Peru Field Research Travel Education: March Break 2012 (Space is limited!)

Trinity College School is proud to offer a unique travel experience to Peru for March Break 2012 (March 10th-24th). Students will be part of a biological research team, working alongside scientists from various universities around the world to conduct primary research in the Amazon basin. The Loreto region of Peru boasts some of the richest floral and animal diversity on Earth.

There are still two spots available in this exciting programme, but students must register immediately. For more information or to sign up, please contact Dr. Vincenza Pontieri (vpontieri@tcs.on.ca).

Students will participate in general surveyor teams in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, the largest protected area in Peru. In the first week of the expedition, students will take part in classroom instruction on the biology of the rainforest and field practicals of different survey techniques and species identification. Students will join research groups during the second week, rotating through different projects to broaden their field skills and to see many different Amazonian species.

TCS is partnering with Operation Wallacea (http://www.opwall.com/) for this expedition. This organization has a solid reputation and is well respected for its biological and conservation management programmes offered to high school and university students. It has been part of academic projects running in Peru since 1984. The entire research expedition, including accommodations, will be based onboard research boats. Students must be 16 years old to participate, which will include students entering Grades 11 and 12 in September 2011.

There are added benefits of participation in this excursion. Students can gain service learning hours for their contributions towards the work done with local communities to develop a livelihood tied to conservation management. Also, students enrolled in biology or environmental science will have the opportunity to base their independent research projects on their experience in Peru.