Zoology & Wildlife Sciences Study Abroad Programs in Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Track a tapir and Andean bears in a cloud forest. Study primates and rainforest ecology in the Amazon. Then get ready to explore the Galápagos, one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world, on this 20-day adventure for high school students 16 and up. Tropical ecosystems exhibit an amazing degree of biodiversity and species richness, and this program brings you into the heart of it all - the Andes Mountains, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Galápagos Islands. Conduct biological surveys while you track Andean mountain bears, jaguars, and the elusive tapir. Head into a remote part of the Amazon jungle where the world's most biodiverse region is right at your fingertips. Snorkel and explore the pristine islands of the Galápagos Archipelago, home to the widest array of flora and fauna on the planet. We are offering two sessions for 2026 (while space lasts): June 22 - July 11, 2026 July 13 - August 1, 2026

The Galápagos Islands are a spectacular natural treasure and one of the best places on Earth to appreciate change. To biologists, a trip to the Galápagos is something of a pilgrimage to sacred evolutionary ground, for it was here in 1835 that Charles Darwin witnessed how giant tortoises, finches, and other taxa each varied from island to island across the archipelago—observations that, among many others, shaped Darwin’s ideas on evolution. For this course, we will be working with Ecology Project International (EPI), which championed inquiry-driven field science and sustainability for many years and made tremendous progress working with the Galápagos National Parks Service and others on ecological education. This course is also offered in partnership with the Houston Zoo. Students in this course should be prepared to explore the forces of change in the Galápagos and contribute directly to sustainable solutions to current issues. Before and following the field experience in Galápagos, students will complete coursework via Dragonfly Workshops' Web-Based Learning Community as they apply these experiences to their home institutions.

The Tropical Conservation Semester offers a once-in-a-lifetime adventure in Ecuador, where you will immerse yourself in Latin American culture and language, and explore some of the most pristine and wildlife-packed sites on the planet. You will experience the immense biodiversity of Ecuador from the Amazon Rainforest, to the Andes Mountains, to the Galápagos Islands. Ceiba has partnered with the University of Wisconsin to offer an unparalleled semester in applied tropical ecology, conservation, and rural community development. We join real-world conservation projects, and encourage you to blend the academic and applied realms, bridging the gap between classroom science and practical conservation. This one-of-a-kind semester is ideal for undergraduate students in biological and social fields who seek interdisciplinary training for careers in habitat protection, tropical ecology, environmental education, and international development.