The academics where challenging. Everything else was a great experience and well planed.

Academics - rigorous, rewarding, enriching
Location - are you kidding?! *Paradise*
Housing - excellent facilities
Interactions - numerous, powerful, insightful
Local transportation - the two bus rides we took were very comfortable
Excursions - very informative and I felt lucky to have had them

There isn't much that would have made this trip any better

The course was Conservation Biology in the Atlantic Forest, it was in Brazil, we had tons of interaction with the local people thanks to the efforts of the instructors and IPE facility. We took many hikes, boat rides, and drives all over the area, so we were able to see a lot of Brazil in the short amount of time we had.

The course was challenging yet doable. The location was incredible, every place we visited was better than the last. The interactions with locals always went smoothly, it was a great opportunity to learn more about cultures different than our own.

The course is an incredible experience, I would highly recommend it.

The setting of the course is unlike anything I have experienced at CU. Not only are you surrounded by the beautiful Atlantic Forest, but by so many encouraging, amazing people who want to make a difference in our world.

The course was phenomenal. It really taught me how conservation biology actually works in the real world, not just what you learn in the classroom. The course blended classroom lectures with field research and outdoor excursions very well, providing helpful background and great hands on learning experiences. The cultural events were incredible, since it allowed the students to really connect and understand the community. This was important since conservation cannot be achieved without the help of the locals in the area. The location was gorgeous, and we saw tons of natural wildlife. It truly was an incredible place. The course itself also revitalized my interest as well as passion for environmental conservation, but most importantly, also help me realize that there is still hope in the world and that we can make a difference.

The location is great and the institute is in a unique place. By being located in the Atlantic Forest you gain more perspective on how fast we are losing the forest. All the staff at IPE were very professional and helpful all the time. Everyone was very open to new conversations and ideas.
I really liked the fact that a lot of the course is field experience. This really submerges you in the different conservation practices and techniques that have been used in this area. This course gave a sense of hope, a sense that we really can have a positive impact on our planet. It opened my perspective on how to do conservation and taught me that there are solutions to our current conservation problems.

The course was very engaging. There was a wide variety of topics on conservation and Brazil. The location is absolutely beautiful and remote. The interactions with locals was a great experience and very eye opening. The excursions were very fun and interesting.

The course is the best I have taken at CU by far. It integrates many disciplines and ideas into conservation. It was hard work but so much fun. IPE is a great campus. Interacting with the locals was great and interesting. We learned so much from each other.

If you're looking into any kind of biological/ecological management in your future, I highly recommend this course. In 3 weeks, I learned more than I ever imagined possible about conservation biology, and now feel confident creating management plans on my own. The course was filled with incredibly knowledgable guest lecturers who are at the top of their field. The location is stunning, and there are many opportunities to interact with local and indigenous people. The trop to the coast was perhaps one of the most beautiful experiences I have had, and I will remember my experiences on this study abroad trip forever.

Tim was a great program director, he was helpful, passionate, and respectful. Gabi was a great addition to the staff, she very clearly cared for her students and wanted us to succeed.

The program director was the best instructor I've ever had. He is an amazing teacher and knows all about Brazil and conservation biology as well as a wide variety of other topics.

Orientations were always helpful and welcoming. Excursions were always well planned and useful. We did occasionally have freetime, in a few cases we would go on walks or play volleyball on campus.

The excursions were really fun, I got to see a lot of new things.

The trip to picinguaba was extremely memorable. We were able to hike through multiple biomes interconnected to the beach. We were able to see villages established by past escaped slaves and learn their struggles in trying to keep their land from the government. We spent a great deal of time in the woods looking at different elements of ecology. It was in my opinion the most effective way to teach something.

The dorms were really nice compared to what I was expecting, and our driver and van was great.

The housing was dorm style. The rooms were cozy and were structured like a suite. I loved the dorms.

The housing was quaint and modest, you don't really need much more while you are in Brazil learning but it was more than enough for me.

The location was quiet and secluded from large cities. The IPE Institute in Nazare is tucked into a forest conservation site where the campus is small and consists of a quaint dormitory, class room and cafeteria. This campus was beautiful and was ideal for waking up and being able to walk to class in one minute. It felt like summer camp with many tropical birds and insects.

The courses were incredible useful, I learned everything I could possibly know about conservation and ecology.

Best experience of my college career so far. That's coming from a 5th year student. The locals and people of Brazil are amazing and the course teaches you a lot about conservation biology and understanding other cultures.

Gave me insight to another county and hands on field experience.

Shaped my understanding of how what we were studying interfaces with actual people and their day-to-day needs and challenges. This is what books are written about, not the other way around, and it's important to have seen that in person.

Gave very good insight into how conservation actually works in communities.

This experienced has completely changed my life, I will be forever grateful for the dense level of knowledge I have accumulated over the duration of the course.

It made me think about conservation in a completely different way.

It was a valuable experience that I think will help my resume should I find myself looking for a career in conservation. We were asked to construct a conservation plan for a specific species in a particular biosphere and this assignment was valuable because we were asked to treat it as if it were an assignment for a job.

The academics where challenging. Everything else was a great experience and well planed.

