Ecuador, Tropical Conservation Semester Program -- Spring 2010
The Ecuador, Tropical Conservation Semester: Galapagos, Andes and Amazon
program is offered by International Academic Programs (IAP) at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison in partnership with the Ceiba Foundation for Tropical
Conservation (CFTC). CFTC also works with Universidad San Francisco de Quito
(USFQ) in Ecuador. Throughout the course of your study abroad experience you
will be communicating with both IAP and CFTC staff. It is essential that you pay
close attention to all information provided to you by both IAP and CFTC. This IAP
Program Handbook supplements handbook(s) or materials you receive from CFTC
as well as the IAP Study Abroad Handbook and provides you with the most up-todate information and advice available at the time of printing. Changes may
occur before your departure or while you are abroad.
CFTC handles the program’s day-to-day operations. Generally, questions about
aspects of your program abroad should be directed to CFTC (i.e. program
housing options, program facilities abroad, cultural tours offered as part of the
program, etc.) Questions relating to your relationship with UW-Madison or your
academics should be addressed to International Academic Programs at UWMadison (i.e. course credits, equivalents, UW Madison registration, etc.)
This program handbook contains the following information:
Contact Information ...........................................................................................................1
Program Dates .....................................................................................................................2
Preparations Before Leaving ..............................................................................................2
Travel and Arrival Information ............................................................................................3
The Academic Program .....................................................................................................3
Living Abroad .......................................................................................................................4
Contact Information
Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation
Education Programs
1202 Williamson St., Suite 1
Madison, WI 53716
Tel: 608-230-5550
Fax: 608-227-0141
cwoodward@wisc.edu (Dr. Catherine
Woodward)
jmeisel@wisc.edu (Dr. Joe Meisel)
Fundación Ceiba
Juan Ramírez N36-14 y German Alemán
Quito, Ecuador
Tel: 593-2-603-5904
Cell: 593-9-502-3341 (Catherine Woodward)
Cell: 593-8-414-2310 (Joe Meisel)
USFQ Office
Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Oficina de Programas Internacionales
Cumbaya, Ecuador
Tel: 593 2-289-1773
Email contacts (in case of emergency and
above cannot be reached):
Alexandra Anda - usfq-gaias@usfq.edu.ec
Veronica Castelo - vcastelo@usfq.edu.ec
UW-Madison Contact Information
International Academic Programs (IAP)
University of Wisconsin-Madison
250 Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Tel: (608) 265 6329
Fax: (608) 262 6998
Web: www.studyabroad.wisc.edu
Erica Haas-Gallo
IAP Study Abroad Advisor
Tel: 608-261-1020
E-mail: haasgallo@bascom.wisc.edu
Emergency Contact Information
In case of an emergency, call the main IAP number (608) 262-2851 between 7:45
a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; after-hours or on weekends call the IAP staff on call
at (608) 516-9440.
Embassy Registration
Program participants who are U.S. citizens must register at the U.S. Embassy before
departure as this will help in case of a lost passport or other mishap. You can
register on-line at https://travelregistration.state.gov. If you are not a U.S. citizen,
register at your home country’s embassy or consulate.
U.S. Embassy in Quito, Ecuador
Ave. Avigiras E12-170 y Ave. Eloy Alfaro (next to SOLCA)
Telephone during Business Hours: +593 2 256 2890 X4510.
Telephone for After-hours Emergencies: +593 2 256 1749
Fax: +593 2 256 1254.
Web: http://ecuador.usembassy.gov/
Program Dates
January 5, 2011 – Arrival date
January 6-7, 2011 – Orientation
January 10, 2011 – Classes begin
May 20, 2011 – Classes end
May 21, 2011 – Departure date
Preparations Before Leaving
Refer to the Pre-Departure Checklist on pages four and five of the IAP Study
Abroad Handbook for essential information.
Immigration Documents
Passport. A passport is needed to travel to Ecuador. Apply immediately for a
passport if you do not already have one. If you already have your passport, make
sure it will be valid for at least 6 months beyond the length of your stay abroad.
Visa All participants must obtain a student visa (12-V visa) for their semester of
studies in Ecuador. CFTC and USFQ will provide you with forms and instructions.
Please note that the visa process requires a variety of forms and supporting
documents and also requires a trip to the Ecuadorian consulate in Chicago.
Packing Participants are required to bring proof of yellow fever vaccination and
valid health insurance card with you to Ecuador. All students should also bring two
photocopies of their passport photo page (one for themselves in case their
passport is lost or stolen and one to be given to the course instructor). Consult the
CFTC Course Information Packet for a comprehensive list of recommendation
items to pack.
