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SFS/Peru: Biodiversity and Development in the Amazon (Outgoing Program)

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  • Locations: Cuzco, Peru
  • Program Terms: Fall, Spring
  • Homepage: Click to visit
  • Program Sponsor: The School for Field Studies (SFS) 
  • Restrictions: WFU applicants only
Dates / Deadlines:
Dates / Deadlines:
Term Year App Deadline Decision Date Start Date End Date
Spring 2025 10/15/2024 10/15/2024 TBA TBA
Fact Sheet:
Fact Sheet:
Click here for a definition of this term Language of Instruction: English, Spanish Click here for a definition of this term Housing: Residence Hall
Click here for a definition of this term Academic Areas Offered: Anthropology, Biology, Economics, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, International Studies, Latin-American and Latino Studies Program Sponsor: SFS
Program Description:

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.