Ecuador: Klara Stelzer (Our Global Classroom)

Our Global Classroom

In Ecuador, I am studying at the San Fransico University of Quito, a liberal arts college with a student body of around 9,000. We are wrapping up our Tropical Ecology, Conservation Biology, and Spanish classes as we prepare to head to the Amazon later this week. I have enjoyed the learning style so far in this program as the majority of what we learn in our tropical ecology and conservation biology classes, we experience hands-on. For example, we learned about dry forests and cloud forests while being in both of those environments.

One of my favorite excursions was the Lalo Loor dry forest reserve, where we explored its unique flora and fauna and engaged in discussions about conservation strategies tailored to dry forest ecosystems. We stayed at the Lalo Loor reserve for four nights where we went on many hikes, visited agroforestry farms, and got research experience testing water quality and observing bird species in different microhabitats. As a botany major, I found the agroforestry farms intriguing as I saw first-hand what sustainable agriculture looks like. We had the opportunity to plant palm trees, see how cacao is processed, and try many of the fruits grown at the farm.

I have also enjoyed my Spanish class at the San Francisco University of Quito. Along with communicating with my host family, the classes have significantly improved my ability to speak Spanish. I like how the class is more conversation-based than previous Spanish courses I have taken. For our final day of Spanish class, we went to a salsa dancing class!

Klara Stelzer

Major: Genetics and Genomics, Botany

Hometown: Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Program: Ceiba Tropical Conservation Semester: Galapagos, Andes and Amazon

I am thankful and proud to be a recipient of the Global Gateway Fellowship. I am excited that it gives me the opportunity to share my experiences through blogs with an audience I would not have reached through my personal social media account.

When we are in the Galapagos, I am excited to learn about how the community interacts and conserves their environment. It is also a large tourist destination, so I am interested in how/if that affects the life of the locals in the Galapagos.  In the final month of this program, I get to participate in an internship that focuses on Amazon Rainforest conservation. Through this internship, I look forward to getting hands-on experience and deepening my understanding of effective conservation strategies.