The Dominican Republic on island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean is one of the most spectacular Neotropical sites for Entomologists as well as other Zoologists. This island is the most diverse in the West Indies with a large number of endemic organisms. This is also true for insects in general basically butterflies and beetles. However, the phylogenetic relationships of the majority of endemic species of insects have not been investigated in detail. In addition, many groups of insect are poorly known. Therefore, I have decided to formalize my business in preparing scientific incursion and expedition as well as collecting trip to the Dominican Republic (DR, the eastern half of Hispaniola, the western being Haiti).
My service as Consulter Entomologist would be focus based on the needs and priorities of the researcher and the investigation according with the group of study. Therefore, I will offers technical advice, field assistant, logical support, preparation of scientific incursions, plan, itinerary, budget, collecting permit, export permit, vehicle, food, hotel reservation, driving among other matters. In addition, it is a mandatory requirement of the Dominican Environmental and Natural Resources Agency (Secretaría de Estado de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales) for all international research conducted and investigators to have a national counterpart. So, I serve as national counterpart. In summary, can plan, organize and execute your itinerary for your field trip in the Dominican for making your trip fully legitimate scientifically and making it successfully.
I am (Kelvin Guerrero) a local biologist with a good knowledge and expertise of habitats and localities of the insects mainly Lepidoptera and Coleoptera as well as other Arthropods of the Dominican Republic. Therefore, as a local and national counterpart (requirement mandatory of the Dominican Environmental and Natural Resources Agency) my experience is very valuable for your research since I have contacts with people throughout the country, have expertise on biology and the needs of biologists, and have common sense and problem solving skills on unexpected situations that arise.
Click here to Check: An article from News of the Lepidopterists´ Society Vol. 49, No. 1, talking about my service of the Entomological Expedition prepared by me
The most important of my service is: focusing based on the needs and priorities of the researcher and the investigation according with the group of study.
Services:
Plan and preparation of scientific incursions, itinerary and budget.
Technical Advisement and Field Assistant
Logistic support (vehicle, driving, guide, food, hotel reservation, etc.)
Acting as National Counterpart Investigator ( mandatory requirement of the Dominican Environmental and Natural Resources Agency)
Research and collecting permit
Export Permit
I specialized in the preparation of scientific expeditions with great knowledge and expertise of the habitats, localities and the natural history of the Dominican Republic. I have offered my services and conducted expedition with: The National Museum of Natural History-Smithsonian Institution, American Museum of Natural History, Museum of Comparative Zoology-Harvard University, Museo Nacional de Historia de Cuba, Cornell University, Montana State University, Stockholms Universitet, Instituut Voor Taxonomische Zoologie-Zoologisch Museum-Nederland and important researchers: E. O Wilson, Brial D. Farrell, Mike Ivie, Steven Lingafelter, H. P. Wagner among others. I have been offering such service since 1986.
In August of 2000 a National Law for the Environmental and Natural Resources was passed. This Law in its section No. 138 (article No. 138), prohibits any collecting of animals and plants in the Dominican territory without having a permit or authorization from the Dominican Environmental and Natural Resources Agency (Secretaría de Estado de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales). This authorization is given by the Undersecretary of Protected Areas and Biodiversity, which have created a document for the procedures to get the permit as well as the rules for conducting research and collecting specimens in the Dominican Republic. One of the rules is said: for all international research conducted and foreigner investigators must have a national counterpart. Therefore, I serve as national counterpart.
STEPS TO REQUEST RESEARCH AUTHORIZATION AND COLLECTING PERMIT FOR THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
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The research authorization and the collecting permit are free and you do not have to pay the entrance fee to national park that you would collect if you have your permit. Once you get your permit you have to get several copies, so you can hand over either to park administrator or park ranger on duty in the park ranger station of the national that are going to collect. NOTE: You have to show the original permit to them, but you must keep the original authorization with all the time.
Export Permit:
Another permit that you must get after you finish yours collecting work; it is the Export Permit to be able to get your specimens, already collected, out of the country. This permit is to comply with the CITES Convention, which the Dominican Republic has signed it. That would guarantee that the specimens that you are to take out of the country are not for business (commercialized them) purpose neither endanger species. Basically, would say that they would be used for scientific purpose. The steps and requirements for this permit are much simple than the collecting permit. The main requirement for this permit is to address a letter to the Wildlife and Biodiversity Director (Click here to see download and see a sample) and fill out the export permit form. (Click here to download the export permit form). In such letter you must give a detail of the collected species, amount of specimens by species, localities of collecting and attach a copy of your research authorization and collecting permit. To get the export permit takes two days.
Both permit are free you do not have to pay any fee.
Unfortunately, the Dominican Environmental and Natural Resources Agency would not grant any permit for collecting to the amateur collectors. The permit only would be granted to professional and academic investigator, which are conducted formal research or project, but they have to show their credentials and support letter.
Read and review your permit before going to the field. Make sure that your name, localities, and the name of the group of animal that you are going to collect are written correctly in the permit. Do exactly what is written in the permit.
DO NOT collect unauthorized group of animal neither unauthorized localities.
DO NOT take a chance of collecting animals or plant without authorization or permit, avoid penalty (Read the penalties for violators in the document of Rules for Conducting Research and Procedures to get the Authorization and Collecting permit). The Dominican Environmental and Natural Resources Agency (Secretaría de Estado de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales) has the environmental police nation wide.
It is very IMPORTANT to send to the Subsecretaria de Estado de Áreas Protegida y Biodiversidad a progress or preliminary report about your field work and research in the Dominican Republic as soon as you finish processing your specimens. Also, you MUST send your final publication of your research to the National Museum of Natural History and Subsecretaria de Áreas Protegidas y Biodiversidad-Secretaría de Estado de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales. Also, you MUST deposit duplicate specimens into the National collection of the National Museum of Natural History.
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(Click here to see download and see a sample)
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Esta página es producida
y mantenida por
Kelvin A. Guerrero,
actualizada el 10 de junio del 2007. Derecho reservado © 2007 Kelvin A. Guerrero.
This home page is produced and maintained
by Kelvin A. Guerrero updated
June 10, 2007. Copyright © 2007 Kelvin A. Guerrero.