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JUNGLE LIFE
JUNGLE LIFE: Field Studies of ART + NATURE
in South India and Thailand
CALLING Artists, Scientists, Naturalists, Students, Educators, Explorers and Adventure Seekers!
Join the ART+BIO Collaborative in the upcoming Jungle Life: Field Studies of Art + Nature in South India and Thailand program. This is a one-of-a-kind, ART, BIOLOGY and NATURE immersion experience in the Western Ghats of Kerala, India and on the island of Koh Lon, Thailand.  This site-specific program focuses on an ART and SCIENCE exploration of the diverse wildlife from varied natural habitats of South India and Thailand.  The Western Ghats in South India are a biodiversity hotspot, teeming with wildlife found no where else on the planet.  Large cats, elephants, primates, numerous species of reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects, arachnids, trees and plants thrive in a diversity of habitats in the jungles of the Western Ghats.  The diverse and unique wildlife and habitats are a source of inspiration and wonder for artists, naturalists, and biologists.  Through hands-on observation, artistic interpretation, collaboration and various biological and natural history methods, we will learn to utilize the natural habitat as a STUDIO+LAB to explore, learn, respect, and make informed art about tropical plants, animals, and nature.  Jungle Life 2018 will culminate on the island of Koh Lon in Thailand at the Digital Naturalism Conference where we will collaborate with artists, scientists, designers, educators, and technologists to further create novel ways of integrating art, technology, and science in the wild.
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Program Highlights:​​​​

ART+BIO Collaborative's Field Studies of Art + Nature are one-of-a-kind, immersive educational programs that integrate Art, Biology, and Nature in diverse and unique environments.  We value diversity and inclusion and bring together groups of artists, scientists, naturalists, undergraduate/graduate students, professors, designers and creative and adventurous people from a diverse range of backgrounds, interests and experience. 

​JUNGLE LIFE offers ART + SCIENCE instruction that includes:

  • Field sketching/drawing/watercolor painting, animal behavior observations, nature photography, species identification, ecological sampling, UV light nocturnal insect and arachnid collecting, visualizing plant/animal micro-textures and patterns, nature journaling, floral and botanical illustration, Bio-Crafting, BioAbstraction Form Studies, Environmental and Land Art, EcoArt and Field BioArt installations.
  • Intros to Tropical Herpetology, Ethology, Sensory Ecology, Entomology, Visual Ecology, BioAesthetics and various Field Biology and Natural History techniques, including field observations, ecological sampling/monitoring, and safe capture and handling of various critters (e.g., frogs, snakes, lizards, insects, arachnids). 
  • Daily individual and collaborative artmaking, crits and place-based instruction and research in the field at various habitats (e.g. rain forests, mangroves, water falls, beaches, etc.)
  • On-site discussions about ART + SCIENCE philosophy, research, and integration and Science Communication.
  • Travel and immersion in various terrain types, including walking and hiking up mountains/hills, mangroves, rocky tide pools, sandy beaches, and through thick, muddy forest terrain.
  • Participation in the first Digital Naturalism Conference on Koh Lon Island in Thailand (see below).
  • Opportunities to learn from and collaborate and interact with artists, scientists, designers, educators, technologists, bio-hackers, and explorers at the Digital Naturalism Conference in the field. 

​JUNGLE LIFE is open to a range of participants, from students, professionals, faculty, researchers, scientists and artists.
​You must be 18+ years old to participate in this program.​
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Check out ART+BIO Collaborative's   ISLAND LIFE: Field Studies of Art + Nature in Puerto Rico and  DESERT LIFE: Field Studies of Art + Nature in the Southwest , offered throughout the year.  Read student testimonials on each site. 
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Program Dates: Stay tuned for future dates.

Program Fee: TBD
Space is limited. 


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Apply Here.

Locations and Field Sites:
Bangalore, Karnataka ,India
The Western Ghats, Kerala, India
Koh Lon Island, Phuket, Thailand

Program Fee Includes:

  • One-on-one Art + Science Instruction for all skill and experience levels.
  • All transportation to field sites in South India.
  • Pick-up/drop off to and from the Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore BLR.
  • Shared lodging in Bangalore, the Western Ghats, and at the Digital Naturalism Conference on the island of Koh Lon in Thailand.
  • Basic local meals and light snacks
  • The use of various art supplies/materials, field gear, and biology equipment (e.g., field easels, field guides, nets, microscopes, binoculars, etc.).
  • Participation and lodging at the Digital Naturalism Conference in Thailand (see below).
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The program fee does NOT include airfare to Bangalore, India or Phuket, Thailand.  We will help you coordinate your flight itineraries.

