
This course focuses on up to 20 families of birds commonly found in the eastern half of North America along with 17 songs and calls. It emphasizes common traits shared among bird families and how to visually recognize them based on these traits. It is the starting course for all other field ornithology course offered, including the specialty courses;

Unit #1: Field identification techniques - bird families
A review of 20 commonly found bird families in the eastern half of North America.

How to visually distinguish families

Unit #2: Census/survey methodology
Learn up to 8 commonly used census/survey techniques which field ornithologists utilize.

Field practicum on field survey/census methodology; advantages and disadvantages are examined

Level 2 FAT bird course - $700.00 CAD
This course focuses on learning how to positively field identify up to 18 genera of commonly found birds in the Carolinian, Mixed deciduous and Boreal forest zones of the eastern half of North America. This course also introduces students to 85 common songs and calls. Students will learn the status in the province and counties, distribution, clutch size, habitat, sexual dimorphism and dichromatism, age/sex class, departure/arrival times, molt limits, how to recognize hybrids and rare birds. Field sessions and tutorials are conducted by systematically covering all 39 genera and providing genus characteristics, differences and similarities between confusing genera, including Ontario Species at Risk (SARs).

Unit #1: Field identification techniques - bird genera
A review of 18 commonly found bird genera in the eastern half of North America.

How to visually distinguish genera

Unit #2: Field Identification Techniques; raptor genera
We will learn how to identify accipters, buteos, falcons, kites and eagles.

How to identify based on flight pattern, siloutte and size

Unit #3: Birding by song & call; the art of field identification by ear
Distinguishing birds by their primary song

Purchase your copy of our new book on the flora and fauna of the Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere Reserve
$27.50 CAD + shipping and handling

Photo: Dave Jolly
for more information please click on;

Bruce book