Academics - rigorous, rewarding, enrichingLocation - are you kidding?! *Paradise*Housing - excellent facilitiesInteractions - numerous, powerful, insightfulLocal transportation - the two bus rides we took were very comfortableExcursions - very informative and I felt lucky to have had them

The course was Conservation Biology in the Atlantic Forest, it was in Brazil, we had tons of interaction with the local people thanks to the efforts of the instructors and IPE facility. We took many hikes, boat rides, and drives all over the area, so we were able to see a lot of Brazil in the short amount of time we had.

The course was challenging yet doable. The location was incredible, every place we visited was better than the last. The interactions with locals always went smoothly, it was a great opportunity to learn more about cultures different than our own.

The course is an incredible experience, I would highly recommend it.

The setting of the course is unlike anything I have experienced at CU. Not only are you surrounded by the beautiful Atlantic Forest, but by so many encouraging, amazing people who want to make a difference in our world.

The course was phenomenal. It really taught me how conservation biology actually works in the real world, not just what you learn in the classroom. The course blended classroom lectures with field research and outdoor excursions very well, providing helpful background and great hands on learning experiences. The cultural events were incredible, since it allowed the students to really connect and understand the community. This was important since conservation cannot be achieved without the help of the locals in the area. The location was gorgeous, and we saw tons of natural wildlife. It truly was an incredible place. The course itself also revitalized my interest as well as passion for environmental conservation, but most importantly, also help me realize that there is still hope in the world and that we can make a difference.

The location is great and the institute is in a unique place. By being located in the Atlantic Forest you gain more perspective on how fast we are losing the forest. All the staff at IPE were very professional and helpful all the time. Everyone was very open to new conversations and ideas. I really liked the fact that a lot of the course is field experience. This really submerges you in the different conservation practices and techniques that have been used in this area. This course gave a sense of hope, a sense that we really can have a positive impact on our planet. It opened my perspective on how to do conservation and taught me that there are solutions to our current conservation problems.

The course was very engaging. There was a wide variety of topics on conservation and Brazil. The location is absolutely beautiful and remote. The interactions with locals was a great experience and very eye opening. The excursions were very fun and interesting.

The course is the best I have taken at CU by far. It integrates many disciplines and ideas into conservation. It was hard work but so much fun. IPE is a great campus. Interacting with the locals was great and interesting. We learned so much from each other.

If you're looking into any kind of biological/ecological management in your future, I highly recommend this course. In 3 weeks, I learned more than I ever imagined possible about conservation biology, and now feel confident creating management plans on my own. The course was filled with incredibly knowledgable guest lecturers who are at the top of their field. The location is stunning, and there are many opportunities to interact with local and indigenous people. The trop to the coast was perhaps one of the most beautiful experiences I have had, and I will remember my experiences on this study abroad trip forever.

Awesome Course. I learned more in this course than possibly any other course I have taken at CU. The guest lectures were really inspiring and I felt like I was getting a pretty good picture of what Conservation Biology is all about and how it works.

Tim was a great program director, he was helpful, passionate, and respectful. Gabi was a great addition to the staff, she very clearly cared for her students and wanted us to succeed.

The program director was the best instructor I've ever had. He is an amazing teacher and knows all about Brazil and conservation biology as well as a wide variety of other topics.

Orientations were always helpful and welcoming. Excursions were always well planned and useful. We did occasionally have freetime, in a few cases we would go on walks or play volleyball on campus.

The excursions were really fun, I got to see a lot of new things.

The trip to picinguaba was extremely memorable. We were able to hike through multiple biomes interconnected to the beach. We were able to see villages established by past escaped slaves and learn their struggles in trying to keep their land from the government. We spent a great deal of time in the woods looking at different elements of ecology. It was in my opinion the most effective way to teach something.

The dorms were really nice compared to what I was expecting, and our driver and van was great.

The housing was dorm style. The rooms were cozy and were structured like a suite. I loved the dorms.

The housing was quaint and modest, you don't really need much more while you are in Brazil learning but it was more than enough for me.

The location was quiet and secluded from large cities. The IPE Institute in Nazare is tucked into a forest conservation site where the campus is small and consists of a quaint dormitory, class room and cafeteria. This campus was beautiful and was ideal for waking up and being able to walk to class in one minute. It felt like summer camp with many tropical birds and insects.

The courses were incredible useful, I learned everything I could possibly know about conservation and ecology.

Best experience of my college career so far. That's coming from a 5th year student. The locals and people of Brazil are amazing and the course teaches you a lot about conservation biology and understanding other cultures.

Gave me insight to another county and hands on field experience.

Shaped my understanding of how what we were studying interfaces with actual people and their day-to-day needs and challenges. This is what books are written about, not the other way around, and it's important to have seen that in person.

Gave very good insight into how conservation actually works in communities.

This experienced has completely changed my life, I will be forever grateful for the dense level of knowledge I have accumulated over the duration of the course.

It was a valuable experience that I think will help my resume should I find myself looking for a career in conservation. We were asked to construct a conservation plan for a specific species in a particular biosphere and this assignment was valuable because we were asked to treat it as if it were an assignment for a job.

Now I feel like I have a much better understanding of what conservation biologists do and the array of different positions and jobs to be done as a conservation biologist. I understand how multidisciplinary the field of conservation biology is. It is MUCH more than just Biology.