This is a non-credit program and is not affiliated with any college or university.  Home universities often grant credit to participants for ART+BIO Collaborative Field Studies programs.  Inquire at your university about independent study, travel grants, and/or portfolio review requirements. ​​

Passports and Visas:

India: U.S citizens require a passport and visa to travel to India. U.S. citizens may apply for an Indian visa via e-tourist. This an expedited way to obtain an Indian visa upon arrival in India by acquiring prior electronic approval in the U.S.  Visit this link for more info: e-tourist.  Alternatively, U.S. citizens may apply for a traditional Indian visa.  See here for more info:  Cox and Kings.

Thailand: U.S. citizens require a passport to travel to Thailand. U.S. citizens do not require a visa to travel to Thailand.  See here for more info: Visa exempt entry. ​​
Program Director: Stephanie Dowdy-Nava, M.A.

Stephanie Dowdy-Nava is a passionate artist, arts administrator, art educator, adjunct faculty of Art Education at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and Co-Founder of the ART+BIO Collaborative. She is dedicated to creating diverse educational opportunities that engage communities, promote curiosity, and creatively explore the intersections of science-learning and artmaking.  Stephanie has taught art professionally at Pre-K through Adult levels in public school, private school, and nonprofit settings.  She is originally from the Southwest, U.S. and has spent her lifetime exploring and finding endless inspiration and beauty in the flora and fauna of the desert landscape.  She has 16 years of experience assisting with biological research in the field and lab, observing animal behavior, and collecting wildlife for animal communication studies in the Tropics and Southwest Deserts . She has a B.A. in Studio Art, K-12 Teaching Certification in Art, and an M.A. in Arts Administration.  Her artwork incorporates figures, images from nature, and stunning geographic settings as symbols that piece together the story of an ongoing evolution. Stephanie is the program director for ART+BIO Collaborative's ISLAND LIFE: Field Studies of Art + Nature in Puerto Rico and DESERT LIFE: Field Studies of Art + Nature in the Southwest. 

Scientist and Mentor: Saúl Nava, Ph.D.

Dr. Nava is a biologist, artist, Associate Professor of Biology and founder of the BioMedia Lab at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Research Associate in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard University, and Co-Founder of ART+BIO Collaborative. His research focuses on the ecology and evolution of animal behavior, communication and vision. He conducts field work throughout the Caribbean and Southwest U.S. and has 20+ years of field and lab research experience studying lizard behavior and ecology in the Tropics and Southwest Deserts.  He is active in and passionate about the integration of Art, Science, and Education to explore novel methods of creativity, collaboration, and inquiry about the natural world. All photos on this site are by Dr. Nava, unless otherwise noted. 

Dr. Nava has developed and taught various Biology and Art and field-based college courses in India, U.S. and the Caribbean including:
INDIA NOW: Tropical Ecology and Natural History (in Karnataka and the Andaman Islands), INDIA NOW: Natural History and Biological Art (in Kerala and the Western Ghats), Desert Field BioArt and Natural History (in the Chihuahuan, Mojave, and Sonoran Deserts), Visual Ecology, Biological Form and Function, Biodiversity and Evolution, Animal Sex, Animal Communication, BioArt, BioAesthetics, Natural History and Biological Illustration, and Field BioArt: Research in Nature and Art.
The Digital Naturalism Conference in Thailand
Field Biology | Interaction Design | Wild Hacking
We will participate in the first Digital Naturalism Conference on the island of Koh Lon, Thailand!
​ART + BIO Collaborative has been selected to share our Field Studies projects at DiNaCon. DiNaCon "investigates interactive tool-making in the setting of our own DIY biological field station", and  unlike any other conference, offers an emergent schedule filled with workshops, activities, and collaborative projects at the intersection of field biology and interaction design.  We will engage and collaborate with artists, scientists, designers, educators, and technologists at DiNaCon to further develop Field Studies projects that integrate art, technology, and science to explore and learn about the terrestrial and marine wildlife of the island of Koh Lon.   ​

Check out the DiNaCon website for more info, updates, participant profiles, and project descriptions:  www.dinacon.org  ​