Program Reviews

Overall my experience on the African Ecology and Conservation program (AEC) for Spring 2025 has been absolutely amazing. I am so sad that the program ends in a few days. Going into this program, I was looking forward to expanding upon my current field work skills, connecting and forming friendships with others, and obviously seeing the Big 5. Thankfully, I can say that I got all that and more.

There's so much that happens in one OTS semester that it can be hard to unpack all of it and look back on it, especially when writing a review. But the professors and staff here have been so amazing and so supportive and so have my classmates. Field work was so fun but was definitely also challenging (mostly due to the hot weather) and our homestay definitely pushed me way outside of my comfort zone. However, it was so interesting and cool to see how the people in Guyuni village lived life and it was amazing how welcoming they were to us.

When not conducting field work, writing essays, practicing presentations, and more, our group tended to prefer to go on game drives. We would get up at 6am, sometimes earlier, and do our best to spot the animals first. It was always a good time, even on the days where we barely saw anything or when the wind chill in the back of the GDV made it feel way colder than it actually was.

The food was great and the accommodations were nice. Fair warning, there may be some locations where you have to share a room with 5 other people, if not more. Sometimes there would be as little as 2 total sharing a room. It can be challenging for some to navigate having that many roommates, but thankfully that wasn't as much of a problem for us.

Overall, I really do suggest going on this program. The sights, experiences, and the people absolutely make the program and I had fun working on all of our assignments, despite how stressful it could be. Myself and some other students are even planning on staying an extra week to go to Cape Town as our spring break location ended up being in St. Lucia (which was such a cute town).

This program definitely pushed me to try new things, and I certainly struggled at times throughout the semester. But every day was a good day, and when in Kruger National Park there is no way of knowing what animal is waiting around the corner. I spent most the semester racing to finish my academics to explore South Africa. The staff was excellent, the assignments made sense and the other students were fantastic. Some visiting instructors were not as good, but they did not stay for more than a week. There is inherent risk when doing fieldwork in Kruger with all the animals, but the instructors and game guards worked with us to make sure everyone was safe. The food was good, but communicate with the chefs if you have dietary restrictions. I was disappointed in how they handled lactose free (very poorly) or made sure vegans/vegetarians had protein (oftentimes didn't). Lodging varied tremendously, but I always had a bed to sleep in and a working shower.

This program offers an intensive dive into the tropical biology scene. The schedule is full, with regular excursions, lectures, and projects. The academic side of things can be challenging, but I found that mixed in with more relaxed activities and fun experiences, it was a great balance. You will definitely be busy, but that makes the free time all the more enjoyable. Exploring the field stations in my free time (usually in pairs or as a small group) was one of the most rewarding things, especially since this allowed me to see more of the birds and wildlife! One thing that was really important was to be intentional about getting good sleep. You will thank yourself later for having enough energy for the big days ahead!

One of the best parts about the program was the amazing staff, who were welcoming and friendly, but also super knowledgeable in their field! And of course, getting to know others in the group was incredibly rewarding. It's going to be a pretty intimate experience, since you will be with this same group of a dozen or so students for the whole time. This makes building these relationships really important, and super fun. And the food at each station was super yummy. I was always looking forward to meals and conversation in the comedor after a long day of hiking or classroom work!

Practice Spanish if you can! Bring a camera or binoculars if you are into birds and photography (you will be blown away by what you see!) and also be prepared for rain! The rain was tough especially in La Selva, but you adjust once you realize that it's supposed to rain, and that's what makes La Selva so alive! Mosquitoes were tough at Palo Verde, but with the right mindset and gear, they don't make too much of a difference.
Be ready for long bus rides, which were a great opportunity to see the countryside, connect more with others, and if your able, get a little rest.

I also recommend staying a bit after the program. I traveled for a week or so with people I had met during the first month, and it was a great experience, and really nice to be able to pick our own destinations and relax a bit after the business of the program!
All in all, this was an incredible experience. I learned a lot about biology and what practicing good science looks like, and also a lot about myself in the process. and it was amazing to see the new connections form with people that I am still in touch with to this day!

The first year I participated in the Disease Ecology and Wildlife Management Field Practicum was completely virtual through Zoom, but the following year I was invited to participate as an alumni/mentor in person in Kruger National Park. The in-person experience is definitely different, in a better way, than the virtual experience although both were very educational. I loved doing the field work and data collection within the park and everyone that I met through OTS and SANParks were super helpful and welcoming.

I originally completed a remote-version of this program through Cornell University during the pandemic. I remained in contact with my research mentors and the next summer I was invited back to participate in the field work component of the program.

