2027_ARIE_Syllabus

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PROGRAM:  AMAZON RESEARCH INITIATIVE FOR EDUCATORS (ARIE)

PROGRAM DATES:  JULY 11–20, 2027

LOCATION:  IQUITOS, PERU

PROGRAM CONTACT HOURS:  20 hours of pre-departure preparation via online readings, discussions, and webinars. 40 hours of active participation in field research and curriculum workshops while in the Amazon.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Amazon Research Initiative for Educators (ARIE) is a 10-day professional development research immersion for K–12 educators. Situated in the Peruvian Amazon, participants collaborate with Morpho Institute faculty to investigate research questions under the integrative theme: “Biodiversity in a Changing World Through Time and Space.”  ARIE is built as an active research program: participants join an ongoing study, collect real data, and contribute findings that extend beyond the classroom.

Morpho PD is built around a three-phase approach: a pre-departure online course that builds shared research background and connects the cohort before travel, an immersive field experience in the Amazon that is the core of ARIE, and a post-program professional learning community through MorphoNet that keeps the research and the relationships going long after the team returns home.

Educators form interdisciplinary research teams that weave together ecological and geographical perspectives. Participants will develop skills in biodiversity monitoring—such as plant phenology, animal behavior observation, and statistical analysis—while also engaging in spatial and social science methods, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), mapping, and ethnographic techniques. In partnership with Indigenous Maijuna communities, the team will examine both ecological change and socio-cultural resilience in the face of development pressures, such as the proposed highway through Maijuna ancestral lands.

By uniting ecological fieldwork with geographic analysis, participants contribute to long-term, place-based datasets that track biodiversity, landscape dynamics, and human-environment interactions across temporal and spatial scales. These datasets are accessible for classroom integration, allowing educators to translate Amazon-based research into inquiry-driven learning for their students. Dedicated curriculum-connection sessions provide structured time for participants to design classroom activities that align their Amazon research with science, geography, and sustainability standards.

PROGRAM LOCATION

Research activities are based at the Amazon Conservatory for Tropical Studies (ACTS), situated within the 4,136-acre Napo-Sucusari Biological Reserve in northeastern Peru. This reserve, part of the upper Amazon basin, encompasses vast expanses of primary rainforest and provides an unparalleled setting for integrative ecological and geographic study.

The ACTS Field Station includes extensive ground-trail systems and one of the world’s longest canopy walkways—500 meters in length and rising nearly 35 meters above ground—that enables access to vertical forest strata for biodiversity and spatial analysis. This unique research infrastructure allows educators to investigate rainforest systems from multiple perspectives: ground-level ecological surveys, canopy-level biodiversity studies, and spatial mapping of landscapes and communities. Together, these tools and partnerships foster an interdisciplinary approach to understanding biodiversity in both ecological and human contexts.

PROGRAM GOALS

The Amazon Research Initiative for Educators (ARIE) is a professional development program offering participants the opportunity to engage in scientific research within a compelling context for developing a global perspective, understanding biodiversity and ecological systems, and learning about the key elements of inquiry-based learning, STEM learning, and national curriculum standards and curricula to better meet the needs of a changing society and an increasingly diverse student population.

Program goals include:

1. Engage teachers in active research projects to increase understanding of science as a process and inspire the use of inquiry-based lessons in their classrooms.
2. Enhance teachers’ science literacy through personal experience with scientific thinking, research design, and excitement of discovery.
3. Introduce teachers to key research methodologies for monitoring ecological systems in a changing planet in the Amazon and ecological communities in the US.
4. Develop ecological databases that can be used to monitor and protect the sustainable use of the Amazon, and connect K12 students in comparative research projects in their classes.
5. Develop learning communities of teachers and researchers to provide inspiration, connection, and resources for inquiry-based learning in the K12 classroom.
6. Examine ways of communicating science to students, teachers, researchers, and the general public.
7. Develop inquiry-based curriculums that connect K12 US students with the scientific process and understanding of local and global environmental issues and inspire a broad diversity of students to consider higher education and careers in STEM.
8. Build a shared foundation of research background and cohort connection during the pre-departure course, so participants arrive ready to step directly into fieldwork alongside faculty and fellow researchers.
9. Sustain research partnerships and classroom application through MorphoNet, ARIE’s post-program professional learning community, where alumni continue collaborating on data, curriculum, and ongoing inquiry after they return home.

