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You won’t know until you try: sampler days in the USA
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Our sampler days were honored in The Independent on Sunday’s "Best Holiday for Green-Minded Travellers" list.
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Our sampler days were honored in a book entitled "Once in a lifetime" (Einmal im Leben) by well-known German travel publisher Merian as one of "100 unforgettable travel adventures" (100 unvergessliche Reiseabenteuer). |
Sampler days are just what they say they are: Days that will give you a unique insight into what it’s like to be in the field with Biosphere Expeditions, assisting scientists with wildlife research and conservation. These Sampler Days take place in some of America’s beautiful National or State Parks. You will see what it’s like to be part of a small team, working alongside a park ranger and an expedition leader. You will learn expedition and wildlife research and conservation skills such as working with a map, GPS and compass, collecting important animal data, reading animal tracks and signs, using telemetry equipment, and wildlife camera traps. You will also learn about the National or State Park you are in, its fauna and flora, history, and the conservation work going on inside.
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PRICE = Sampler day contribution
$95 per person.
We will credit $50 back to you if you subsequently join one of our expeditions or projects.
Dates & times
Minnewaska State Park, NY: 20 May 2012.
Lory State Park, CO: 27 May 2012.
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park, CA: 22 July 2012.
Sampler days are always on a Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Weather expected during sampler day
What can we say - come prepared for anything, especially in the mountain locations.
Team size
Up to 15 team members + 1 park ranger + 1 expedition leader.
Skills & prerequisites required
None. You don't need to be a scientist or have any special qualifications - everyone can take part and there are no age limits whatsoever.
Can laypeople really be of help to serious research & conservation projects?
Fitness level required
None. If you are healthy and enjoy the outdoors, you’ll be fine.
Will it be for me or am I too old/young/unfit?
Meeting point
Always an easy to find location right next to or inside the National or State Park.
What about carbon neutrality?
Who makes my travel arrangements?
Miscellaneous
The sampler day does not include catering, so please make sure you bring your own drinks and a lunch pack.
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Each sampler day follows the same basic plan as Biosphere Expeditions’ regular expeditions. Just like on a longer expedition, there is a meeting point of arrival where participants will gather. Volunteers are in charge of getting themselves to the arrival point. Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning to start your sampler day. And just like on a full-fledged expedition, we’ll start with introductions, a short safety talk and a brief overview of what’s to come.
The rough plan for the day is as follows
| 8.30 a.m.
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Expedition leader at the meeting point
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| 8.45 a.m.
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Participants at the meeting point
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| 9 a.m.
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Start of sampler day (please be punctual!)
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9 a.m. –
9.30 a.m. |
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Overview, introduction of participants and staff
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| Morning |
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Safety talk. Introduction to research techniques and equipment such as
GPS, compass, hand-held radios, camera traps, radio telemetry equipment,
data sheets and data collection techniques, recognizing animal tracks
and signs, etc. Trying out the equipment.
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| Noon |
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Lunch (bring your own lunch pack), pack up equipment, introduction to National or State Park |
| Afternoon |
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Field walk & where possible telemetry work. |
4 p.m. –
5 p.m. |
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Expeditions presentation, questions, farewells
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Afterwards
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Those who would like to can join staff at a nearby diner or restaurant
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Once in the field with your expedition leader and a park ranger, you will practice the skills that you learned in the morning. You’ll be locating radio telemetry transmitters, setting up camera traps, doing a bit of navigating, and learning how to recognize animal signs and tracks and record them just like a conservation scientist or a team member on expedition would.
Your expedition leader will be your link to our expeditions, so if you
find a bear track, for example, your expedition leader may use this as
an opportunity to talk to you about bear tracks on expedition and how to
record and measure them. Your park ranger will create local relevancy
and tell you about the local flora & fauna, the National or State
Park and its conservation work, history and other interesting historical
and social facts.
By the end of the day you should know a lot more about the local fauna
& flora and have a good idea what it’s like to be on expedition with
Biosphere Expeditions.
Meet at 08.45 a.m. at the main car park at Minnewaska Lake (Minnewaska State Park, 5080 Route 44-55, Gardinier, NY 12446).
