Over spring break, six intrepid ENVS students joined students from Emory’s Biology Department for an immersive field course (ENVS 372: Ecology of the Tropics). A unique learning opportunity, coupled with meaningful academic and cultural experiences, equaled an unforgettable experience. Some of the students were gracious enough to provide us with brief reflections of their experience and shared their photos. We hope that their experience will both remind and inspire those that have participated previously in an international field experience or who might be considering such an opportunity in the future. Enjoy!
Maria Mendoza Contreras 25C
Visiting the Amazon rainforest was truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, in which I learned about biodiversity, ethnobotany, local life, and myself. I experienced things I never imagined I would, like fishing piranhas for dinner, holding a baby sloth, talking to a shaman, and spotting a fluorescent scorpion during a night hike. My favorite parts were visiting a medicinal garden and talking to locals as I gathered information for my project on women’s health, focusing on traditional medicine. The trip was equally thrilling and challenging, but absolutely rewarding as I grew academically and personally.
Alyssa Colen 25C
This Spring Break, I was fortunate enough to travel to the Amazon Rainforest. The days were packed, from morning hikes to night boat rides. To list all the sights we experienced, would take pages, so to list my favorites, I would include fishing for Piranhas (and eating the ones we caught), learning to cast a circular fishing net and use a blowgun, and seeing pink dolphins.
It was a very tactile experience as well. We pet an anaconda, and held two sloths, our baby two-toed sloth Elvis “Soso” and an older three toed sloth. Perhaps a little biased as one of the people who food poisoning did not affect as much, but the food was delicious. I enjoyed the variety of fish, plantains, and fruits. Not a single fruit was sour or bitter (except for one we picked during a boat ride that resembled a lemon in the grapefruit family, but we were warned).
One special experience was during one of our night walks, the reveal of a special fungus that glowed under our feet, as if we were standing on a constellation of stars. It really made me consider how small we were in the great expanse around us. Although I think I sweat out my total bodyweight and was brutally destroyed by the mosquitos, the experience was worth it multiple times over.
Emily Zhou 25C
I can’t believe that I got to go to the Amazon rainforest for spring break?! Going to the Amazon was one of the most amazing life experiences thus far and definitely the best things I’ve done as a student at Emory. This one-of-a-kind trip was awe-invoking and made me reflect a lot on the world around me. Being able to go with a field expert, Dr. Wilson and our guide Roldan, made all the difference. Because of their expertise, we were able to better spot many things such as sloths, tree boas, and various birds and insects. Dr. Wilson even caught an anaconda! Through passing on plant and animal identification knowledge, by the end of the trip, students were able to identify walking palm trees, oro pendulla birds, and so on. Being immersed in the tropics from sunrise to sunset, you can’t help but to learn. Moreover, this trip was influential in prompting personal growth! Being in a foreign environment and country, I was able to push myself in doing new experiences. This trip definitely made an impact. The biodiversity was astounding, the people were kind and generous, and I just found myself in constant awe and wonder, reflecting on how beautiful the Earth is. I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity and am leaving with a renewed sense of curiosity. So excited to continue exploring the world. Here’s to more adventures!
Laurel Garcia 25C
Spending spring break in the Amazon Rainforest was something I had never imagined would be a possibility for me as a first-generation Mexican American student but I am so grateful that it was. The Amazonian Rainforest of Peru is a beautiful treasure trove of life! From the hikes to the boat rides, I was able to see and experience so much that the Amazon had to offer such as sloths, piranhas, pink dolphins, and the small but mighty Bolivar leaf mimic katydid! However, my favorite part was the people who were filled with vast knowledge and stories. Guillermo, the local shaman, stuck with our group for a few days and it was amazing learning and interacting with him. On night hikes one second he would be behind me and the next he would be deep in the forest coming out with a boa constrictor snake on his arm or a lizard in his hand. We spent hours talking to him as he shared local folklore and medicinal plant remedies similar to the ones I had learned from my family in Mexico. This trip left me with a deep desire to explore more of Latin America and embrace nature wherever it takes. Visiting the Amazon Rainforest was truly an invaluable experience that I will forever carry with me.
Department of Environmental Sciences 