May Term (2002) Trip led by Jackie Brittingham & Jeff Parmelee
An Equatorial Experience: from Rainforest to the Galápagos Islands.
International Study – Global Awareness; 24 students 

With its array of vibrant indigenous cultures, well-preserved colonial architecture, other-worldly volcanic landscapes and dense rainforest, Ecuador packs its perimeters with an incredible diversity of destinations in a nation no bigger than the state of Nevada.  We will fly into the capital, Quito, and travel by airplane, boat, and bus to the Yasuni Biological Station deep in the Amazon rainforest.  We will spend five days studying one of the most biologically-diverse habitats on earth.  Jaguar, puma and ocelot roam the vicinity of the Station; scarlet macaws nest nearby; wooly and spider monkeys swing through the canopy, while harpy eagle and king vulture soar overhead; river dolphins, giant otters, and anacondas live in rives and lagoons nearby.

After studying the rainforest flora and fauna, we will travel back to Quito to take a plane to the Galapagos Islands.  These distant islands are lauded as one of the world’s greatest natural history treasures, their unique diversity of plant and animal life providing a living textbook for ecologists.  We will cruise among the islands in a 30 person cruise ship and explore the islands and waters around them with native guides.  The Galapagos archipelago is renowned for its unique and fearless wildlife.  Here, we will swim with sea lions, float eye-to-eye with penguins and stand beside the blue-footed boobies as they feed their young.  The landscape is barren and volcanic but has a unique haunting beauty.  The islands’ renowned bird and marine life includes albatrosses, penguins, boobies, turtles, giant tortoises, iguanas, sea lions, whales and dolphins.  After exploring these islands we will return to the mainland and spend a few days at a cloud forest site, which is higher in elevation than the rainforest.

This course has no prerequisites and is designed for both biology and non-biology majors.  The Galapagos Islands are, of course, world famous as the area that most influenced Charles Darwin, who wrote the most influential book in biology.  The backdrop of the class sitting among Galapagos finches and giant tortoises will help the concepts and subtleties of evolution sink in.  There will be unlimited opportunities to practice the Spanish language, and students will gain insight into contemporary Latin culture and environmental problems besetting tropical habitats.