OUTPUTS

A Research Contribution:  Participants collect and analyze data as part of their assigned research stream, contributing directly to the Morpho Institute's long-term Amazon datasets. [DIRECTOR: confirm the specific format expected from each cohort — raw data submission, summary report, or other.]

A Classroom Case Study:  Participants translate their research stream into a classroom-ready investigation or case study, adaptable to NGSS, the National Geography Standards, and their own students' contexts.

A Research Presentation:  By the end of the program, participants communicate their findings to fellow researchers, faculty, and cohort members, practicing the same communication skills they will model for their students.

PROGRAM RATIONALE AND RESEARCH OVERVIEWS

The Morpho Institute uses inquiry and scientific research as a way to build inquiry practices in the K12 classroom and support the Amazon conservation efforts of the Maijuna and other communities through evidence-based decision-making and inquiry. By engaging and designing inquiry projects, teachers identify themselves and their students as scientists, practice inquiry methods, develop a biodiversity dataset of the Amazon for use in the K12 classroom, and feel empowered to guide inquiries to examine the biodiversity in their home communities with the students.

To support these goals, the Morpho Institute focuses its research priorities on examining the biodiversity of a Changing World through Time and Space. Currently, the Morpho Institute is examining two long-term and two short-term research projects centering on how biodiversity is affected through natural and human-induced environmental changes over time and across spatial gradients. As tropical forest systems are always in flux both due to human and natural cycles, the Amazon provides a great framework to examine change in ecological systems, broadly defined. Throughout The Morpho Institutes research projects, teachers will examine the themes of biodiversity, adaptations, scale, and species interactions.

Research at ARIE evolves from year to year, shaped by the expertise of faculty mentors, the interests of visiting researchers, and the needs of conservation partners. Each cohort engages in unique investigations that reflect both the dynamic nature of the Amazon ecosystem and the interdisciplinary strengths of the team. While no two years are exactly alike, past projects illustrate the kinds of authentic ecological and geographic research experiences educators have undertaken—and how these studies provide meaningful opportunities for classroom translation.

Sample Long-term Research Projects

Trees and Trails: Participants explored forest dynamics by monitoring ecological change following natural disturbances such as tree falls and seasonal flooding. Educators tracked forest succession—documenting how plant communities regenerate, how canopy openings influence understory growth, and how these changes shape energy flow and biodiversity. Through phenology observations, biodiversity surveys, and ecological data analysis, teachers engaged directly with the theoretical frameworks of community ecology and succession. These investigations provided models for classroom inquiry into ecosystem change, resilience, and biodiversity, giving students a window into the processes that sustain tropical forests.

Bees and Biodiversity:  In a third line of inquiry, ARIE teams examined orchid bees as indicator species for tropical biodiversity. Because orchid bees are diverse, ecologically important, and relatively straightforward to identify, they serve as effective models for monitoring ecosystem health. Educators conducted inventories of orchid bee species in both canopy and forest floor habitats, contributing to a long-term dataset of bee diversity at ACTS. By comparing their findings with orchid bee research from other lowland tropical sites in Peru, participants tested hypotheses about distribution, richness, and ecological trends. This project demonstrated how long-term monitoring of key taxa can provide insight into environmental change and informed classroom discussions about species conservation and global biodiversity.

Sample Short-term Projects

Herps and Heights: Tropical forests are three-dimensional spaces, with each level of the canopy experiencing different challenges and opportunities for the animals that live within them. Found throughout canopy levels in the Amazon rainforest, reptiles and amphibians (collectively, herpetofauna or “herps”)  are incredibly diverse groups of organisms that are often used as models for scientists to understand the processes of local adaptation.

