Ceiba Foundation

"TROPICAL ECOSYSTEMS: ANDES TO AMAZON"
FIELD COURSE in ECUADOR, SOUTH AMERICA



MAY 28 - JUNE 27, 2010

Tuition: $3500*

(*not including UW processing fee)

Application Deadline: first Friday in March

Course Description     Information Packet     Pre/Post Course Opportunities     Obtaining Credit
Scholarships     Course Report     Application Form     Semester Program

Course Description

The Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation's four-week field course in Ecuador is designed to provide you with first-hand knowledge of and experience in some of the richest ecosystems on earth. During the course, you will travel from the dry Pacific coast to the steamy Amazon rainforests of Ecuador, traversing the Andes mountains along the way while studying the diversity and ecology of tropical ecosystems. The course emphasizes hands-on learning of field methods used in ecological research. The course will consist of daily lectures and field activities (see course syllabus in the course information packet), supplemented by readings and group discussions. Students will also conduct short group research projects designed to gain practice with field sampling techniques and equipment commonly used in field studies. Students will formulate a hypothesis, collect data in the field, and present their findings to the class.

The course will begin in Quito, capital city of Ecuador, cradled within the inter-Andean plateau at an elevation of nearly 10,000 feet. From Quito, we will travel over the western cordillera of the Andes. Students will hike and camp in the virgin cloud forest at the El Pahuma Orchid Reserve, a private reserve developed as a joint project between the Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation and the local landowners, the Lima family. We will learn about the lush montane forest flora, concentrating on orchids and other epiphytic plants which grow in abundance in the reserve. We then descend down the Pacific slope to the coastal lowlands where we will study the endangered tropical dry forest ecosystem. Students spend three days exploring the unique dry tropical forest in the newly established Lalo Loor reserve, one of the finest examples of this ecosystem remaining in Ecuador. From the forest we move to the beach, camping on the Pacific shore, taking a well-deserved break, and traveling to nearby examples of mangrove and intertidal systems.
From the coast, the course will return to Quito to regroup before the second half of the course. Students can take an optional trip to Quito's old colonial district or just relax. There'll also be a day trip to the tropic's equivalent of the tundra, otherwise known as the páramo with its highly adapted plants and animals. We will take time to study the effects of altitude on vegetation and climate. The following day, we depart by plane for the town of Coca, where we pick up our motorized canoe for the first leg of our 6 hour journey into the Amazon basin. We will spend the rest of the course -- nearly two weeks! -- at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station, a remote research station situated deep within pristine rainforest.
At Tiputini, students will be immersed in a superb example of primary rainforest, and will have the opportunity to see and study its plant and animal community in detail. Wildlife present at the field station include 10 species of primates, 5 species of cats, tapir, tayra, peccaries, pink river dolphins, and over 540 species of birds including the not infrequently seen King Vulture, Harpy Eagle, Salvin's Curassow and Blue-and-Yellow Macaw. Parrots and Toucans are seen and heard every day, as are a variety of fascinating insects, amphibians and reptiles. Tiputini 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 Tiputini is facilitated by an extensive trail network, a canopy tower and canopy walkway system, a fleet of canoes providing access to the Tiputini river and nearby streams, and of course the Station's excellent staff of knowledgeable guides.
As a non-profit organization, the Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation offers its field courses taught by highly experienced and knowledgeable staff virtually at cost. Our field courses provide quality education in comfortable conditions, while taking you to some of the most remote and pristine ecosystems left on earth. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We invite you to read the previous course reports, that include photos and input from previous students.

Obtaining Academic Credit

Ceiba's tropical ecology course is now accredited by the University of Wisconsin - Madison's International Academic Programs Office (IAP) for students at any US institution. UW students who apply through the IAP are granted free overseas health insurance during the course, and receive 4 academic credits for their participation in the course. Please contact the IAP office for additional enrollment details (250 Bascom Hall, 608-265-6329, website). UW charges additional fees for granting course credit.

Credit for Foreign Students

Students from universities outside the US must arrange credits through their home institution. Prior students on our summer course have had no difficulty making these arrangements. We suggest you start by contacting your undergraduate academic advisor or department to discuss options such as enrolling in independent study. Ceiba will provide you with a formal transcript and complete syllabus, and will collaborate with your university before and after the course to ensure you receive the proper credits.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Thanks to private donations made by Ceiba's supporters, we again will offer two complete scholarship to Ecuadorian students only, chosen through a rigorous application process. We believe strongly in offering scholarships to citizens of the country in which we conduct our courses, since these opportunities are often beyond the financial reach of local students. If you are Ecuadorian and interested in obtaining a scholarship, please check the scholarship page for special application instructions.

Students from the University of Wisconsin - Madison are eligible for financial aid from the university (please contact the International Programs office for details: email, web). For all other students, we recommend you check with your home institution's study abroad and financial aid offices for information on sources of support for travel and study oversees. There are also several online resources available.

Pre or Post Course Opportunities

Students that wish to spend additional time in Ecuador before or after the course volunteering in one of our reserves, learning Spanish, assisting in field research or traveling should advise Ceiba at the time of application. Ceiba may be able to assist you in making arrangements in advance. You may also wish to check our volunteer page, on which we regularly post volunteer internships that are available with our projects.

Course Information and Application

The course packet is required reading for anyone interested in applying or already enrolled! Includes a thorough course description, syllabus of lectures and field activities, recommended and required gear lists, travel information, application instructions and printable application forms. To download the packet, right-click on the image or above link, and select Save Link As.

Request a Course Packet be sent to you by Mail

Send us an email including your current mailing address so we can send you the packet and application forms by postal mail. Or use this option to have a packet emailed to you if you have any trouble downloading materials off our site.

Submit Your Application

Please choose between filling out an online application or complete and mail the paper application forms in the course packet.

Application Deadlines

The 2010 application is the first Friday in March . Please direct all application materials to the UW - Madison's office of International Academic Programs; if an international student, or if you do not wish to receive credits for the course, please send all materials directly to Ceiba.

Read Course Reports

Each fall we publish a final report for that year's field course, full of pictures and stories from the trip. You can select a report to read from the Courses menu (top left of any page), or jump to the 2006 report.

Tropical Conservation Semester

Ceiba now offers a total conservation experience in Ecuador!. This semester-abroad program combines intensive Spanish, homestays with local families, and lectures on the Universidad San Francisco de Quito campus with extensive field excursions (more than half the semester!) to Ecuador's diverse tropical ecosystems. We cover the entire country, from the glacier-capped Andes to the legendary Galapagos Islands to the remote and majestic Amazon rainforest. Students receive training in standard field methods for ecological research, explore active conservation sites, and work for one month with a local conservation or scientific organization. More information for the TCS semester program is available online.