to our world. - NOLS

SEMESTER IN THE
Amazon
THIS SEMESTER IS AN EXPEDITION THROUGH
the southern part of the Amazon Basin. You
will experience the natural environment—the
diverse forest types and their myriad insects,
birds, and mammals—as well as the fascinating
culture of some of the people who live there.
The Amazon region is an incredibly beautiful
part of the world but a highly challenging place
to travel through. For 80 days you’ll explore
a variety of environments that transition from
dry upland forests known as the cerrado, to the
lowland rain forest closer to the equator. You
will see the southern sources of the Amazon
River in the highlands and also travel by canoe
on some of the huge lowland clear-water
tributaries. If you crave a remote, extended, and
demanding tropical expedition that enables you
to visit part of the Amazon Basin, this unique
NOLS program is the best option.
Dalio Zippin Neto
Discover Amazon culture as you engage with locals in
day-to-day tasks. Rio Madeira
Facing page: Experience the raw power of the Amazon
watershed up close and personal. Serra Ricardo Franco
A river ecology class is more meaningful, and cooler, when you’re actually in the river. Rio Juruena National Park
WILDERNESS FIRST AID (WFA) The first few days of your course will be spent learning
first aid at the NOLS Amazon base before leaving on your expedition. Being
oriented to the various health concerns of the tropics and practicing good hygiene are
part of our basic curriculum.
AMAZON RIVER TRAVEL The Juruena River in the state of Mato Grosso is our river of
choice and canoes are our mode of transportation. You’ll begin this section by practicing
paddling and other travel skills on flat water for seven days before entering areas of
the river with more rapids. There are cultural experiences along the way with chances
to visit remote subsistence communities and meet people who make a living along the
river. This is where you will experience the classic style of Amazon Basin river travel
as you hone your paddling skills and learn both tropical and river risk management
while negotiating rapids one day and paddling long stretches of still water the next.
BACKPACKING There are two hiking sections during which you will practice backpacking
skills and land navigation: one in the Brazilian Highlands on the southern
rim of the Amazon Basin and another in the lowland rain forest. Each of the areas
offers different learning opportunities. On hiking sections, occasions for small group
travel and independent student expeditions are possible.
CULTURE The Amazon Basin’s biodiversity is matched only by the cultural diversity
of its inhabitants. Locals live off the land and use the rivers as their main avenue of
transport. During your semester you will spend time with caboclos, seringueiros, and
other inhabitants of the Amazon backcountry in their communities as you travel by
foot, canoe, voadeira (a small dugout canoe with an outboard), and riverboat. Our
options include staying with local families, contributing to community projects, and
visiting isolated riverside communities.
DETAILS
FALL
Age and Length: 18 & Over • Average age: 21 • Duration: 80 days
Tuition: $14,800
Optional College Credit: 4 hours Biology, 2 hours Environmental Ethics, 2 hours Leadership Techniques, 4 hours
Skills Practicum, 4 hours Risk Management
Dates: page 107
Dalio Zippin Neto
80
www.nols.edu • (800) 710-NOLS • admissions@nols.edu