Download Draft 2020 Syllabus 

Amazon Rainforest Workshops Study Sites

Program Directors

Christa Dillabaugh - Director, The Morpho Institute

Christa has a degree in biology with emphasis in science/environmental education from Purdue University.  As a middle school science teacher in Bexley, Ohio, she traveled to one of the first Amazon Rainforest Workshops for Educators in 1993. Nearly every other year since then she has teamed with other science specialists to lead groups of students and teachers in hands-on rainforest field study trips to the tropics. She has also worked as a free-lance science consultant to Pearson Education and Discovery Communications, contributing to curriculum and activity guides as well as educator in-service workshops and training materials focusing on STEM and Understanding by Design in the science classroom.

Allen (Al) Stenstrup - Former Director of Education Programs for Project Learning Tree

Al has more than 35 years of experience in the field of education. As Director of Education Programs for Project Learning Tree (PLT), Al directed the development and implementation of PLT's curriculum materials across the country and internationally with PLT state coordinators and other partners. Al recently published a book Diminishing Resources – Forests that highlights the planet’s changing forests and what people are doing to manage this resource. In 2010, he received the award Outstanding Service to Environmental Education at the Global Level from the North American Association for Environmental Education for his work in 18 countries across the world.

Program Faculty

Kelly Keena, PhD – Director of Education, Underwriters Laboratories

Kelly is the co-founder of Blue Lotus Consulting & Evaluation; a small firm focusing on supporting programs that engage people through the environment. Kelly's background includes field work and administration in environmental education, international study of cultural geography and the environment, formal classroom work as a licensed science teacher and instructional coach, two honorarium faculty positions working with pre-service teachers in science methods of instruction, and research regarding children's connection to nature in green schoolyards using participatory research methods.

Stephen (Steve) Madigosky, EdD - Professor of Biology & Environmental Science at Widener University

In addition to his academic teaching at Widener, Steve is also Director of Research at the Amazon Conservatory of Tropical Studies (ACTS) in Iquitos, Peru. Aspects of tropical biology and conservation have been his focus for nearly two decades. As a researcher, he has been investigating the biochemical dynamics of select compounds in tropical plants and animals. The crux of his work centers on understanding how organisms obtain chemical protection from their diets. In addition, Steve is conducting a long term study and detailed climatic profile of the forest layers surrounding the ACTS field station. Also active in science education, he has obtained  nearly  one  million  dollars  in grants  over  the  past  decade  to  support  educational programs to increase science literacy among K-16 teachers and students.

Randy Morgan - Curator Emeritus of Invertebrates for the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Randy holds an M.S. in entomology from the University of Wisconsin and his work managing a Leaf-Cutting  Ant  Colony  earned  the  Zoo  a  Significant  Achievement  Award  issued  by  the American Zoo and Aquarium Association. This recognition was preceded by other awards in 1999 for Bullet Ants, in 2000 for the long-term propagation of the Peruvian Fire Stick, and two in 2001 for the long-term propagation and captive management of the Giant Water Bug. While regularly serving as faculty during Amazon Rainforest Workshops since 1991, Randy also led the JASON XV team of scientists in February, 2003 during their Rainforests at the Crossroads expedition to Panama and served as a JASON X researcher in the Amazon in March, 1999.

Kristie Reddick and Jessica Honaker - Entomologists and Science Communicators, The Bug Chicks

Kristie and Jessica are entomologists who teach about the fascinating world of insects, spider and their relatives. Through videos, digital media and in-person appearances they inspire people to open their minds and learn about these often-maligned animals. Their drive to create fun, accurate science media has led them to work with some amazing organizations: the U.S. Forest Service, Norman Borlaug Institute of International Agriculture, and National Ag Science Center, Microsoft and many more! They inspire people to be brave and realize that different isn't bad. In this vein, they use bugs to teach about prejudice and racism and reaching your full potential.

Nancy Trautmann, PhD - Director of Education, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Under Nancy’s leadership, the Education Program at the Lab creates resources and opportunities that aim to inspire people of all ages to care about birds and the critical issues facing our environment today. The BirdSleuth Habitat Connections curriculum is one of the resources produced by this team.  Nancy’s interests center on curriculum development, teacher professional development, and interactive online learning opportunities that help people build closer connections with nature, learn about birds and the natural world, and participate in citizen science and conservation action. Curricula she has published include Birds Without Borders (Carte Diem Press); Citizen Science, Decay & Renewal, Assessing Toxic Risk, Invasion Ecology, and Watershed Dynamics (National Science Teachers Association), Biodiversity: The Keystone to Life on Earth (California Education and the Environment Initiative); and Composting in the Classroom (Kendall Hunt).

STUDY SITES

Explorama Lodges

ACTSPeru

PARTNERS

CONAPAC Peru

Amazon Library

Yanamono Medical Clinic

One Planet

CITIZEN SCIENCE

iNaturalist

eBird

Extend your stay in Peru and explore Andean culture and ecology with a visit to Cusco and Machu Picchu.  2020 extension information available in September.