On a trail at La Hesperia.
Fundación Tangaré / Environmental education
Environmental education in the cloud forest
We take students into the forest to learn from it directly: the children of the local school, schools and universities from Ecuador and abroad, and the volunteers, interns and families who stay at La Hesperia.
Why we teach
Conservation that only happens inside a reserve has a time limit. The forest around La Hesperia will be protected, or not, by the people who grow up near it and by the students who will one day make decisions about forests like it.
A field trip turns the forest from a view into something a student has walked through, listened to and measured. That is the aim of our Environmental Education and Communication program, one of the Foundation’s three programs, and it is our contribution to the United Nations goal for quality education.
What we offer
Field trips for the local school
The pupils of the local school in Recinto La Esperie, the community next to the reserve, visit the forest with us.
Field trips for schools and universities
Schools, high schools and universities from Ecuadorian cities and from other countries can bring a group to the forest. We prepare the visit with the teacher around the group’s age and subject.
Weekly lecture
Once a week we give an academic lecture, on a different topic each time, to the volunteers, interns and families visiting La Hesperia.
Field training for students
Interns and student researchers learn field methods, such as setting camera traps and collecting data, in real conditions and with supervision.
Bring your group
For teachers and university lecturers.
Write to us
Tell us the size and age of the group, the dates you have in mind and what you would like the students to learn.
We prepare the visit
We agree on a plan with you: trails, topics and the activities that fit the group.
Stay overnight if you need to
If the group needs lodging and meals, they are arranged with La Hesperia reserve, which hosts groups.
For families
Families who stay at La Hesperia join the weekly lecture and learn from the forest alongside their children. The reserve offers stays for families who travel and learn together.
Support education
A donation of $200 pays for a field trip for the children of the local school. Donations are received directly by Fundación Tangaré.