Fall Semester: August 22nd to December 20th, 2009
Spring Semester: January 2nd to May 16th, 2010

The Ecuador Tropical Ecology Program offers biology and environmental science majors the opportunity to spend a semester studying the vast and diverse ecosystems of tropical Ecuador through intensive hands-on experiences. The program consists of four ecology courses based on field research in the montane, tropical rainforest, and coastal regions, as well as an intensive Spanish language course.

During the first nine weeks of the program students complete three upper-level ecology courses on the various ecosystems of Ecuador, which combine lectures at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito with studies lasting from several days to four weeks in different environments in Ecuador. Students also enroll in a required, two-credit, intensive Spanish course during the first three weeks of the program. The highlights of the field experience include a one-week guided scientific excursion to the Galapagos Islands, a 10 day coastal project at Los Piqueros (near Machalilla National Park on the Pacific coast), and a four-week stay in the Amazon rainforest at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station.