ABSTRACT
As natural history collections are enjoying a renaissance in their uses as referents for modern genomic studies, they are also expanding their scope by adding or linking to digital media on behavior, vocalizations, and anatomy. At the same time, a new generation of students, uncommonly well-versed in natural history and biodiversity, is hungering for demanding fieldwork in out-of-the-way localities. This combination of developments creates an historic opportunity for student-led expeditions to study taxa of phylogenetic interest by collecting “complete specimen packages,” traditional museum specimens coupled with digital documentation of their behaviors and ecologies. This chapter summarizes our experiences with such expeditions, from the preparatory steps, through activities during the expedition, to the challenges of post-expedition work. We hope that our successes and failures can inform similar programs at other institutions.