Minnewaska State Park is in Ulster County and the famous Catskills region, only 75 miles from New York City’s Newark airport, and just a few miles off Interstate 87. Situated on the dramatic Shawangunk Mountain ridge that rises more than 2,000 feet above sea level, the terrain of Minnewaska State Park Preserve is rugged and rocky, blanketed by dense hardwood forest encircling two lakes. The Nature Conservancy has designated the entire Shawangunk Mountain ridge as one of the "Last Great Places." The Shawangunks, including Minnewaska, are among the highest priority areas for biodiversity conservation in the northeastern United States. Wildlife in the park includes the bobcat and New York State's only documented occurrence of the noctuid moth Zale curema. Minnewaska is also part of a bird migratory corridor that exists along the entire upland plateau of the Northern Shawangunks. Bird species include peregrine falcons, northern saw-whet owl, black-and-white warbler, black-throated blue warbler, Canada warbler, eastern wood-pewee, northern flicker and scarlet tanager, indigo bunting and prairie warbler.
Meet at 08.45 a.m. at the car park/trailhead at the end of the vehicle
track (this is the trailhead for Arthur’s Rock trail) at Lory State
Park, 708 Lodgepole Dr, Bellvue, CO 80512.
Lory State Park is in Colorado’s famous Rocky Mountain region, only 55
miles from Denver’s international airport, and just a few miles from Ft
Collins. It encompasses 2,492 acres along the beautiful Rocky Mountain
foothills in north-central Colorado. The park uplands are dominated by
iconic montane coniferous forest, foothills shrub and grassland
communities. Nearly barren rock outcrops and cliffs support lichen and
moss communities. Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, Rocky Mountain juniper
and aspen are the dominant forest trees. Mule deer, coyote, raccoon,
striped skunk, Abert's squirrel, cottontail rabbit, porcupine, ground
squirrel and red fox are common sights. Occasional observations of black
bear, mountain lion, bobcat, elk, and white-tailed deer also occur.Over
175 species of migratory and resident birds are known for this area,
including the grassland species lark bunting, horned lark and western
meadowlark, raptors, waterfowl and shorebirds attracted to the open
water of adjacent Horsetooth reservoir, and park wetland and riparian
habitats. Conspicuous birds include the canyon wren, yellow-breasted
chat, western tanager and broad-tailed hummingbird.
Meet at 08.45 a.m. at the Cedar Grove visitor center at Cedar Grove, CA 95709 (phone 559-565-3793, in Cedar Grove village next to Sentinel Campground, on the floor of the Kings Canyon, elevation 4,600 feet = 1,410 m).
The park's Giant Sequoia forests are part of 202,430 acres (81,920 ha) of old-growth forests shared by Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. One portion of the South Fork canyon, known as the Kings Canyon, gives the entire park its name. Kings Canyon, with a maximum depth of 8,200 feet (2,500 m), is one of the deepest canyons in the United States. Beyond is classic high Sierra country: barren alpine ridges and glacially scoured lake-filled basins.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks support a wide diversity of animal species, reflecting the range in elevation, climate, and habitat variety. Over 260 native vertebrate species have been counted, including the black bear, mountain lion, bobcat, marmot, pika, Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, gray fox, striped and spotted skunks. Bird species include the California quail, scrub jay, lesser goldfinch, wrentit and acorn woodpecker. In the low to mid-montane elevations grow mixed forests of ponderosa pine, incense-cedar, white fir, sugar pine, and scattered groves of giant sequoia. Further upslope, Jeffrey pine are scattered on dry granitic slopes, and pure stands of magnificent red fir and lodgepole pine forest make up the upper montane zone. Aspen rim the moist meadows and grow on the cool slopes. Meadows are lush with many kinds of flowers in the summer.
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Google map of all Biosphere Expeditions study sites, expedition bases, assembly points, office locations, etc.
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| More images on Biosphere Expeditions' |
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Sampler days are new to the USA, so there has not been any press coverage yet.
Below are a few examples of press coverage in other countries.
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Sampler day launch video.
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The sampler day briefing contains detailed information on all our sampler days. Briefings are provided as pdf documents and you must provide a name, country of residence and valid e-mail address to be able to download one.
You can access briefings via the Download Centre.
Go on, you know you want to 
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| Magazine |
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 Our annual Biosphere Expeditions Magazine is packed with stories from
the field, achievements, looks behind the scenes and an overview over
our expeditions, projects, taster days and other activities.
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Taster/sampler days 
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View article