Travel and Arrival Information
Participants will need to make their own travel arrangements for arriving in
Ecuador by the course start date. Participants will be met at the airport upon
arrival in Quito by a member of their host family and/or a program representative.
The Academic Program
General Information
This is an intensive, adventure-learning experience, providing in-depth training in
ecology and natural history of the tropics, practical experience in conservation
and scientific research, and immersion in Latin American culture. Please consult
the CFTC Course Information Packet
(http://www.ceiba.org/documents/TCSpacket-web.pdf) for further academic
details.
Required Texts
This is a combined list of all required texts for all classes, except Spanish. These texts are not
available for purchase in Ecuador so you must bring them with you. We do not
recommend shipping items to Ecuador as they may arrive late or not at all.
Groom, M.J. et al. 2006. Principles of Conservation Biology.
Sinauer
Jackson, M.H. 1997. Galapagos: A Natural History Guide.
University of Calgary Press.
Kricher, J. 1999. A Neotropical Companion (2nd edition).
Princeton University Press.
Nybakken, J.W. 2000. Marine Biology: An Ecological
Approach (6th edition). Benjamin Cummings.
Osborne, P. 2000. Tropical Ecosystems and Ecological
Concepts. Cambridge University Press.
The course faculty and staff include Dr. Joe Meisel, Ph.D. in Zoology, and Dr.
Catherine Woodward, Ph.D. in Botany. Both have extensive international field
research experience and have previously led this program in Ecuador. Spanish
language courses at Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) will by taught by
USFQ faculty.
Course Information
Courses
Program Course Title & Number of
credits
Spanish Language & Latin American
Cultural Immersion (3 credits)
Biological and Social Aspects of
Conservation in (3 credits)
Tropical Ecology I: Terrestrial Ecosystems
(4 credits)
Tropical Ecology II: Marine Ecosystems
(4 credits)
Conservation Internship (2 credits)
UW-Madison Course Equivalent and
Number of credits
Next level in the Spanish language
sequence 101, 102, 203, 204, 226, 311,
323, 473
(3 credits)
Conservation Biology (Botany/Zoology
651) (3 credits)
General Ecology (Botany/Zoology 460)
(4 credits)
Marine Biology and Ecology (Zoology
475) (4 credits)
Internships in Ecology (Zoology 677)
(2 credits)
Registration
Student placement for the Spanish language course is decided by a Spanish
placement test at USFQ. The Spanish placement exam is taken online in advance
of arrival in Ecuador. Instructions on how to take the exam will be included with
the enrollment materials. Registration is not needed for the other courses as all
program participants take the other four courses.
Equivalents and Course Equivalent Request Form (CERF)
Each course you take abroad must be assigned a UW-Madison “equivalent”
course in order for your grades and credits to be recorded on your UW-Madison
transcript. In order to establish UW-Madison course equivalents for your study
abroad courses, you will submit a Course Equivalent Request Form (CERF).
Information on the UW course equivalent process is available in the IAP Study
Abroad Handbook.
Limits and Load
UW participants will receive 16 credits for the semester.
Pass/Fail/Drop/Audit
You must submit the completed IAP Pass Fail Form to IAP by the end of the fourth
week of classes. Please refer to the IAP Study Abroad Handbook for specific
academic policies and procedures.
Grades and Grade Conversions
All courses are for graded credit and will be posted on your UW transcript. Refer
to the grade scale provided in the IAP Study Abroad Handbook.
Living Abroad
Educate yourself about your host country. Read the Preparing to Live in Another
Culture section of the IAP Study Abroad Handbook. Consult the following
resources as well as travel books and program binders in the Study Abroad
Resource Room (250 Bascom Hall).
UW-Madison International Academic Programs (IAP):
http://www.studyabroad.wisc.edu
CFTC Program website:
http://www.ceiba.org/courses.htm
CFTC Home Page:
http://www.ceiba.org
U.S. State Department information:
http://travel.state.gov/
Center for Disease Control (CDC):
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/
Lonely Planet Guidebook:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com
U.S. State Department Students Abroad site:
http://www.studentsabroad.state.gov/
CONSULT TRAVEL BOOKS IN THE FOLLOWING COLLECTIONS:
Fodor’s Guides
Frommer’s Travel Guides
Let’s Go
Lonely Planet
Michelin Guides
Rough Guide
International Travel Health Guide by Stuart R. Rose, MD.