Lisa Arensen

The School for Field Studies

The School for Field Studies (SFS) is a 501c3 nonprofit academic institution with headquarters in Beverly. It was founded in Boston in 1981 by a small group of concerned individuals to address the critical need to increase environmental literacy and sustainably manage the world's resources, by providing experiential, field-based education to young people. In 1981, SFS sent the first 75 students into the field. Some of the pioneer programs included studying black rhinos in Kenya, marine biology research in the Cayman Islands, ornithology research in Belize, and natural resource inventory in Alaska. Today, SFS provides multidisciplinary, field-based environmental study abroad to college students across the country. More than 16,000 students have participated in our programs, and over 80 colleges and universities are affiliated with SFS. Courses on ecology, resource management, and socioeconomics provide the basis of our three-pronged mission to educate students, disseminate research, and reciprocate to host communities by sharing that research. Each SFS field center offers a theme of study based on the local ecosystem and needs of the local community. Our programs include: • Australia: Rainforest Studies • Bhutan: Eastern Himalayan Forests and Rural Livelihoods • Cambodia: Conservation, Ethics, and Environmental Change • Costa Rica: Sustainable Development Studies • Panama: Tropical Island Biodiversity Studies • Peru: Biodiversity and Development in the Andes-Amazon • Tanzania: Wildlife Management Studies • Turks and Caicos Islands: Marine Resource Studies SFS programs emphasize field research skills: analytical techniques used in natural and social science research. Our faculty employ and teach field methods as varied as species identification, animal behavior observations, habitat assessment and mapping, water quality assessment, ecological restoration techniques, structured questionnaires, informal interviews, and participant ob...