Biology Beyond the ‘Burg

From the Artist

I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad the fall of my junior year. I spent four months living in Ecuador, mainly based in Quito living with a homestay family. I chose Ecuador because in was the perfect program that combined my two passions and studies at college, biology and Spanish. I was able to practice my Spanish with my homestay family, classmates, in class (all my classes were in Spanish), and with my new Ecuadorian friends. I traveled around the country exploring various ecosystems, including the Galápagos Islands, the paramo (Andes Mountains), the cloud forest, and the Amazon rainforest. I completed a one-month independent research project at Tiputini Biodiversity Station in the heart of the Amazon on woolly monkey and spider monkey behavior and the relationship between the two species of monkeys and the spot-backed antbird. I did not think that while I was in Ecuador I would find a new passion: photography. I was inspired by the amazing unique creatures I came into contact with while in Ecuador, especially the Galápagos Islands. I started taking the photos to simply make documentation of my experience and what I saw; slowly it became a passion of capturing moments of interaction with the amazing creatures there. There was a special energy and relationship I felt with these exotic animals and photography was a means to attempt to capture that memory.

Stephanie Molina, Class of '09

 

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Photo Gallery of the Exhibit

Biology Beyond the Burg Images(10)