The Bren School of Environmental Science & Management is a graduate school based at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The Bren School’s Environmental Science and Management program is a two-year, solution-oriented professional masters program. After consultation with environmental professionals, the Bren School developed the Group Project which students complete in lieu of an individual thesis project. Each Group Project has a client with whom a team of four to five students completes a year-long interdisciplinary environmental project. The Group Project provides students a chance to work alongside professionals and gain real world environmental skills to prepare them for entering the environmental field.
Osa Conservation is a non-profit organization founded in 2003 with the mission of protecting the Osa Peninsula’s unique biodiversity. Driven by this mission, Osa Conservation strives for long-term sustainability in the Osa by engaging with local communities, governments, and businesses, promoting scientific research and understanding, and implementing scientifically and culturally informed conservation management practices.
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge the DiPaola Foundation, which graciously provided financial support for this project. We would like to give special thanks to Hilary Brumberg, Rodrigo de Sousa, and Rebecca Cole at Osa Conservation for sharing with us their wealth of knowledge and for their kindness and support. We thank our faculty advisor at the Bren School, Dr. Ashley Larsen, for her insight, guidance, and encouragement throughout this process. We thank our external advisor at the Bren School, Dr. Frank Davis, for his additional assistance and guidance. We thank the Osa Peninsula Water Resources and Talamanca-Osa Ecological Forecasting teams at NASA DEVELOP for their incredible work and data which enabled this project. Finally, we would like to express gratitude for all the staff at the Bren School whose hard work makes these projects possible.
