Faculty Member:

David M. Stone, Teaching Associate, Biology

Brief Description of Use of Funds:

Support from the Stoddard Faculty Support Endowment will allow me to attend a six day canid behavior workshop at Wolf Park, a wolf behavior research facility in Battle Ground, Indiana, which is one of the sites for behavioral observation in Uni's Field Biology class.

Narrative Description of Use of Funds:

Funds will be used for in-depth study of canid behavior using the foxes, coyotes and wolves housed at the facility, as well as predator-prey interactions involving wolves and bison. The six day seminar will include lectures, discussions, films, video and slide presentations, extensive observations of wolf behavior and instruction on observing behavior objectively, as well as hands-on experience with wolves singly and in a pack situation. Unlike the standard behavior workshops held at this facility, this workshop is geared toward animal trainers and instructors with a serious interest in behavior who have prior animal training experience. Instructors for the six day workshop include Terry Ryan, Dr. Raymond Coppinger and
Dr. Erich Klinghammer, all of whom are internationally renowned canid behaviorists.

This summer research opportunity meets the first goal of the Stoddard Faculty Support Endowment Fund in that funding of this proposal relates directly to my teaching discipline. Animal behavior is addressed in both the Organismal Biology and Field Biology courses, with Wolf Park serving as a behavioral observation site for the Uni Field Biology class.

Funding Sought:

$900 ($720 will cover the cost of the seminar, $180 should cover housing and food for the duration of the seminar).

Time Frame:

June 16-21, 2002.