This experience ended up being one of the best experiences of my life. I learned so much about African wildlife, met so many amazing friends, and took countless incredible pictures. I would recommend this program to any student interested in conservation.

OTS's program is the epitome of "once in a lifetime." The access granted to the program by South African National Parks allows students to do research directly in Kruger National Park, walking through the savanna with zebras and giraffes watching from a few hundred feet away! The staff are all incredibly accommodating and do everything in their power to not only make you feel welcome and safe, but to push you to grow as a student and a scientist, fostering an environment where everyone feels comfortable asking questions. The views, both of the landscapes and animals, are indescribable. I wish I could retake this program every year.

A few things of interest: The food is FANTASTIC. I would do anything to eat that food again, the catering service staff are geniuses. There are only a few times (a week max) in which there is no phone service, and honestly the "forced" break from technology was pretty nice. The accommodations are super comfortable, with AC for those super hot days! I honestly have no big complaints.

This course was terrific! We had learning experiences both outside and inside the classroom. During our stay in Costa Rica, we visited four biological stations. We went on multiple hikes, during which our professor gave us mini-lectures based on the interesting plants and animals we saw. We also attended lectures given by other scientists working at the biological stations and learned about their research. For faculty-led projects, we had the opportunity to work closely with experienced researchers. We also practiced writing scientific papers and giving presentations. Besides, there were plenty of fun activities—watching alligators, catching bats with mist nets, observing quetzal birds, to name a few. Words can never do justice to the wonders I saw in Costa Rica. I would highly recommend this program to anyone interested in nature and science!

This inexperienced Detroit girl found the loves of her life during her OTS graduate summer course in Costa Rica. I was going to be a cell biologist, spouted 10 reasons why a woman should never marry, and was NOT going somewhere with spiders. And bugs! Hmmm. I became a tropical field ecologist, married a Costa Rican naturalist, and got a PHD in Entomology. Well, well. I guess you can say that an OTS/OET course can change your life. Yes! 40 years of great adventures. Recently retired (Professor Emerita), I bought a small piece of land near Corcovado National Park where I conducted my individual research project for my course in 1978. Life is good.

After nearly twenty-four hours of travel, I landed in the Johannesburg Airport. My excitement overcame my nerves while driving to the backpacker’s hotel to meet my twelve new classmates for the next three months. Recollecting on this moment, I could not have comprehended how these people, brought together from around the United States and South Africa would soon become so much more than my classmates. They are my collaborators, supporters, and incredible friends.

The Skukuza Science Leadership Initiative (SSLI) in Skukuza, Kruger National Park was our home and base location for the program. Though safely surrounded by a fence, we fell asleep and woke to the calls of hyenas and lions in the distance, showered in the presence of kudu and waterbuck, and consciously protected our bananas from the local vervet monkeys. Our lectures on savanna ecology, evolution, or statistical analyses supplemented the knowledge we gained while working in the field. In groups of three to four we completed long-term research projects with topics ranging from microplastic pollution in river systems to differences in the species richness of birds between sites of varying levels of controlled herbivory.

We left the park and drove to the village of Venda in the north east corner of South Africa. In groups of three we said goodbyes to our friends and departed for four days in rural homestays. Equipped with my camera, two pairs of clothes, and a toothbrush I walked through the gate into our homestay family’s yard in the Sanari village. For the next four days we learned to cook traditional meals of pap with spinach or mopane worms, collected and carried wood (on our heads) from the bush, and spent many hours each day playing with over fifty local kids. Each night we fell asleep on hand woven grass mats and woke to the rooster’s call and the chiming of goat bells. Even with a wonderful translator, language remained a barrier, but the human ability to connect over a smile or gesture became profound. Being surrounded by people filled with generosity, pride, joy, and an incredibly rich sense of community has touched me in ways I have yet to realize.

My time in South Africa with OTS was informative, fun, and truly life changing. I highly recommend this program for anyone with a sense of adventure, love for learning, and drive to connect to people and nature alike.

Excellent course , full of wonderful experiences, learning, nature and great people. I think this is a vey good opportunity to learn a lot of basic and very important ecological aspects of tropical environments and put your hands in the ground, I mean, having the opportunity to practice what you learn inmediatelly in a natural environment. Costa Rica is a beautiful country and the natural reserves of the Organization for Tropical Studies are just amazing.
Teachers are great and I think that having the chance to meet people very passionate about nature from all over the world and is wonderful. I think it could be nice to have one day per week as free time for resting a little because sometimes the activities performed were physically exhausting.