Staff Spotlight: Corrie Rushford

Corrie is from the Midwestern United States and has always enjoyed traveling and learning about other cultures. After studying abroad in Cusco, she decided to move to Peru in 2014. In 2016, she moved to The Amazon region to work on research and conservation projects.

I am not sure if this is my favorite travel memory, but it is the trip that impacted me the most. I visited The Amazon while I was studying abroad in Cusco. It was the first time I was able to see such a variety of wild animals in their habitats, and I was with a great group of friends. We went to Manu National Park and traveled inside of the protected zone where only a handful of travelers go.

What really made the trip was the feeling I got from the forest; I felt welcomed. Before I went, I was studying General Biology with a little focus on marine mammals, but this trip inspired me to return to work in research and conservation of The Amazon Rainforest. So I came back!

Since starting with Eco Decision, I have expanded and diversified my knowledge of the region. In the past, I have focused my research on both arboreal and terrestrial mammals, mostly using camera traps. Since starting with Eco Decision, I have learned more about sustainable agriculture and cacao, bird mist-netting techniques, as well as the importance of ecotourism to the region. I feel that this helps me better understand the challenges the region faces to protect the forest.

Most of our projects are focused on the community and local levels. At the smallest level, we are reforesting and monitoring our land which will help the local fauna. However, growing bigger with the art, education, and sustainable agriculture programs, we work on a community level. With all the programs, we hope that these efforts and consciousness of the conservation efforts will spread throughout the region.

I am a little biased on this one since I studied Zoology, and my passion and interests lie with mammal conservation so I would recommend the Biological Monitoring program. I think that the program offers a wide variety of activities for people who want to learn about different research techniques and is useful for future researchers to know the basics.

I am proud of the diversity of knowledge that our team brings to the table. We are a great mix of people who have different passions focusing around sustainability as well as local people who have grown up in the forest and can share a wealth of local knowledge and stories. I think that it is really important that volunteers and interns learn from people with different life stories.

In Peru, I think that sometimes there is a disconnect with what is offered on paper and what is actually there. For me, one of the most important aspects to be successful is to offer things that the company can actually accomplish. I think it is important to be clear with what visitors should expect and to meet or exceed their expectations.