Programs | Summer Programs | Short Term PrograMS | CHANNEL ISLANDS

The Program

Throughout the course we will study the island’s unique and diverse ecological communities, examine insular ecology concepts such as island biogeography and endemism, and evaluate the history and success of current restoration programs. Team members will gain firsthand field experience by taking part in ongoing research projects such as island fox and island spotted skunk population monitoring, bald eagle reintroduction, and Argentine ant eradication.

Researchers will discuss their current goals and methodologies, and students will have the opportunity to directly apply what they learn by assisting researchers in the field. Together we will discuss the ecological impacts of these management decisions and discover how these decisions have positively impacted the native species on Santa Cruz Island. Come join us this summer as we explore the unique and inspiring wildlands of the California Channel Islands.

Program Photo Gallery

Adam Dillon

lead instructor

MS in Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, 2005;
PhD Candidate in Ecology, Colorado State University

Adam is a wildlife ecologist and conservation scientist whose research interests lie in carnivore conservation, island ecology, population dynamics and invasive species. His MS research focused on the population trends and density of ocelots in the rainforests of Belize, and his PhD research focuses on the population ecology of island foxes and island spotted skunks on the California Channel Islands. Adam has been teaching for Wildlands Studies since 2003 and has taught in Belize, New Zealand, the Pacific Northwest, and on Santa Cruz Island. He currently leads our California Channel Islands Program.