{"id":33240,"date":"2025-12-24T14:27:34","date_gmt":"2025-12-24T22:27:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/?p=33240"},"modified":"2025-12-24T14:28:45","modified_gmt":"2025-12-24T22:28:45","slug":"from-the-andes-to-the-amazon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2025\/12\/24\/from-the-andes-to-the-amazon","title":{"rendered":"From the Andes to the Amazon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Home to both the world\u2019s longest mountain range and the largest rainforest, Peru is one of the most biodiverse countries on the planet. The South American country is populated with unique wildlife and a rich culture, from the coastal desert drylands and Andes mountains in the west to the eastern lowlands and lush forests of the Amazon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Dr. Ursula Valdez, Peru holds a special place in her heart as not only her home country but also as a point of fascination for her research as a tropical ecologist. Valdez is a lecturer in the University of Washington Bothell\u2019s <a href=\"\/ias\/\">School of Interdisciplinary Arts &amp; Sciences<\/a> and has shared her passion for Peru with her students, even leading study abroad experiences for them\u202fto immerse themselves in the country\u2019s natural wonders right alongside her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPeru is filled with opportunities to explore environmental issues,\u201d Valdez said. \u201cFor a study abroad experience,\u202fit\u2019s\u202fan opportunity to not only visit another country but to also see the natural world and the wild places that can\u2019t be found anywhere else. It has a little bit of everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the latest study abroad trip, \u201cFrom Andes to Amazon: Biodiversity, Conservation and Sustainability in Peru,\u201d Valdez took a class of 19 students on a 21-day journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Observing wildlife in remote places<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Valdez first brought a group of students to Peru while she was still working on her doctorate in Biology, with an emphasis on Ecology and Conservation, at the University of Washington in Seattle\u202fin 2008. Co-leading the trip was Dr. Tim Billo, a lecturer in the UW\u2019s College of the Environment, who also had experience working and living in the tropics. Since then, Valdez has co-led a total of 14 Exploration Seminar trips with Billo and other faculty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although open to all majors, this year\u2019s seminar was of particular interest to UW students in environmental-related degree programs. Molly Beecher, a sophomore majoring in Aquatic Conservation and Ecology at the UW, was excited by the chance to gain firsthand field experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI was drawn to this opportunity because I\u2019ve always loved nature and currently hope to work with it in the future,\u201d she said. \u201cAs someone who hopes to be a biologist and conservationist, I think it is really important to see and understand a wide variety of the ways that people interact with the living world around them since it is through these relationships that the world needs to work to solve many of the largest problems we face.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the trip, students were fully immersed in the outdoors, moving from one field base to another, often in remote areas away from human activity \u2014 perfect for viewing wildlife in their natural habitat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s such a unique experience, being in a field station in the Amazon talking about mammals, and then we step outside and there\u2019s a sloth right there,\u201d\u202fValdez said. \u201cWe had all these close encounters with wildlife, seeing\u202fmonkeys and capybaras and macaws just doing their thing. We go to these places where life is happening in front of our eyes without intervention. They\u2019re not in a zoo, and I think that\u2019s pretty important and remarkable for students to see these things outside a textbook or a video.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"33255\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Sloth-Ohliger-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Sloth-Ohliger-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Sloth-Ohliger-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Sloth-Ohliger-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Sloth-Ohliger-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Sloth-Ohliger-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Sloth-Ohliger.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"33254\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Banding-Molly-Beecher-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33254\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Banding-Molly-Beecher-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Banding-Molly-Beecher-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Banding-Molly-Beecher-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Banding-Molly-Beecher-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Banding-Molly-Beecher-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Banding-Molly-Beecher.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"33253\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Caybara-Molly-Beecher-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33253\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Caybara-Molly-Beecher-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Caybara-Molly-Beecher-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Caybara-Molly-Beecher-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Caybara-Molly-Beecher-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Caybara-Molly-Beecher-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Caybara-Molly-Beecher.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:45px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Examining\u202flayers of\u202fconservation challenges&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The students experienced the natural beauty and wildlife of the country&nbsp;as well as&nbsp;Peru\u2019s&nbsp;conservation challenges \u2014 such as environmental impacts from deforestation and gold mining.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Maxwell Davis, a senior majoring in Conservation\u202f&amp;\u202fRestoration Science at UW Bothell, the trip was a great way\u202fto apply what\u202fhe\u2019d\u202flearned about ecology and conservation in a new\u202fenvironment and share that experience with like-minded people.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As part of the seminar, students worked in groups on a final research project relating to the topics they\u2019d studied. For their project, Davis and his group researched conservation issues, including road building, drought, logging and climate change.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>Learning about conservation efforts in other parts of the world is important to my future career because it gave me new perspectives on how to approach our challenges at home.<\/p><cite>Maxwell Davis, senior, Conservation &amp; Restoration Science&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI witnessed conservation challenges, such as illegal gold mining and deforestation,&nbsp;firsthand&nbsp;and got to talk to local people who are making a difference by creating alternative livelihoods through ecotourism,\u201d Davis said. \u201cLearning about conservation efforts in other parts of the world is important to my future career because it gave me new perspectives on how to approach our challenges at home.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The UW&nbsp;students&nbsp;also&nbsp;interacted with local residents \u2014 including Indigenous Mestizo communities, farmers, textile workers,&nbsp;artisans&nbsp;and others. Through interviews and tours, these&nbsp;community connections helped the students&nbsp;learn about local environmental, social and economic challenges.