In this research stream, teachers will investigate if and how herps experience varied predation over an elevational gradient via an experiment with clay lizard models. This investigation will consider how animals are exposed to varying selective pressures at different layers of the canopy. The research project is adaptable for classroom use, and the results can generate discussions about why species may differ in antipredator strategies or time budgeting over environmental gradients.

Heliconia and Herbivory: Plants and animals have dynamic relationships- some being mutualistic (pollination and seed dispersal) while others being detrimental (herbivory). These relationships are the foundation for explaining the physiological process but also the diversity of species in the tropics. In this research project, we will focus on the charismatic giant herb genus Heliconia. We will document the distributions of heliconia colonies around ACTS, learn to collect voucher specimens, study both flowering and leafing phenology, and study patterns of herbivory. Though relatively well studied in Central America, heliconia biology in Amazonia is very poorly known, creating significant opportunities for contributing to biodiversity and conservation science.

Communities and Highways:  Past ARIE teams investigated the proposed highway that would cut through the Maijuna-Kichua Regional Conservation Area in northeastern Peru. This work examined the global dilemma of balancing infrastructure development with the protection of human and ecological communities. Educators collaborated with Maijuna leaders and conservation partners to conduct stakeholder interviews, document local perspectives, and analyze potential impacts on cultural and ecological resilience. The outcome was a case study that U.S. educators adapted for their classrooms, enabling students to compare the Amazon highway proposal with similar controversies surrounding infrastructure development in their own communities.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS

A central goal of ARIE is to help educators translate Amazon field research into meaningful classroom practice. Dedicated curriculum sessions guide participants in aligning their experiences with educational standards and global conservation priorities while designing lessons that are both locally relevant and globally informed.  Through ARIE, educators:

• Connect to Standards by applying ecological field methods and GIS-based analysis to NGSS three-dimensional learning and the National Geography Standards.
• Integrate Inquiry across disciplines by developing activities that merge biodiversity monitoring, spatial analysis, and data visualization, enabling students to investigate ecosystems through temporal and spatial lenses.
• Advance Global Frameworks by linking classroom projects to the Global Biodiversity Framework (Target 21, Target 30x30) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4.7, SDG 13, SDG 15).
• Incorporate Indigenous Perspectives by engaging with Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and community-based conservation practices, modeling cultural respect and stewardship.

By bridging ecological and geographic inquiry, ARIE equips educators to foster critical thinking, systems-level understanding, and global citizenship. Participants return ready not only to teach about biodiversity and geography, but also to inspire their students to take informed action for a sustainable future.

PROGRAM FORMAT - A THREE-PHASE APPROACH

ARIE is built around three connected phases: a pre-departure course, the field research experience in the Amazon, and a post-program professional learning community. Each phase supports the next, so the preparation that begins online carries all the way through to published data and classroom practice.

Phase 1, Pre-Departure:

The rainforest is an exciting and dynamic learning environment, and in order to take full advantage of the opportunities available through the ARIE program, participants will be provided with key background information, readings, and reflection activities prior to departure. These resources are carefully constructed to build requisite background knowledge and will be delivered in a variety of ways, including print and web-based resources. In addition, participants will engage in web-based community-building activities and discussions to make connections with fellow participants prior to arrival in the Amazon. All participants are expected to take full advantage of the resources provided, complete pre-departure readings, and contribute to online interactions.  Beyond building research background, this phase gives participants a chance to select and prepare for their research streams, connect with their teammates before they ever meet in person, and begin thinking about how their findings will translate into classroom practice.

Phase 2, In the Field:  The field experience is the core of ARIE, the phase the pre-departure research design prepares participants for and the phase every research stream builds toward. The field component of the ARIE program takes full advantage of the learning resources only the Amazon can provide – amazing biodiversity, complex ecosystem structure, indigenous cultures, and a global learning environment.   Prior to departure participants will indicate their preferences for their research streams. They will be assigned one main and one secondary research stream. Throughout the week, they will work with researchers and teachers testing hypotheses, collecting data, analyzing results, and communicating their findings. In addition to the time working on research projects, teachers will learn about other research projects in the Amazon, discuss key topics in science education, and develop ways to connect their activities to their classrooms.

