TCS 2020 started like every other semester, Catherine and Joe brought 21 students to Ecuador in January, ready for an adventure. The first two months were spent trekking through the Andes, hiking in El Pahuma, and exploring the Amazon Rainforest. The students saw some incredible wildlife, from the spectacled bears roaming El Pahuma, the herd of white lipped peccaries storming past in the rainforest, to the pink Amazon river dolphins that greeted their arrival at Tiputini. Everything was going well, but alas, it would not stay that way. They left Tiputini on February 28th where they were blissfully unaware of all that was happening around the world. The next day, the first case in Ecuador was confirmed.

     The students left for their various spring break destinations on March 7th. Just four days later, the unthinkable happened, an email from UW-Madison stating that all spring semester programming was suspended and students were to return home no later than March 22nd. The Galapagos portion of the semester was scheduled to take place March 22-29th, would they really have to send everyone home? Unfortunately, for the safety of our students, a quick evacuation became Ceiba's top priority, and everything happened in quick succession after that. On Friday the 13th, Ecuador closed all schools and universities. The next day, the government of Ecuador announced that it was suspending all international flights into Ecuador on the following Monday. With U.S. airlines cancelling flights out of Ecuador, students and Ceiba staff scrambled to change their reservations. Luckily, the last of the students boarded their flights to the U.S. at 11:00 pm on the 16th, before the nationwide lockdown in Ecuador began on the 17th. 

       While this wasn’t the semester that anyone could have foreseen, the students made lifelong friends, and lasting memories, and filled their heads with plant and animal knowledge. Iris, a student, said it best: “Learning was actually fun for the first time in my life. I was able to directly see the information from lectures apply to the ecosystems we visited. I now know I must do my part to protect this planet, for my own sake.” The rest of the semester has been moved to a virtual format, where they can still receive credit, interact with one another, and learn from Ceiba’s professors. We did manage to reschedule our Galapagos voyage, and it is our hope that all the students will be able to return in 2021!

Left: Spectacled bear cub spotted at El Pahuma. Photo By Joe Meisel
Right: White-lipped peccary in Tiputini. Photo by Will Vuyk, TCS 2020.

In early January, Ceiba’s Education Coordinator, Kelly van Gils, with the help of Ceiba intern Ava Williams, facilitated the annual environmental education workshop for local educators. We hosted 16 local teachers from Tabuga, Don Juan, Tasaste and Jama at the Lalo Loor reserve for the teacher training portion of the workshop. During these days, we tested a variety of curriculum materials generously provided by the Latino Earth Partnership. After learning about the numerous options available to add to their curricula, teachers tested their new activities in the classrooms and libraries in the communities surrounding the reserve. Working all together, we were able to provide instruction and materials for 250 students in the region. When the teachers shared their experiences at the end of the workshop, many of them marvelled at how inspiring it was to do the activities with students and observe their enthusiasm.  All of the participating teachers have committed to doing at least one activity per month with students and several have expressed interest in learning more. Our next steps are to reach out to more teachers and libraries in the region to encourage the continued use of knowledge and materials to support environmental education.

During these difficult times, we at Ceiba would like you to know that we care about you. We hope that you are taking the appropriate measures to stay safe and healthy. Our work would not be possible without you! Conserving threatened ecosystems is more important now than ever. From undiscovered medical uses, to helping prevent climate disaster, saving forests can help us combat current and future problems. Ceiba is working with landowners and local governments in Ecuador to make sustainable land management a reality. With your support, we will provide communities the resources they need to pursue a more sustainable future. Please join others who have made Ceiba a top-rated nonprofit, and make your gift today.