RIO BLANCO, ECUADOR

Plants and People

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Program Description

This program offers a course that is a hands-on introduction to the basic research methods and skills within the general field of ethnobotany. The focus is on the interrelationship between plants and people in the cloud forest environment of coastal Ecuador, in southern Manabi Province. The perspective utilized in the course is to appreciate how humans have transformed environments, especially plant communities, through their activities from from prehistory to the present and, in turn, how plants themselves have made possible ways of being human. This perspective leads to an examination of how the cloud forest environment is, in places, modified through cultivation as well as how wild plant communities are utilized and, in some cases, the result of prior human activities.

Program Dates and Deadlines:
Term Year Application Deadline
(or as space permits)		 Start Date/Check-in End Date/Check-out
Summer 2025 March 6, 2025 May 31, 2025 June 15, 2025

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Information Sheet

Open to All academic disciplines
Language of Instruction English
Level of Study Undergraduate and Graduate
Credit Offered °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼ credits
Program Primary Subject Anthropology, Envionmental Science
Sponsoring College College of Arts and Letters
Education Abroad Advisor Brendan Richardson

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Program Course Offerings:

  • ANT 4930: Plants and People: EthnobotanyÌýin Ecuador (3 credits)Ìý
  • ANG 6930: Plants and People: Ethnobotany in Ecuador (3 credits)Ìý

Course Eligibility & Requirements:

Students participating on the program are required to take at least one of the courses offered for 3 credits.Ìý

Program Eligibility & Requirements

  • Must have a 2.5 overall GPA for undergraduate and 3.0 for graduate at the time of application
  • Must be in good academic standing at the time of application
  • Must be eligible to take °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼ courses during the study abroad program term
  • See Policies & Procedures page for more information
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In-country °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼ Faculty Leader: Dr. Michael Harris, mharris@fau.eduÌý Ìý

Education Abroad Contact: Brendan Richardson, Associate Director, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼ Education Abroad,Ìýbrichardson@fau.eduÌýÌý
For questions regarding the course, itinerary, or other in-country logistics, contact the faculty leader(s) listed above.Ìý For questions regarding the study abroad application, program fees, funding, or other study abroad questions, schedule an appointment with the Education Abroad Contact listed above Ìýthrough Success Network () to schedule study abroad advising.

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Location

The field program takes place in the cloud forest community of Rio Blanco in southern Manabi Province. Rio Blanco is a small settlement of about 30 families who work as cultivators, forest product collectors, merchants, and tourism guides. ÌýOne of the major draws to the village is the local comuna’s eco-tours up the Bola de Oro trail, to the high reaches of the cloud forest. ÌýThe forest is home to a variety of fauna, including howler and capuchin monkeys, guanta, deer, a wide array of birds, etc. ÌýThe terrain of the area is typified by heavily forested low mountains and river valleys that range from semi-dry forest to tropical humid forest comparable to the Amazon. ÌýThe temperature during June is generally mild, in the low 70s during the day. ÌýThe skies are most often overcast and, befitting the cloud forest, there is often a misty, light drizzle known as garua. ÌýThe people of the village are very open, sociable, and welcoming; our ethnographic and archaeological field programs have been working within the community and region for about two decades and we are well-known to pretty much everyone. ÌýThe community of Rio Blanco has two small general stores, a church to which a visiting priest arrives biweekly, a comuna (the local landholding group), a one-room schoolhouse, and a small medical center that is staffed a couple of days per week.

Housing

Upon arrival and departure, the group will stay at a hotel in Guayaquil where the airport is located. In Rio Blanco the group will stay in the facility maintained by the Comuna El Pital, located in Rio Blanco. For the penultimate two nights in Salango, we will move to the village of Salango, located on the Pacific coast. ÌýWe will stay in the research center that we have supported over 27 years with our programs. ÌýThe center has plenty of space for lab work and for report writing.

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Program Cost and Funding

Financial Aid and Scholarship InformationÌý

  • Students participating on °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼ Faculty-led Programs may use eligible financial aid
  • Program participants may be eligible to apply for the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼ Education Abroad Scholarship
  • See additional scholarship and funding information here.


Program Cost

$1,481 + tuition for the required program summer course(s). °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼ in-state or out-of-state rates apply.Ìý

Program fee payment deadlines:Ìý
1ST PAYMENT:Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý$800.00 deposit due by March 27, 2025Ìý
2ND PAYMENT:Ìý Ìý Ìý $681.00 due by April 24, 2025Ìý

Accepted participants will receive detailed payment instructions from the Education Abroad team via email prior to deadlines. Program fee payments cannot be deferred. Plan accordingly.Ìý

Program Fee Includes:

  • Accommodations from check-in through check-out date
  • Round trip group bus transportation from Guayaquil airport to program siteÌý
  • Research supplies
  • All meals in Rio Blanco
  • International Medical Insurance
  • 2 day visit to Salango

Program Fee Does Not Include :

  • $200 administrative fee paid at time of application submission
  • International Flight
  • Tuition for courses/credits taken on program (°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼ in-state and out-of-state rates apply)
  • Meals off-site
  • Personal spending money

Travel Documentation, Health and Safety

Passport and Travel Documentation

  • A valid passport is required for all international travel. You need a passport to board an international flight and to enter the country. Passport cards will not be accepted as form of I.D. You may be denied boarding if you travel with a passport that appears damaged or altered.
  • Review up-to-date details . Routine processing times can take 6-8 weeks, and expedited applications in 2-3 weeks. Processing times does not include the time it takes for shipping. Processing times begin when your application is received by a passport agency or center, and do not include mailing times. It may take up to 2 weeks for your application to be received by passport agency, and up to 2 weeks for you to receive your completed passport after agency mails it to you. Therefore, you should add an additional 4 weeks to you passport application processing time.
  • Some countries require that your passport be valid at least six months beyond the dates of your trip. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met. Check the to learn about entry and exit requirements for the country or countries in which you are traveling. Ìý
  • If you are applying for a passport for the first time, you need to renew your passport, or you have any other passport questions, you can find information on the website. In addition, several U.S. Embassies and Consulates provide information to assist applicants in collecting the documentation needed. For a list of Embassies, please visit .
  • Non-U.S. Citizens may need additional travel documentation. If you are not a U.S. citizen, you should research the study abroad program destination and your home country to determine if a visa or additional travel documentation is required.

International Health Insurance

All °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼ students participating on an °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼ Faculty-led Program will be registered in international health and travel insurance coverage through Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI). This mandatory insurance ensures that students have access to medical and emergency support services while abroad. This is included in the program cost. The 2025 Coverage plan will be available in January 2025. Participants can review the current 2024 plan HERE for reference.

Health and Safety Resources to Explore Prior to Traveling Abroad

  • U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory – Country Information:
  • U.S. Students Abroad:
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
  • °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼ SHS: /shs/
  • World Health Organization (WHO):
  • LGBTQI+ Travel Information:
  • Travelers with Disabilities:
  • Women Travelers:
  • Travel Safety - Race and Ethnicity: Ìý

Pre-departure Orientation and Meetings

All students must attend pre-departure sessions prior to study abroad. Education Abroad and your program faculty leaders will provide you with further details pertaining to dates, times, and location in the semester before your program.Ìý

1) Mandatory pre-departure orientation hosted by the Education Abroad office. This session will cover general international travel related topics such as health, safety, insurance, and travel tips.Ìý
2) Mandatory pre-departure meeting hosted by program faculty leader. This session will cover program and location specific information such as arrival, expectations, itinerary, and course overview.