A 2-week immersive field program where you explore one of the world’s most important ecosystems while working on real sustainability challenges.
Peruvian Amazon
14 Days
8 to 15 Students
Undergraduate and Graduate
The Amazon Field School is a structured field program where participants work alongside local communities and researchers on real sustainability challenges. Every day is spent in the field. Every project produces real outcomes. Every participant leaves with experience that no classroom can provide.
Move through primary and secondary forest, observing ecosystem structure, species interactions, and the visible effects of land-use change firsthand.
Travel by river through areas inaccessible by road. The Amazon river system is part of the learning environment, not just a means of transport.
Engage directly with Amazonian communities as partners, not subjects. Community relationships are central to every project and every day.
Visit active restoration projects, degraded land recovering through community-led intervention, and the contrast between intact and affected forest systems.
Every participant takes part in structured field activities such as data collection, observation exercises, and applied project work grounded in real research questions.
Understand the drivers of Amazon deforestation and the systems behind land-use decisions at community and regional scale.
Develop practical knowledge of tropical ecosystem function, species relationships, and biodiversity assessment methods.
Explore how Amazonian communities sustain themselves and how conservation intersects with livelihood needs.
Engage with conservation challenges as they actually exist on the ground, not as they are presented in textbooks.
Bridge theory and practice through applied projects that require critical thinking, adaptation, and collaboration.
Foundations
Arrival, orientation, and introduction to Amazon systems. Participants learn the field safety protocols, the research framework, and the community context before heading into the field.
Field Immersion
Daily field excursions into forest, river, and community environments. Observation exercises, ecosystem walks, and the first community visits. Participants begin identifying their applied project focus.
Project Work
Presentations and Reflection
Teams present their findings and recommendations to community partners and AKEC coordinators. Final reflections, documentation, and departure preparation.
No prior field experience is required. All participants receive a pre-departure briefing and full on-ground support.
Every participant receives a full briefing on safety protocols, health requirements, and what to expect before arrival.
An AKEC coordination team is present on the ground throughout the program, managing logistics and participant support.
All field activities are led or accompanied by experienced local guides with deep knowledge of the terrain and ecosystems.
First aid support is available throughout the program. Protocols for reaching medical facilities are in place and briefed in advance.
Clear emergency procedures are established for all field locations. Participant safety is the first operational priority at all times.
