Great Semester to Learn Tropical Ecosystems and Spanish

I finished my Tropical Conservation Semester (TCS) back in 2017 and had such a great experience. In fact, I enjoyed my time so much that I went back and worked with Ceiba at Lalo Loor Dry Forest Reserve during graduate school in 2022. During the TCS Semester, after learning about tropical ecosystems in the classroom, we were then able to explore them in person. The diversity of ecosystems in Ecuador is also incredible, from the high Paramo to the Amazon to the Galapagos Islands. I saw so many cool animals, with favorites being the Plate-billed Mountain Toucan, Galapagos Penguin, Marine Iguanas, and Spectacled Bear. Additionally, I lived with two host families over my semester, and this provided a great way to solidify my Spanish. I also enjoyed learning more about Ecuadorian culture with the two families. Lastly, the other students in the TCS semester were fantastic. We became a tight knit group that supported each other as we were adjusting to life in Ecuador.