Where The Wild Things Are: The Amazon Experience

At the start of Spring Break 2026 Mr. Hacker Teper organized an exciting trip to the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador. Students got to experience the culture in Ecuador and what it was like to stay in the world’s largest tropical forest. This was an amazing learning opportunity for all, and Mr. Hacker Teper was overjoyed to show us all the unique parts of the rainforest which he had previously experienced during his Master's degree.

The purpose of the Ecuador trip was for students to learn about unique species and have an appreciation for nature without the use of technology. HT wanted us to experience biodiversity at its highest and how fascinating it can be in the rainforest with so much going on around you. This was a special opportunity because we were the first high school students to stay at the university-focussed biodiversity station. 

The exciting trip to Ecuador was planned three years ago. The trip was organized and ready to depart, but unfortunately, Ecuador had a prison break and the country went into martial law. This year, the trip was cleared to travel and HT reached out to Tipuitini Biodiversity Station to set up dates and planned our time in the city with a company called Tourist Haven. 

To get the trip approved by the school, HT has to identify all the risk. Once approved, HT could start planning flights and requirements the students needed, such as vaccines and documents. HT found that the airlines, especially Canadian Airlines, made it more difficult for people to travel to South America. The biggest challenges in the airport were making sure everyone had the correct paperwork and getting 16 people through check-in, security and customs. Although these things were difficult, he found the hardest part of organizing the trip was recruiting all the students. 

You could tell that Tipuitini was a very special place to HT. He especially loved observing all the insects: “Getting to see the beatles up close was a great educational experience for the students, showing them how beautiful they can be” shared HT. The large and colourful insects changed a lot of people's perspectives on how they view all insects. They can be very pretty, and they aren't there to hurt you, but play a huge role in maintaining the rainforest’s ecosystem and health. 

Another beautiful activity we got to do was boating to a communal salt lick. We all had to stay quiet for 90 minutes so we did not disturb the birds or other animals that may come to get their minerals. Being able to observe nature just doing its thing was so peaceful and relaxing: “I have never seen so many birds in one place, it was so beautiful,” added Libby C, Alex ‘28.  

Although HT and Ms. Carroll had to give up their spring break, they didn't mind at all and found Tipuitini to be a magical place. Being able to hike every day and swim in the river was amazing, and everyone on the trip learned so much. We were always seeing something or exploring somewhere new. “Observing the bioluminescent fungus during a night hike was remarkable,”  said Yza, Allard ‘28.  Everything is so close together in Ecuador, and in the rainforest, there is so much going on at once. Since our cabin windows were mesh, it was so loud. “You could hear a jumble of insects, frogs and howler monkeys,” observed Archie B, Privett ‘26. 

This meant there was no need for other distractions or technology: you could just enjoy all the things happening around you. 

Solena C, Alex ‘26