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The interactions were especially valuable for how they revealed the various layers behind conservation challenges, Valdez noted, including the role that the U.S. and other countries play in them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Textiles-Valdez-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33252\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Textiles-Valdez-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Textiles-Valdez-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Textiles-Valdez-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Textiles-Valdez-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Textiles-Valdez-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Textiles-Valdez.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:45px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Making small choices&nbsp;with&nbsp;big impact&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen you talk to people who live in these places and who may be part of the processes,&nbsp;such as&nbsp;the&nbsp;gold mining or deforestation that are degrading and polluting the ecosystem, it can be easy to judge what they do as morally wrong,\u201d Valdez said, \u201cbut then you learn that these people have needs and few alternatives for how to meet those needs. You also&nbsp;have to&nbsp;understand that these&nbsp;resource demands are coming from outside these communities and that&nbsp;many times they\u2019ve&nbsp;been pushed into those activities.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Often, the responsibility lies more with the consumers of these resources and&nbsp;the&nbsp;government policy and corporate practices that allow these activities to continue, Valdez added. \u201cIt\u2019s important for students to understand their own role in these challenges.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite&nbsp;Peru\u2019s&nbsp;conservation issues, Valdez noted that there are also many things that people in the country&nbsp;do right when it comes to sustainability \u2014 including more efficient water usage by conscious farmers who practice ecological approaches in agriculture and more sustainable consumption practices.&nbsp;Students were&nbsp;each&nbsp;asked to keep&nbsp;a&nbsp;naturalist journal&nbsp;to&nbsp;turn in at the end of the trip,&nbsp;and many students&nbsp;noted&nbsp;they walked away with valuable lessons they felt they could take home and apply in their own lives.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI focused on learning from Indigenous and local communities,&nbsp;and how they are overcoming the disproportionate burden of various environmental issues,\u201d&nbsp;said Matthew Ohliger, a junior Environmental Public Health major at UW.&nbsp;\u201cThese groups possess an immense amount of generational knowledge, and I saw their perseverance as a model for behaviors that we in the U.S. might benefit from adopting.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy ultimate conclusion was that although our world\u2019s challenges may seem insurmountable, small choices still matter immensely,\u201d he said. \u201cImproving our resource usage and consumption habits is one of the simplest but most impactful things we can do to help combat the unsustainable systems our society depends on.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"706\" data-id=\"33257\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/rev-Outdoor-Class-Valdez-1024x706.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33257\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/rev-Outdoor-Class-Valdez-1024x706.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/rev-Outdoor-Class-Valdez-300x207.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/rev-Outdoor-Class-Valdez-768x529.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/rev-Outdoor-Class-Valdez-1200x827.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/rev-Outdoor-Class-Valdez-600x413.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/rev-Outdoor-Class-Valdez.jpg 1225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"33251\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Journal-Ohliger-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33251\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Journal-Ohliger-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Journal-Ohliger-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Journal-Ohliger-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Journal-Ohliger-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Journal-Ohliger-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Journal-Ohliger.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:45px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Building community through shared experiences&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The students&nbsp;said they&nbsp;learned a great deal \u2014 from natural and social science research techniques to new perspectives and a greater understanding of their role in nature. Many also shared that the highlight of the trip&nbsp;was the opportunity to share the&nbsp;experience abroad&nbsp;with one another.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat I enjoyed most was building a strong sense of community with my fellow students and being able to experience so many unique regions of Peru,\u201d Davis said. \u201cI highly recommend this experience to anyone interested in biodiversity conservation, especially if studying abroad seems out of your comfort zone. I\u2019ve always been hesitant to try new things, but it turned out to be one of the most enriching and unforgettable experiences of my life.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Valdez, the trip was yet another reminder of all the things she loves about Peru that keep her coming back for more.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEvery time you travel, you learn so much about a place\u2019s biodiversity and ecosystems, but you also learn something about yourself, which is very important,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s&nbsp;a non-stop learning experience&nbsp;\u2014 and that&nbsp;doesn\u2019t&nbsp;just go for the&nbsp;students,&nbsp;it goes for&nbsp;myself&nbsp;as well.&nbsp;That\u2019s&nbsp;probably what&nbsp;motivates me to keep doing it.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Farm-Valdez-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Farm-Valdez-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Farm-Valdez-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Farm-Valdez-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Farm-Valdez-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Farm-Valdez-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/12\/Farm-Valdez.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Students immerse themselves in biodiversity, conservation and sustainability experiences while studying in Peru.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":33256,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_is_archived":false,"_archived_contact_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[202,253,204],"tags":[],"school":[419],"class_list":["post-33240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-news","category-global-impact","category-students","school-school-of-ias"],"acf":{"related_links":{"toggle_visibility":false,"link_1":"","link_2":"","link_3":"","link_4":"","link_5":""},"highlight_box":{"toggle_visibility":false,"title":"","content":"","button":"","button_style":"angled-purple-button","button_screen_reader_text":""},"contact_type_1":{"toggle_visibility":true,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"contact_type_2":{"toggle_visibility":false,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"social_media":{"toggle_visibility":false,"facebook_url":"","instagram_url":"","linkedin_url":"","twitter_url":"","youtube_url":""},"blog_archive_sidebar_visibility":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - 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