Our Rainforest Wish List

We fully expect the unexpected during our stay in the rainforest!  We will have to wait until we arrive to adjust to the weather and the requirements of the biostation.  Below is our wish list of activities that we hope to participate in while we are in the rainforest.

• climbing and observing from the canopy walkway
• canoe night floats on the Tiputini River
• lots of hiking!
• guided hikes focused on botany
• sunrise birding in small groups (we will keep a bird and animal log in our group journal)
• observations at tree fall sites
• black water canoe trip
• daily mindfulness activities (walking, sitting, listening meditations)
• modified yoga in the rainforest
• sitting in silence in the dark
• day of mindfulness and silence from sunrise to sunset
• poetic journaling that will lead to a rainforest poetry slam
• journal doodling
• zen doodling (zen tangles) that are eventually added to copper sheets
• frequent journal reflections

Wish us luck!

Pre-Departure Excitement

Imagine leaving the country for the first time and heading to an environment that is both beautiful and challenging in ways that you have never experienced.  What would you be most concerned about? What would you be most excited about? Woven throughout our GIEU experience are exercises to encourage thoughtful reflection pre, during, and post-trip. Many of our students had a moment to share some of their reflections.  See below to read a little about what they are most excited to experience.

I am most excited about the fact I will be far removed from things that tend to consume everyday life: electronics, television, cell phones, and computers seem to be a necessity here at home, and I think that it will be an eye opening experience to spend some time away from these things. On top of all of that, the place we are visiting is an incredibly unique place that is sure to be filled with once in a lifetime experiences.

Traveling abroad for the first time. Seeing the city, seeing the rain forest, learning a new culture in an incredibly unique place that is sure to be filled with once in a lifetime experiences

I'm excited for the fresh air and peace of mind.

Traveling abroad for the first time. Seeing the city, seeing the rain forest, learning a new culture.

The whole experience. There's no one thing I can put my finger on but every individual aspect of it sounds so amazing. What I'm really looking forward to though, is the changes that I'll be making to myself and my inner !thoughts, the different perspectives I'll be experiencing, the things I'll be learning from an entirely new experience.

Seeing animals

I am most excited to go to Ecuador, a different country that I don't know much about. I am excited to just see a new place, to meet new people, to attempt Spanish, to see the rainforest!!!!

I am most excited about observing animals living in the Amazon. I am also excited to do mindfulness exercises by interacting with nature.

I am most excited to see the animals. I love animals and zoos and seeing them in the wild is going to be such a thrill.

I'm really excited to be in the rainforest without internet or really any technology for a few weeks. I feel it will be very liberating.

Experiencing a completely new ecosystem.

Visiting Ecuador in general! And roughing it out in the Amazon.

Pre-Departure Concerns

Imagine leaving the country for the first time and heading to an environment that is both beautiful and challenging in ways that you have never experienced.  What would you be most concerned about? What would you be most excited about? Woven throughout our GIEU experience are exercises to encourage thoughtful reflection pre, during, and post-trip. Many of our students had a moment to share some of their reflections.  See below to read a little about their concerns.

I think that the most challenging part of our trip will be getting comfortable with being completely uncomfortable. Our living conditions, interpersonal interactions, food, and daily life will not be anything like what we have grown used to here at home, and accommodating myself to these changes is sure to be a struggle. I have never left the country before so things like language barriers and cultural differences will certainly take some getting used to.

Not being able to feel clean 24/7 and having no contact with my family.

It's difficult not knowing what we will be doing for these three weeks in the forest. Also being muddy and sweaty sort of concerns me. I'm also worried about all the wildlife that may be dangerous/poisonous.

The environment of the Amazon doesn't worry me -- maybe I'm overconfident but I think the most challenging thing could be staying in such close quarters with the rest of our group for so long under such extreme conditions. I don't necessarily expect conflicts to arise but personality differences can't be changed and there may be some clashes just through the tension of being in such a radically different home environment.

The heat/humidity and bugs... Just being physically uncomfortable! Bug bites and anything else that will make me itchy/uncomfortable.

I guess building relationships, and absorbing all of the amazing things I will see and not missing my family. We are going to be isolated in the rainforest, which is amazing but also means that if someone becomes annoying, there is no where else to escape to. When I don't feel like I get along, I just stop talking (which is hard because I love to talk) and stay in a little shell.

Not being close to the internet. I am not worried in the least about being away from social media. What concerns me is that I will be away from my fantasy baseball team. My friends and I take it very seriously, and I do not want a productive season ruined by having me not check my lineup, I know it's petty.

I think dealing with a completely foreign environment will be challenging because I think it will create barriers to communication. However it will definitely be rewarding to overcome this. I'm most worried about the humidity. 100% of humidity can cause a lot of discomfort.

