EI
Elise Iwanyckyj
  • Dietetics
  • Class of 2017
  • Watermill, NY

Elise Iwanyckyj Studies Biology in Peruvian Rainforest

2016 Jun 23

Elise Iwanyckyj of Watermill, NY, saw not one, but four jaguars in the wild while traversing Peru's Manu River in a small boat filled with fellow SUNY Oneonta students.

The jaguar sightings were among many exciting moments during the 22-day tropical biology summer field course, which also included a rare glimpse of an anaconda curled up on a tree trunk in the Manu River.

After a week in the Andes Mountains, including a visit to the ancient Inca ruins of Machu Picchu, the group settled at a tourist lodge adjacent to Project Buena Vista, a nonprofit organization founded by Reyda and his wife to protect the flora and fauna of a 100-acre swath of rainforest in southeastern Peru.

There, the students immersed themselves in tropical biology with hikes and lab activities. A highlight of the trip was a week-long visit to Manu National Park, a 6,000-square-mile protected area that's accessible only by boat.

"No matter how much I brief the students on it, they don't really realize how much wildlife they're going to see," said Associate Professor of Biology Florian Reyda, who co-led the course with Biology Professor Donna Vogler.