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BIODIVERSITY & DEVELOPMENT IN THE ANDES-AMAZON,
PERU
PROGRAM DETAILS
- Terms: Fall, Spring
- Credits: 18 semester-hour credits
- Prerequisites: One semester of college-level ecology, biology, or environmental studies/science; 18 years of age
- Application Deadline: Rolling admissions. Early applications encouraged
- Financial Aid: All accepted students can apply for need-based scholarships, grants, and loans
OVERVIEW
Through coursework, field exercises, and Directed Research, students experience the richness of the Andes-Amazon region, study people’s dependence on the environment, examine threats to the environment and to social networks, and explore the tools and strategies that both mitigate threats and promote well-being among rural communities. Our research projects are geared towards identifying the range of socio-ecological issues, as well as basic questions about biodiversity, that help us guide and inform the program’s research agenda.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
- Including Machu Picchu, explore the Sacred Valley of the Incas, investigating highland tropical forests, historical and modern methods of natural resource management, and the interface between society and the environment
- Stay in the Amazonian rainforest, visiting the Villa Carmen biological station in the town of Pillcopata, to gain an understanding of research being conducted in the rainforest and the livelihoods of a community inextricably linked to the rainforest
- Visit floodplain rainforests in the Manu Biosphere Reserve to understand the different forest types and species composition of one of the most biodiverse areas in the world
- Experience a cloud forest ecosystem at the Wayqecha Biological Station, studying long-term impacts of climate change in the area and comparing the flora and fauna with those of other tropical rainforests
DIRECTED RESEARCH
Through Directed Research (DR)—as opposed to basic, applied, or independent research—students conduct research on a specific topic that is part of the SFS Center’s long-term strategic research plan, which has been developed in partnership with local community stakeholders and clients.
The course, taught by resident SFS faculty, provides students with the opportunity to apply the scientific process in a mentored field research project that addresses a local environmental issue. Through the DR project, students contribute to a growing body of scientific research that informs local conservation and resource management decisions.