SIT Ecuador: Comparative Ecology and Conservation

This program is an incredible opportunity for students studying ecology or environmental science! I had had great experiences traveling throughout Ecuador, learning about local ecology, and making new friends. The classes, and especially the independent research project, made me more qualified for ecology research positions. Taking classes in Spanish and living with a host family has made me much more confident in Spanish classes at my home university. I loved living with my host family, and I'll never forget all of the local traditions and foods they introduced me to. The program directors and host families are so proud of their country, and it's easy to see why! This was an incredible experience and I would recommend it to anyone interested in ecology and conservation.

This is a great program for anyone looking to further their Spanish and learn a lot about biology, ecology, geology, and natural sciences while spending lots of time outdoors. The program is very structured and intensive but this is what makes it so rewarding. The academics are interesting, challenging, and supported by real experiences in the field. You will travel to a number of amazing locations including the Galapagos, Amazon, páramo, and cloud forest. While the program itself is heavily oriented towards science and conservation you will also learn about culture through school and through your host families. One of the aspects of this program that makes it so unique is the independent study project. This was also one of the things I was most nervous about, but you will feel prepared and confident with the help of professors and staff. Students use this opportunity to study a topic of interest, practice research techniques, build their resume, gain field experience, do their senior thesis, and have an independent and immersive experience.
Do not expect to have a ton of free time. The days in the city are spent in class and nights spent with your host family. Excursions are spaced about a week apart. This allows you time to reflect on the last trip, prepare for the next, and have time to explore the city.
This is by no means an easy study abroad program academically or culturally. However if you are open-minded and passionate about ecology and conservation this will be an amazing and worthwhile experience. There are many people both in and out of the program that are kind, helpful, and excited to share their culture with you. One things this program really stresses is how to be a conscious and respectful student abroad. Overall, this is amazing experience and you will learn so much personally and academically!

This is a science-focused program with a significant field-based component, but what makes this program special is that it also gives you the chance to get to know intimately Ecuadorian culture. In addition to swimming among river dolphins in the Amazon and with sea turtles, sharks, and sea lions in the Galapagos, some of my favorite memories include hanging out with my host brother and his friends on the weekends, going with them to the discoteca or a pick-up soccer game. Living with an Ecuadorian family while in Quito was at first a daunting idea to me, but this was one of my absolute favorite aspects about the program. What is at first somewhat of a challenge comes to feel like home, to the point where I felt homesick when I returned to the US. There is no better way to learn the hidden details of a culture that tourists will never see. Not to mention the other great part of this program, which is the month-long independent study project that you conduct in the field in a topic of your interest. I worked with rare magnolia trees in the cloud forest, and this was a truly unique experience to learn and utilize field methods as an independent researcher.

I learned so much on this program that I would not have learned at my home college, largely because of the focus on experiential learning in the field. We got to travel to a cloud forest and a high-altitude paramo, not to mention deep in the Amazon forest and the Galapagos Islands! Those opportunities themselves make this program worth it because we were able to experience all different parts of Ecuador in a way that simple tourist would never be able to access. My spanish also improved a lot and I gained a lot of confidence with the language. Just be aware this program is a balance between conservation/field biology and Spanish and therefore is not an immersive experience.

I'm not a science student, but I had an amazing time on this program. I learned about and visited the páramo (highlands), the cloud forest, the Amazon, and the Galápagos, made 20 incredible friends, learned from wonderful professors, and grew to love my homestay. We got to explore Quito, swim with sharks, rays, fish, eels, turtles, and sea lions in the Galápagos, see a jaguar and a harpy eagle in the Amazon, birdwatch at 5am in the cloud forest, and hike to 17,500 feet on a volcano! What's not to like?

The main things I gained were botanical knowledge, field research experience, and connections with the science community in Ecuador. I did not find the program very academically challenging and a lot of the topics covered were pretty basic ecological/biological concerts. We did a fair amount of birdwatching on the program, which is something I very much enjoy. My favorite experiences were the cloud forest excursion, going out on a boat on an Amazonian lake, and my independent study project that took me to an altitude of 3 miles above sea level. However, my Spanish did not improve much (started and finished as an intermediate speaker) and there wasn't much time for cultural immersion.

The best aspects of this program were the excursions, the close relationship with the professors, the homestays, and the independent study. We went on 4 major trips throughout the semester--a cloud forest & rural community, the paramo highlands, the Amazon, and the Galapagos--and they were amazing. Our professors travelled with us for all of the excursions and were present every day at class, and they were very helpful and supportive with everything we did. My homestays were all fantastic experiences, especially my main homestay in Quito. My Quito family seemed perfectly chosen for me and I always felt comfortable and happy there. Finally, everyone completed an independent study project for a month toward the end of the semester. This was an excellent opportunity to develop as both a researcher and a person.

This program is a wonderful experiencing mixing Spanish and science together in order to experience the best of both worlds. The excursions are the best part of the program and you get to travel to the Amazon, the Galapagos, the Paramo, and the Cloud Forest, and learn all about the plants, the birds, and the interactions. Everyday coming home to a host family was such a great experience as they were really open and wanted to help me learn Spanish and experience Ecuador.

Studying abroad in Ecuador through SIT was the best decision I could have made. I was provided with a unique cultural, language, and academic experience, growing not only as a student but also as a person. My language skills in Spanish improved drastically through continuos practice with local Ecuadorians and through language classes. This program allowed the students to travel throughout most of the country, from the cloud forest, to the volcanic glacier region, to the Galapagos Islands, and to the Amazon jungle. The Independent Study Project (ISP) was also an amazing experience, and I personally felt so rewarded when I left my ISP knowing that I had contributed to the work of an organization. All in all, I would choose this program again if given the option.

This program let me travel throughout Ecuador to lots of cool places, including the Galapagos, the cloud forest, and a very isolated part of the Amazon. If you like nature, its a great fit. The host families were wonderful. The Independent Study Project at the end of the trip was definitely a highlight. We got to travel by ourselves to work on a natural resourcesrelated research project of our choosing, generally working through local non-profits. For mine, I worked with camera traps of spectacled bears in the cloud forest to understand their patterns. It was part of a larger research project done through the Ecuadorian government and the University of Quito. Getting to put my knowledge to use in that way was wonderful.

There is no other study abroad in the world where you will canoe up the amazon and snorkel in the Galapagos Islands. GO to ECUADOR. The independent study program is amazing and will allow you to gain the skills needed to do research and work in this field in future careers!