This spring, a group of 11 Cedar Crest students had the opportunity to explore one of the most threatened habitats on our planet: the Amazon rainforest. The ten-day trip was held as part of the course, “The Amazon Basin: Natural History, Culture and Conservation,” taught by Professor of Biology John Cigliano, Ph.D.
The students spent the semester learning about the ecology of the tropical rainforest and the conservation issues that affect it, as well as the culture of indigenous Amerindian communities and how conservation issues affect their way of life. “For me, the main goal is to have students truly experience being in a tropical rainforest, especially the Amazon,” says Cigliano.
The group set up base at the Los Amigos Biological Station in Peru, a remote location that is a four-hour boat ride from the closest city, Puerto Maldonado. “We were so immersed in the rainforest that some of the best sightings of monkeys, birds and wild cats were right in camp. For most students, this is their only opportunity to fully experience the Amazon in an unpasteurized way,” Cigliano adds.
The trip to the Peruvian Amazon gave participants a valuable opportunity to complete fieldwork, which is a requirement for students in both the BS and BA Environmental Conservation Programs.
While in Peru, the students worked in small groups on a field research project and presented their findings to the class and others at the site. Research topics included the behavior of different bird species and the presence of microplastics in the rainforest.
“I was happily surprised by the number of mammals I was able to see,” says Sydney Heathcott ’22, an environmental conservation major and math minor who graduated this May. “The most memorable moment was the time a group of us went on a free time hike and got rained on for most of it. While on the way back, we were sure we were lost, but pushed forward and happened upon a Tayra [a weasel-like mammal] and its pups. That was such a rare sight! It was very exciting.”
The most memorable part of any trip for Cigliano, he says, “is seeing the students get so excited about what they see and experience.” The group spent most days on long forest hikes, including a trek to an oxbow lake where they had the opportunity to canoe while looking for giant river otters and the Hoatzin, a unique species of tropical bird.
“I would recommend this experience to anyone who has the opportunity,” says Heathcott. “The Amazon is such a diverse place, and there is so much to learn. It’s a great experience.”
The Department of Biological Sciences offers several different study tours. Past study tours to the Amazon have been taught in Ecuador, Guyana and other locations in Peru. In addition to the Amazon rainforest tour, Cigliano teaches a marine field ecology course in which students travel to a marine station in Caribbean locations such as Turks and Caicos, Belize, Puerto Rico and The Bahamas. Professor of Biology and Director of the Global Diseases Program, Amy Faivre, Ph.D., also leads a study tour to the American Southwest. Next up, the marine field ecology course will journey to Little Cayman Island in January 2023.
Visit the Office of Global Initiatives and International Programs to learn more about study abroad at Cedar Crest College.
