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SFS Peru: The Living Amazon
Experience the incredible biodiversity of the Peruvian Amazon when you spend a semester in the rainforest studying conservation, development, and sustainability. Meet the residents, analyze environmental policies, and explore diverse ecosystems to learn about climate change, resource extraction, and other regional issues. Students climb from cloud forests to lowland jungles, surveying biodiversi...
Experience the incredible biodiversity of the Peruvian Amazon when you spend a semester in the rainforest studying conservation, development, and sustainability. Meet the residents, analyze environmental policies, and explore diverse ecosystems to learn about climate change, resource extraction, and other regional issues. Students climb from cloud forests to lowland jungles, surveying biodiversity, mapping plant–animal interactions, and tracing how altitude shapes life. From ridgelines, they see intact canopy stretching in one direction and fields newly cleared for timber and oil in the other. Each trek carries the tension that the world’s richest forests are also among its most endangered. Each dataset transforms from numbers to evidence in a struggle that links Amazon futures to global...
Program Highlights
Track pink river dolphins at the Amazon’s birthplace, logging GPS coordinates, group size, behavior, and water conditions.
Survey biodiversity turnover from Andes to lowland by establishing permanent GPS plots, cataloging vegetation, and deploying climate loggers.
Record ancestral medicinal plant knowledge with Indigenous women healers, noting preparation methods, habitat conditions, and oral histories.
Ground-truth a contested logging frontier, setting waypoints at boundary markers, interviewing forest guardians, and mapping disputed areas.
Conduct Directed Research: frame a stakeholder-driven question, collect and analyze field data with faculty guidance, and present actionable findings to local partners.
Quick Details
- Tarapoto, Peru
- Fall
- Spring
- Animal Science
- Anthropology
- Biology See more
- All Nationalities
Awards
Program Reviews
Hear what past participants have to say about the programs
Overall Rating
Total Reviews
Amazing interactive opportunity to learn about Peruvian culture and environment
February 15, 2019by: Samantha Slevens - United StatesProgram: SFS Peru: The Living Amazon
This program was awesome. As a zoology major, I was floored by the amazing wildlife around me. The food was amazing and the beds were comfortable. It was cool at night so we slept well and all of our health needs were taken care of immediately. Safety is the top priority for this program so sometimes rules felt a bit restrictive for experienced travellers but it was just to ensure no one got hurt. I made local friends but I did so on my own time, time I took advantage of when presented. We worked with the community's children, teaching them about environmental issues and we got a well-rounded understanding of the culture, history, language and environmental aspects of the Peruvian Amazon and Andes Mountains.
Program Details
Learn all the nitty gritty details you need to know
Locations
- Tarapoto, Peru
Types and Subjects
- Subjects & Courses
- Animal Science
- Anthropology
- Biology
Availability
Years Offered: 2026, 2027
- Fall
- Spring
Age Requirement
Age Requirement Varies
Guidelines
All Nationalities
This Program is also open to Solo, Couples, Group
Cost per week
Program Cost Includes
- Tuition & Fees
- Accommodation / Housing for Program Duration
- Weekday Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
- Some Program Activity Costs
Accommodation Options
- Dormitory
- Group living
Qualifications & Experience
- English
Language Skills Required
- University Freshman (1st Year)
- University Sophomore (2nd Year)
- University Junior (3rd Year)
Accepted Education Levels
Application Procedures
- Transcript
- Online Application
Frequently Asked Questions
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