"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
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.