The Center will be completed this summer, and we expect to hold a grand opening of the entire reserve, including the Center and the botanical garden, in early 2002. Visit the El Pahuma section for more information. Tropical Ecology Field Courses CFTC offers a 3 week tropical ecology field course in Ecuador, which visits Pacific dry forest, Andean cloud forest, and Amazonian rainforest in eastern Ecuador. There, students enjoy a superb opportunity to visit and study one of the finest examples of tropical rainforest left on the planet. Coursework stresses basic ecology, tropical habitats, independent field projects, and current local conservation issues.
Students also receive hands-on training in techniques for biological field research.
This year, we have expanded the course to 23 days to include more in-depth study of the unique and severely threatened dry forests of the Pacific lowlands. Please bookmark the field courses webpage, and check back in November for updated information on the 2002 course. If you would like to receive an announcement on the 2002 course by email, please send and email and request that we add you to our mailing list. Beginning in 2000, CFTC has offered several scholarships for course applicants. This year two Ecuadorian students were awarded full scholarships, specifically intended to make the course accessible to local students.