Dr. Werth has recently returned from his May Term trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, where he offered Biology 261, Evolutionary Ecology, to 10 Hampden-Sydney students.  Dr. Werth explains:

The students were:

Nick Bowling

Zack Hudson

Kyle McClenaghan

Kevin McEligott

Thomas Motes

Mac Reed

Wilton Sample

Zane Sampson

Sam Smith

John Andrew Steward

We left the US on May 21 and returned June 10. Our base of operations in Ecuador was the capital, Quito, but we were only there a few nights. We spent a week in the Amazon rain forest and highland cloud forest, a week driving over and exploring the Andes Mountains, and a week cruising the Galapagos Islands.

The Amazon basin

Bella Vista waterfall

We studied wildlife in a variety of habitats, asking how plants, animals, and other organisms relate to each other and to their environment, and wondering how they came to look and act the way they do. While in the Galapagos we spent lots of time snorkeling with sharks, sea lions, sea turtles, rays, eels, penguins, and other marine life. In the Galapagos and on the mainland we did hikes every day, seeing lots of amazing wildlife (snakes, lizards, mammals, lots of creepy crawly things) and going high up into the rain forest canopy or stalking the forests at night. We explored three caves, climbed up and down waterfalls, swam in a lake with piranhas, caimans, and electric eels (safe, really), and had loads of other great experiences, and two times we got to play soccer against Ecuadorians. It was another fantastic trip.

with a tortoise, Isla Santa Cruz, Galapagos

on the equator