Field Courses – FCAT Ecuador

Field Courses For University Students

Undergraduate students from universities across the globe are encouraged to apply to join a field course at the FCAT Station in Summer 2025. These field courses are administered by Tulane University, instructed in English, and are open to students from any university and all disciplines and majors. The courses provide a two-week, interdisciplinary, immersive experience based out of FCAT’s comfortable & rustic field station. Students design and conduct hands-on research projects, receive lectures, and become familiar with conservation initiatives in the region, including sustainable coffee & cacao production, environmental education projects, small-scale agricultural, & eco-tourism ventures. These courses have been transformative for many of the students that have taken them, serving as stepping stones for further research, study, and careers in conservation.

For the most up to date information, please visit the TIERA Program homepage.

Research & Projects

Students work with instructors, peers, and local residents to design, implement and write up small group research projects during the field courses. Students learn by doing, and our approach is intentionally interdisciplinary, with projects spanning environmental, ecological to social questions. Examples of recent student projects include studies of bird diversity, water quality, or seed dispersal in relation to habitat type; local knowledge about medicinal plants; and social attitudes about conservation. These research projects provide a valuable opportunity to experience first-hand the challenges and rewards of designing and conducting community-engaged field research in a biodiversity hotspot, and in many cases have served as the foundation for subsequent honors thesis or graduate level research projects.

Logistics & Cost

We expect to offer two field courses at the FCAT in Summer 2025: Session 1 (May 22 – June 4) and Session 2 (July 20 – August 2). These dates are subject to change. Courses are instructed by Tulane faculty members, and students earn 3 upper-division credits in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology or Environmental Studies from Tulane University. These credits can typically be transferred to most universities. There are no required pre-requisite courses. The cost for the field course is $6,000 plus airfare; this includes all costs. Partial need- and merit-based scholarships are available. You can request a scholarship as a part of your application to the program.

Student Testimonials

“I have gained so much motivation for my major and the courses that come with it. All my life, I have been watching or talking about conservation issues and nature, constantly consuming information concerning biology and the environment. It is one thing to watch a David Attenborough documentary on my own or to discuss climate change in a lecture hall, but to see first-hand in an area incredibly at risk to climate change really puts into perspective how pressing these issues are. From fragmentation to deforestation to gene flow, I saw so many of the terms I have spent the better part of my college experience studying impacting real-life ecosystems; I cannot wait to learn more.”

“I believe that this trip changed the course of my studies and instilled in me a much deeper appreciation for the need to preserve our Earth’s biodiversity and beautiful wild ecosystems.”

This experience has been one of the most impactful of my college experience thus far, if not my life. It made me realize just how much I’d like to work with conservation in some way that also helps people. It also made me aware of how closely related work with people can and should be with working with the environment. Meeting everyone who lived down there really helped give me a more complex understanding of human’s interactions with land that has high environmental importance.

Something that really stuck with me was what a lot of people said: you can’t get people to truly focus on conservation until their basic needs are met. I realized that helping people take the steps to meet those needs and then pivot to focus on conservation work is something that is really interesting to me, and possibly something I could see myself doing in the future.

Application Process

Your first step is to apply for the program here. The final application deadline is February 24, 2025. You will know by March 14, 2025 if you have been accepted to the program. If you are accepted to the program and are not already a Tulane student, you will need to apply for summer school at Tulane. You can find more information about that here.

Questions?

Please reach out to Megan at mnarasimhan@tulane.edu.

Statement on Social Justice and Diversity

Students should have equal access to study and research abroad opportunities regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, disability, financial background, sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Conducting collaborative research in a tropical rainforest is a life-changing educational experience, and it can also present an opportunity to further awareness and acceptance of your community on a global scale. We encourage students from underrepresented groups to apply and will do our best to facilitate a safe and fulfilling experience for all!

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