NAU\u2019s Field Experience in Conservation Biology, a four-month academic program that is field based, offers students the chance to travel to the islands of the western Pacific Ocean and other places with high concentration of imperiled species to participate in hands-on courses and conduct research under the supervision of professional resource managers. This program is taught and coordinated by Russ Benford and Nashelly Meneses of the Applied Conservation Lab. The conservation and restoration of such systems requires understanding of and sensitivity toward not only ecological conditions, but also the social, cultural, historic, economic, legal, and political realities that have shaped, and continue to influence, these systems. Local knowledge, scientifically-based decision making, and constituency-centered approaches are emphasized.<\/p>\n
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