John Weatherford’s most recent adventure led him deep into the heart of Ecuador, where he spent five days as Senior Personnel on the $117,797 National Science Foundation (NSF) Human and Geographical Sciences grant: “Investigating Ecological Legacies in Amazonian Forests.”

John traveled through the capital city of Quito to the town of Francisco de Orellana (also known as Coca), located where the Napo and Coca rivers meet. The ESPOCH University Extension in Coca served as the hub for an international conference, where John’s presentation, “Collaboratively Designing Digital Conservation Experiences,” offered a global audience a glimpse into the visionary mission of the New Media Institute.

But John’s tale extended beyond the conference halls. While there, he seized the opportunity to explore all that Ecuador has to offer, tracing the equator’s invisible line at Mitad del Mundo, ascending the Pichincha Volcano via the Teleférico cable car, wandering through Quito’s historic city center, and hanging out with adorable alpacas!

Back in Athens, John is continuing his work on the grant through a capstone project partnership. In collaboration with Dr. Fausto Sarmiento from UGA’s Department of Geography, the capstone team is building a website and social media plan that will serve as a foundational resource for the grant as it moves forward.