This summer the student worked for the Jatun Sacha Foundation, a conservation organization dedicated to protecting habitats and environmental education in Ecuador. Over two months, the student helped with reforestation efforts at three of the foundation's research stations - in the Galapagos Islands, Bilsa, and the Amazon - to gain research experience, assist with conservation projects, and improve their Spanish skills. While the student felt the summer was a success in furthering conservation and language learning, they would have liked more opportunities for hands-on research.

1. This summer I worked for the Jatun Sacha Foundation for my enrichment project (this was a partnership/research project). The foundation according to its website is “dedicated to the conservation, investigation and management of ecologically important habitats, environmental education and community development.\"
I decided to work at the foundation to gain research experience, help with conservation, and improve my Spanish. Over two months I worked at three research stations all run by the foundation. I spent four weeks at the Galapagos station where I worked on reforestation of native and endemic plant species. Moving on I spent two weeks at the Bilsa research station where I helped a graduate student with her research on seed dispersal. Finally I spent the last two weeks doing more reforestation in the Amazon. I would rate my summer as a success. I improved my Spanish and helped with conservation, however I would have liked more research experience.<br />