Phase 3, Upon Return:  The ARIE experience continues beyond the Amazon through MorphoNet, the Morpho Institute's professional learning community, and the wider Morpho alumni network. Research teams stay connected as they finish analyzing data, prepare findings for publication or presentation, and translate their research streams into classroom-ready lessons. Through MorphoNet, alumni goals include sustaining collaboration with their research teammates, contributing to the Institute's long-term datasets, and finding ongoing support as they bring authentic research practice into their teaching.

PROGRAM ASSIGNMENTS/RESPONSIBILITIES

The Amazon Research Initiative for Educators is an extraordinary professional development opportunity. In order to create a rich, rewarding, and maximized learning experience for all, it is imperative that each participant understands their individual role in the achievement of this goal.

Participants are expected to:

• review and respond to all pre-departure readings and activities.
• share and apply what they learn pre-departure during the field experience.
• be positive, active, and engaged team members before, during, and after the Amazon field experience.

Ten days. One field station. Real science.

Sample itinerary — subject to change based on research conditions and faculty availability.

July 11 - DAY 1:   Arrive in Iquitos, Peru.  Upon arrival, you’ll be met by our ground team and transferred to your Iquitos hotel.  A city tour and other activities may be arranged for an additional fee.

July 12 - DAY 2:  Iquitos to Amazon Conservatory for Tropical Studies (ACTS) Field Station.   

• 9:30 AM Departure for the Amazon Conservatory for Tropical Studies (ACTS) Field Station.
• Lunch at ExplorNapo Lodge.
• Hike to ACTS.
• Program and Facilities Orientation

July 13-15 - DAY 3-5:  ACTS Field Station

• AM and PM Research Projects with Faculty

July 16-17 - DAY 6-7:  ACTS Field Station

• Independent Research Projects with Faculty

July 18 - DAY 8:   ACTS Field Station

• Maijuna Stingless Bee Pollen Project

July 19 - DAY 9:   ACTS Field Station

• Program Debrief, wrap up, and next steps

July 20 - DAY 10:  Iquitos to Lima and return flights to US

•  Transfer to Iquitos for return flight to Lima and international flights.  Most flights to the US are overnight flights and will return you to the US on July 21, DAY 11.

Meet the Faculty

Program Coordinators

Christa Dillabaugh, Director, The Morpho Institute

EAA role: Program architect and lead faculty, the through-line from enrollment to alumni community

Christa created the Educator Academy in the Amazon in 2013 and has been designing and leading field-based professional development programs in the Peruvian Amazon for over 20 years, first through Amazon Rainforest Workshops, LLC and now through the Morpho Institute. Her background in STEM curriculum development with Pearson Education and Discovery Communications and her focus on community-based conservation shape every dimension of the Academy's design.

Rosanna (Ro) Ruiz, EdD, Director of Educational Engagement, The Morpho Institute

EAA role: Educational framework, participant experience design, and the research foundation behind why this program works.

Ro holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from CSU Fresno, and her dissertation was literally about Morpho. Titled "Awe as a Professional Development Approach in Environmental Education," her research examined the EAA as a transformative PD experience for K-12 educators. A former engineer turned conservation educator, she brings both rigorous research and deep field experience to designing and facilitating Morpho's programs.

Sandy Elsberry, Program & Field Coordinator, The Morpho Institute

EAA role: Field logistics, facilitation, and the elementary educator's perspective throughout the program.

Sandy is an elementary science teacher in Kansas City, Missouri who has been traveling to the Peruvian Amazon since 2000, with student groups, parent groups, and as a Morpho faculty member. Her dual identity as a practicing classroom teacher and a seasoned Amazon field educator makes her an unusually effective bridge between the field experience and what happens back in the classroom.

Program Faculty

Kristie Reddick & Jessica Honaker, Entomologists & Science Communicators, The Bug Chicks

EAA role: Entomology, science communication, and the art harnessing SEL in nature-based education.