Adapting to an unfamiliar place, in which the climate and way of life are drastically different from our norm.

Remaining positive despite the dampest and darkest of moments while in the field.  Wet socks, wet clothes, endless mosquitoes and bites....

What do you bring with you when you're spending 21 days in a remoteregion of the Amazon Rainforest?

(This is the list we shared with our students.)  What should I bring to Tiputini Biodiversity Station?
NOTE: The flight from Quito and Coca has a checked baggage weight limit of 44 lbs/person. Weigh your packed bag before you leave. Students should not expect to pack an outfit for every day of the trip.
We will have access to laundry services 1-2 times while we are at the station. Towels and bed linens are provided and changed once/week. Keep in mind that conditions will often be damp and muddy.
• I.D. (smart to have copies of your passport)
• WHO vaccination record (record of yellow fever vaccination is mandatory to enter the station)
• rain gear (have it at hand during boat trips)
• sweater or jacket (have it at hand during boat trips)
• 2-3 pairs of long, fast drying pants; at least one pair should zip off to shorts (wear an additional
pair of pants on the flight)
• 2-3 long-sleeve shirts
• 1-2 short-sleeve shirts (wear an additional t-shirt on the flight)
• 1 outfit for around camp and to wear at dinner time (don’t wear this out in the field so you’ll have
something clean to put on at the end of every day)
• a swim suit (if you wish to swim)
• enough socks and underwear to get you through a week
• an extra towel (if you expect to swim; otherwise a towel is unnecessary)
• rubber boots for hikes (can be loaned by TBS or purchased in Quito)
• closed toe shoes for use in camp
• sun glasses, a hat, sun screen
• insect repellent!
• a camera (spare batteries and all the film or memory you expect to use)
• binoculars
• a flashlight or headlamp is essential (with extra or rechargeable batteries)
• a water bottle
• a pocket knife
• a lighter (you will be using candles at night and matches aren’t great in the rainforest)
• a small day pack
• anti-malarial medication
• Antacid/Anti Diarrheal meds
• other toiletries or pharmaceutical supplies that you need or might need periodically
• anti-fungal or baby powder
• toilet paper (just enough for traveling)
• plastic ziplock bags (life savers for cameras in a downpour)
• snacks for yourself (all food should be packed in tupperware with a tight seal...trust me, if there is
a way in, some creature will find it)
• watch with alarm
• waterproof field notebook

The Denises

(Above: Denise K and Denise G on float to a "salt lick" on the Tiputini River.)

We are known as  "The Denises,"  two Academic Advisors at the University of Michigan who share a passion for adventure, enjoy challenging ourselves, and seek any opportunity to inspire our students.  We are grateful that the Newnan Advising Center (in particular, Dean Esrold Nurse, Director Tim Dodd, and Associate Directors Carmela Brown and David Brawn, John Moss and Debbie Walls) supported our efforts to propose, plan, and take a group of 15 wonderful students deep into the Amazon Rainforest of Ecuador for this once-in-a-lifetime experience.  Enormous thanks to all of our colleagues at Newnan who have shared kind words, support, and ideas as we planned and prepared for the trip.

Denise Guillot has spent many weeks at the Tiputini Biostation. She first traveled to Ecuador in 1999, while she was a Master's student.  It was an amazing experience that ultimately inspired her dissertation research on primate behavior and multiple visits to the Tiputini Biodiversity Station from 2003-2005.  In her opinion, the rainforest itself is an educational opportunity unlike any other.  It does not acquiesce to experimental design and it requires constant and creative problem solving.  Even the most knowledgeable researchers can be humbled by the ecological complexity and it takes perseverance to continue to work in this environment.  She has long felt there is no better place to learn about biology, our environment and ourselves than in the rainforest and she looks forward to the opportunity to share this mysterious and thrilling place with the students.  She received her PhD from Boston University in 2009.

Denise Kozikowski loves to travel and explore new cultures.  She has never been to Ecuador or the Amazon rainforest (so this will be a very new experience for her) but she is ready and excited!  She will be guiding the mindfulness and creativity component of the rainforest experience.  She received her PhD in 2004 from UCLA studying Folklore/Ethnomedicine and completed her mindfulness training with Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli, and MBCT training with Zindel Segal and Susan Woods.   She enjoys teaching students how to remain calm and steady, especially when situations become difficult and often guides her meditation participants to embrace difficulty.  She will be taking this practice to a new level in the rainforest (think bugs, mud, sweat, rain).  

We are traveling with 15 amazing students and we are so lucky.  These students applied to participate in the GIEU program during their fall 2013 term and went through a rigorous selection process.  They are thoughtful, sensititve, open-minded, and ready for the challenges these next few weeks will bring.  We'll introduce you to each of them during our trip.