About Course

Field Ethics & Practices is a short, free, self-paced course for anyone who wants to join a herping trip or other field outing, and for trip leaders who want companions to arrive knowing the ground rules.

In about two hours, including the exam, you will learn how to respect a site (cover objects, trails, trash, decontamination), its animals (observe first, no collecting or relocating, never approaching snakes you cannot identify), its locations (why exact sites stay private, and how geoprivacy works), the law and land-access rules, and how to stay safe and be a good member of a group, including current snakebite first aid.

The course never asks you to catch, touch, or approach an animal. It ends with a 25-question exam (90% to pass, unlimited retakes) and a signable Field Best Practices Agreement you can hand to your trip leader. You earn a certificate of completion. Completion is not a professional credential and does not certify anyone as safe to bring on a trip.

Explain why small, repeated actions can damage a site, and how to leave habitat working
Handle cover objects, trails, trash, and decontamination responsibly
Observe reptiles and amphibians without disturbing them, and know why collecting and relocating cause harm
Keep sensitive locations private and use geoprivacy tools
Find the wildlife and land-access rules that apply before a trip
Stay safe, follow current snakebite first aid, and be a trusted trip companion

Course Content

Start Here: Course Orientation
Who this course is for, what completing it does and does not mean, and how it works.

Welcome: Who This Course Is For and What It Means
How the Course Works (and What It Never Asks of You)

Unit 1: Why Field Ethics
Why many small acts add up, and stewardship as a habit.

Unit 2: Respecting the Site
Cover objects, trails and trash, destructive shortcuts, and decontamination.

Unit 3: Respecting the Animals
Observing first, minimal handling, unidentified and venomous snakes, no collecting or relocating, roads and traps, and when to let nature take its course.

Unit 4: Locations, Records & Data
Keeping locations private, geoprivacy and citizen science, and useful records.

Unit 5: Law & Land Access
Who makes the rules, and checking site rules before you go.

Unit 6: Safety & Group Conduct
Situational awareness, snakebite first aid, terrain and weather, and being a good trip companion.

Final Exam & Agreement
The final exam, then the Field Best Practices Agreement.

Receive an elegant certificate upon completion.

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Field Ethics & Practices

About Course

What Will You Learn?

Course Content

Start Here: Course Orientation
Who this course is for, what completing it does and does not mean, and how it works.

Welcome: Who This Course Is For and What It Means

How the Course Works (and What It Never Asks of You)

Unit 1: Why Field Ethics
Why many small acts add up, and stewardship as a habit.

Many Small Acts: Why Field Ethics Matter

Stewardship as a Habit, and Being an Example

Unit 2: Respecting the Site
Cover objects, trails and trash, destructive shortcuts, and decontamination.

Cover Objects: Look, Lift Carefully, Put It Back

Leave the Habitat Working: Trails, Trash, and Destructive Shortcuts

Don’t Carry One Site to the Next: Decontamination

Unit 3: Respecting the Animals
Observing first, minimal handling, unidentified and venomous snakes, no collecting or relocating, roads and traps, and when to let nature take its course.

Observe First: The Animal Ends the Encounter

If Handling Happens: Minimal, Gentle, and Brief

Snakes You Can’t Identify, and Why Venomous Snakes Are Never Free-Handled

Leave Them Where They Live: No Collecting, No Relocating

Roads, Traps, and Other Situations That Can Harm Animals

Let Nature Take Its Course (and When Not To)

Unit 4: Locations, Records & Data
Keeping locations private, geoprivacy and citizen science, and useful records.

Keep Exact Locations Private

Sharing Observations Safely: Geoprivacy and Citizen Science

Records That Count, and Caution With Sensitive Species

Unit 5: Law & Land Access
Who makes the rules, and checking site rules before you go.

Who Makes the Rules: Wildlife Law Basics

Check Before You Go: Permits, Property, and Place-Specific Rules

Unit 6: Safety & Group Conduct
Situational awareness, snakebite first aid, terrain and weather, and being a good trip companion.

Situational Awareness and Snakebite Avoidance

If Someone Is Bitten

Terrain, Weather, Daylight, and Telling Someone Your Plan

Being a Good Trip Companion

Final Exam & Agreement
The final exam, then the Field Best Practices Agreement.

Field Ethics & Practices Final Exam

Field Best Practices Agreement

Earn a certificate

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About Course

What Will You Learn?

Course Content

Start Here: Course Orientation Who this course is for, what completing it does and does not mean, and how it works.

Welcome: Who This Course Is For and What It Means

How the Course Works (and What It Never Asks of You)

Unit 1: Why Field Ethics Why many small acts add up, and stewardship as a habit.

Many Small Acts: Why Field Ethics Matter

Stewardship as a Habit, and Being an Example

Unit 2: Respecting the Site Cover objects, trails and trash, destructive shortcuts, and decontamination.

Cover Objects: Look, Lift Carefully, Put It Back

Leave the Habitat Working: Trails, Trash, and Destructive Shortcuts

Don’t Carry One Site to the Next: Decontamination

Unit 3: Respecting the Animals Observing first, minimal handling, unidentified and venomous snakes, no collecting or relocating, roads and traps, and when to let nature take its course.

Observe First: The Animal Ends the Encounter

If Handling Happens: Minimal, Gentle, and Brief

Snakes You Can’t Identify, and Why Venomous Snakes Are Never Free-Handled

Leave Them Where They Live: No Collecting, No Relocating

Roads, Traps, and Other Situations That Can Harm Animals

Let Nature Take Its Course (and When Not To)

Unit 4: Locations, Records & Data Keeping locations private, geoprivacy and citizen science, and useful records.

Keep Exact Locations Private

Sharing Observations Safely: Geoprivacy and Citizen Science

Records That Count, and Caution With Sensitive Species

Unit 5: Law & Land Access Who makes the rules, and checking site rules before you go.

Who Makes the Rules: Wildlife Law Basics

Check Before You Go: Permits, Property, and Place-Specific Rules

Unit 6: Safety & Group Conduct Situational awareness, snakebite first aid, terrain and weather, and being a good trip companion.

Situational Awareness and Snakebite Avoidance

If Someone Is Bitten

Terrain, Weather, Daylight, and Telling Someone Your Plan

Being a Good Trip Companion

Final Exam & Agreement The final exam, then the Field Best Practices Agreement.

Field Ethics & Practices Final Exam

Field Best Practices Agreement

Earn a certificate

Student Ratings & Reviews

Start Here: Course Orientation
Who this course is for, what completing it does and does not mean, and how it works.

Unit 1: Why Field Ethics
Why many small acts add up, and stewardship as a habit.

Unit 2: Respecting the Site
Cover objects, trails and trash, destructive shortcuts, and decontamination.

Unit 3: Respecting the Animals
Observing first, minimal handling, unidentified and venomous snakes, no collecting or relocating, roads and traps, and when to let nature take its course.

Unit 4: Locations, Records & Data
Keeping locations private, geoprivacy and citizen science, and useful records.

Unit 5: Law & Land Access
Who makes the rules, and checking site rules before you go.

Unit 6: Safety & Group Conduct
Situational awareness, snakebite first aid, terrain and weather, and being a good trip companion.

Final Exam & Agreement
The final exam, then the Field Best Practices Agreement.