Madagascar Field School Program
Students at PennWest have an opportunity to attend the Madagascar Field School, an exciting study abroad opportunity in Madagascar, a large island nation off the southeastern coast of Africa.
The field school is led by Dr. Summer Arrigo-Nelson of the Department of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, who has conducted research in Madagascar for more than two decades.
PennWest sponsors the program in collaboration with the Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments - Stony Brook, N.Y. and The University of Antananarivo - Antananarivo, Madagascar.
Fall 2025 Required Course
BIOL 4480: Topics in Field Biology​
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6 Credit Hours​
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Specialized off-campus residential programs offered by department faculty and emphasize the ecology, behavior and/or the natural history of organisms in their natural environments. Focus and credit hours will vary, depending on the length and location of course, course workload, and the site at which the course is offered.
*This course is open to all students and dopes not require any prerequisites
About the Field School
Students will complete a brief on-line orientation to prepare for the trip and then travel together to Madagascar. One in Madagascar, students will live alongside scientist and scholars at the Centre ValBio Research Station in Ranomafana National Park as they explore the unique ecology and biodiversity of a tropical rainforest and gain hands-on experience in the research techniques used by professional field biologists, natural resource managers and conservationists.
Classes take place in a combination of settings, from traditional classrooms to the heart of the forest and in traditional Malagasy villages. Learn about the Centre ValBio Research Station.
The program also includes cultural excursions in the capital city of Antananarivo, a cross-country trek to explore Madagascar's famed spiny desert, the Western dry forests and coral reefs, and it concludes with the completion of an original research project examining the impact of habitat disturbance on Madagascar’s biodiversity.
Students also gain the experience of living within a new cultural environment and meet grass-roots conservation leaders who are working to preserve both the unique animals and plants of Madagascar and the culture of the people who call the island home.
Summer 2026 Instructional Modules
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Assessing Biodiversity: Students explore Madagascar’s unique plant and animal species and practice methods used by field biologists to study biodiversity within tropical forests. Instruction includes exposure to techniques such as behavioral sampling of non-human primates, mist netting of understory birds, stream ecology assessment, botanical sampling methods, pitfall trapping of invertebrates, small mammal trapping and herpetological assessments.
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Comparative Ecosystems Excursion: A cross-country trip provides students with the opportunity to explore and compare ecosystems as diverse as rainforest, dry deciduous tropical forest, spiny desert, mangrove swamps and coral reefs. At each stop, students learn about regional climate and geology, the evolutionary adaptations that make that region unique, and current conservation threats to local biodiversity.
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Ecological Monitoring Project: Students contribute to a long-term study of invasive plant and animal species within the forests of RNP. In carrying out this project, students have an opportunity to apply the field methods and techniques they have learned and provide much-needed information to the conservation community and park management officials.
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Malagasy Culture and Language: Students attend formal classes with Malagasy researchers employed by the Centre ValBio to learn about the country's fascinating history, culture and language. Outings to meet with local authorities, community and school groups, and the participation in a variety of cultural activities within the village that surround RNP, give students an opportunity to practice their skills and expand their understanding of what it means to be Malagasy.