Program Description

Offered through the Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation (Ceiba), the program in Ecuador is co-sponsored by UW-Madison. This program is designed to provide participants with firsthand knowledge of and experience in some of the richest ecosystems on earth. Participants will travel from the dry Pacific coast to the steamy Amazon rainforests of Ecuador, traversing the Andes Mountains along the way and studying the natural history and ecology of tropical ecosystems. This field course is taught by ecologists with over thirty years of experience in the tropics, and provides students with a solid background in ecological principles and field methods, while giving a realistic view of the biological, sociological and economic complexities underlying conservation issues.

During the program, participants hike through rough, broken, or very muddy terrain (sometimes under quite rainy or otherwise challenging conditions) to see some of the most remote and pristine ecosystems left on earth. Therefore, good physical condition and a sense of humor are essential.

Academics

The program emphasizes hands-on learning of field methods used in ecological research. The course will consist of daily lectures and field activities, supplemented by readings and group discussions. Lectures cover tropical flora and fauna, forest dynamics, ecological interactions, biodiversity, and habitat conservation. Students also will conduct short group research projects in the rainforest to gain practice with research design, field techniques, and data analysis. Discussions focus on problems confronting tropical habitats, such as oil development, colonization, and tourism. The course also is attended by several Ecuadorian students, who help serve as cultural ambassadors to international participants. Students will receive four upper level credits in Botany or Zoology.

Housing

Housing will be provided in all locations. Accommodations are rustic but comfortable research stations, hotels (Quito), and a few days of beach camping. At the Tiputini station, students live right in the forest, in dormitory-style rooms holding two-four people, with private baths. All meals are provided.

Excursions and Activities

The program begins in Quito, capital city of Ecuador, and then proceeds over the western cordillera of the Andes. Students will hike and camp in the virgin cloud forest at the El Pahuma Orchid Reserve, a Ceiba conservation project since 1997, learning about the lush montane forest flora and fauna. Participants then descend the Pacific slope to the coastal lowlands studying the endangered tropical dry forest ecosystem. Explorations of Pacific beaches and mangrove systems round out the trip to the coast. Students then return to Quito, where they will be guided through the old city by Ecuadorian students. Participants also study the effects of altitude on vegetation and climate, exploring the Andean paramo ecosystem, surrounded by snow-capped volcanoes.

The rest of the course is spent at the remote Tiputini Biodiversity Station, a modern research station situated deep within pristine rainforest. At the station, students will have the opportunity to see and study its plant and animal community in detail. The station is situated right in the center of one of the world’s “diversity hotspots” and may in fact be the most biologically diverse place on the planet. Study of a variety of habitats at the station is facilitated by an extensive trail network, two canopy towers, a fleet of canoes providing access to the Tiputini River and nearby streams, and the station’s excellent staff of knowledgeable guides.

The Tiputini Biodiversity Station is home to over 560 species of birds, including the enormous and much sought-after Harpy Eagle. The area boasts more than ten species of monkeys, which can be seen feeding on abundant fruit trees at the Station. Jaguar, ocelot, tapir, and anaconda sightings are not uncommon near the station, and course participants routinely observe pink river dolphins, capybara, peccaries, sloths, and other large mammals.