Tropical Ecology

Program Locations

Quito, Coca/Yasuni National Park (Amazon); El Chaco (Cloud Forest); and San Cristobal Island (Galapagos), Ecuador.

Program Highlights

• Tropical Culture & Ecology in Ecuador
  
  • Study the relationships among biodiversity, environment, and human cultures across major tropical systems.
• Multi-Region Field Experience: Quito, Yasuní National Park, El Cajas National Park, and Galápagos Islands
  
  • Explore rainforest, high Andes, cloud forest, and marine ecosystems.
• Biodiversity Research in the Amazon Basin
  
  • Conduct field observation and ecological study within one of the world’s most species-rich environments.
• Environment, Culture & Belief Systems
  
  • Examine cultural narratives, indigenous perspectives, and human–environment relationships.
• Conservation Science in Practice
  
  • Analyze deforestation, ecosystem management, and global conservation strategies.
• Marine Ecology & Island Systems
  
  • Investigate volcanic island environments, wildlife adaptation, and marine biodiversity in the Galápagos.
• Applied Field Methods & Observation
  
  • Engage in ecological research activities, guided field study, and environmental analysis across diverse habitats.
• Interdisciplinary Science & Society Perspective
  
  • Integrate biology, psychology, and cultural study to understand global environmental challenges.
• Experiential Learning Across Tropical Landscapes
  
  • Connect theory to practice through immersive fieldwork and direct ecosystem engagement.
• Global Environmental Competency Development
  
  • Build scientific literacy, cultural awareness, and applied research skills in an international context.

Course Description

This study abroad course is complementary to materials learned in BIOL/PSYC 395 (a prerequisite for this course). The course includes international travel where students will have the opportunity to observe, and describe human cultures, critically evaluate and understand the psycho-social-cultural origins of regional myths and legends (e.g. ghosts and cryptids), and biogeographical principles, with emphasis on tropical and island biogeography. While in Ecuador we will focus our activities on the high Andes, Amazon basin, cloud forests, and the Galápagos Islands. Students will engage in research projects and conduct floral and faunal surveys/inventories in conjunction with faculty and researchers from several universities and conservation programs. Students will study and observe vegetation, wildlife, and human cultures and synthesize how each are molded by the environment in which they are found.