Upon completion of the course, educators
will:
-Appreciate how destruction of the rainforest leads to an unsustainable planet.
-Understand basic principles of rainforest ecology.
-Increase the depth of knowledge in their subject matter.
-Have a personal stake in the preservation of the Amazon rainforest and its culture.
-Translate the learning into meaningful lessons and student activities.
This is an on-site experiential learning course combined with reading, research, collaboration and lecture. Participants interact with the culture and environment on a personal level. It is not a tour with first-class hotels; lodging is partly in an Amazon field research station.
Participants can collaborate in a service component relevant to their area of interest; examples include: reforestation, working with a local school, promoting oral hygiene, documenting local customs, history or language, fostering eco-friendly practices, translating scientific studies, maintaining research trails, and many other possibilities.
The base of operations is Iquitos, Peru, which itself is an anomaly: the most inland city in the world with access to the sea (3600 km from the Atlantic); the largest city (half-million population) unreachable by road, founded by Jesuits in 1750; shaped by the rise and fall a rubber boon.
Knowledge of Spanish is not required although any speaking ability will greatly enhance the experience and should be commensurate with the intention to interact with the local community.