Kristie and Jessica are entomologists and science communicators who have built a national reputation for making invertebrate science accessible, accurate, and genuinely exciting. They have worked with the U.S. Forest Service, Microsoft, and the Norman Borlaug Institute, and they bring to the EAA a rare combination of scientific rigor, classroom relevance, and the ability to turn a teacher's reluctance into curiosity.

Nancy Trautmann, PhD, Visiting Fellow, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Morpho Institute Co-Founder

EAA role: Citizen science, and curriculum connections, helping educators see Amazon birds as a gateway to inquiry their students can continue at home.

Nancy spent her career at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology developing teacher professional development and curriculum rooted in biodiversity science and citizen science. She has published 10 books in collaboration with teachers, and her book Birds Without Borders won the top award from the Association of American Publishers for supplemental science curricula. She is one of the foremost practitioners of bringing real conservation research into K-12 teaching.

Kirsten Franklin, MA, Director of Curriculum Connections, The Morpho Institute  |  Environmental Literacy Coordinator

EAA role: Elementary curriculum connections, classroom application support, and living proof of what the program makes possible.

Kirsten is a 34-year elementary educator who first came to the Educator Academy in 2015 and has returned four times since. A Fulbright exchange teacher and former teacher on special assignment for elementary science, she brings both the veteran classroom teacher's perspective and the lived experience of someone who has gone through exactly the transformation the EAA promises.

Amanda Dworak-Rowland, EdD, Superintendent, Tule Springs National Monument, Morpho Board Member

EAA role: Place-based learning, youth engagement frameworks, and the connection between field experience and long-term conservation stewardship.

Amanda brings over 20 years of experience in place-based and outdoor education, youth leadership, and public lands interpretation, including doctoral research on connecting youth to their public lands through social change leadership. Her work at Zion National Park and Tule Springs, along with her background in resource interpretation and environmental science make her a natural fit for an inquiry program rooted in place and ecological wonder.

You will work as a scientist. The Amazon will be your lab.

Sample Research Projects 

Trees & Trails:  Forest Dynamics:  Monitor forest succession following natural disturbances: tree falls, seasonal flooding, canopy gap formation. Track how plant communities regenerate over time and how gaps alter energy flow and biodiversity. Teachers engage directly with community ecology and succession theory — providing rich models for classroom inquiry into ecosystem resilience.

Bees & Biodiversity:  Orchid Bee Surveys.  Use orchid bees as indicator species for tropical ecosystem health. Conduct canopy and forest floor biodiversity inventories, contribute to a multi-year dataset, and compare findings with lowland sites across Peru. This project demonstrates how long-term monitoring of key taxa reveals environmental change over time.

Herps & Heights:  Canopy Predation Pressure. Investigate predation pressure across the forest’s vertical strata using clay lizard models placed at different canopy levels. Test how selective pressure varies with elevation — a study that is directly adaptable as a controlled classroom lab. Results generate rich discussions about antipredator strategies and local adaptation.

Heliconia & Herbivory:  Inter-species Association:  Document Heliconia distributions around ACTS, collect voucher specimens, study flowering and leafing phenology, and record herbivory patterns. Heliconia biology in Amazonia is very poorly known — creating genuine opportunities to contribute to biodiversity and conservation science.

Sample Field Methods

• Plant phenology monitoring
• GIS and participatory mapping
• Animal behavior observation
• Voucher specimen collection
• Basic statistical analysis
• Biodiversity survey protocols
• Science communication for public audiences

Morpho scholarships are merit awards.

They recognize educators with the vision, commitment, and creativity to multiply their Amazon experience.

Every year, Morpho awards merit-based Fellowships, Scholarships, and Explorer awards to educators whose applications reflect extraordinary potential — not financial circumstances.

• Awards are available at three levels, aimed at supporting participants who are passionate about challenging themselves and inspiring their students to learn, grow, and act as environmental stewards.

Scholarship consideration requires no financial disclosure. Indicating scholarship interest on your registration does not affect your admission. It triggers a separate scholarship application — sent to you by email — which is reviewed by our volunteer committee using a defined rubric.

Please visit our Scholarships and Funding page for details and a link to the application form.

FAQs:  The questions teachers ask us most