{"id":29641,"date":"2026-09-24T14:27:26","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T18:27:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/?post_type=story&#038;p=29641"},"modified":"2026-09-24T15:43:06","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T19:43:06","slug":"students-visit-unesco-designated-biosphere-reserve-in-peru-to-learn-from-clarks-research-partners","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/24\/students-visit-unesco-designated-biosphere-reserve-in-peru-to-learn-from-clarks-research-partners\/","title":{"rendered":"Students visit UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve in Peru to learn from Clark\u2019s research partners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-intro\">Deep in central Peru\u2019s mountainous Amazon jungle, surrounded by his classmates and professors, Zach Baranowski \u201925, M.S.-ES&amp;P \u201926, stood still like a tree, closed his eyes, and listened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-intro\">The experience, he said, brought to life his research into ecosystem \u201csoundscapes,\u201d especially the calls made by frogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For just a few moments, Baranowski <em>(above, center) <\/em>immersed himself in the serene symphony of the tropical forest, part of the Oxapampa\u2013Ash\u00e1ninka\u2013Y\u00e1nesha Biosphere Reserve (BIOAY), one of 797 UNESCO-designated natural areas around the world. The designation promotes a balanced relationship between humans and nature, supporting Indigenous and local communities\u2019 biodiversity conservation and sustainable economic development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Absorbing the sounds of <em>Tierra de Bosques<\/em> (Land of the Forests), Baranowski thought \u201cabout how it felt to be surrounded but also protected\u201d by the natural landscape. The forest-meditation exercise, led by conservationist and ecotherapist Luc\u00eda Bacigalupo, prompted him to consider \u201cthe importance of slowing down, and how nature helps with that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-group alignright boxout has-lighter-teal-background-color has-background is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6ad1ded9 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-study-sustainability-and-social-justice\">Study sustainability and social justice <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/programs\/major\/climate-environment-and-society-ba\/\">Climate, environment, and society, B.A.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/programs\/accelerated-masters\/community-development-and-planning-ba-ma\/\">Community development and planning, B.A., M.S.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/programs\/accelerated-masters\/environmental-science-and-policy-ba-ms\/\">Environmental science and policy, B.A., M.S.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/programs\/major\/geography-ba\/\">Geography, B.A.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/programs\/accelerated-masters\/international-development-ba-ma\/\">International development, B.A., M.A.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/programs\/major\/international-development-and-social-change-ba\/\">International development and social change, B.A.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/programs\/major\/spanish-ba\/\">Spanish, B.A.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/programs\/masters\/sustainable-food-systems-ms\/\">Sustainable Food Systems, M.S.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>Baranowski was one of eight Clark students and recent graduates from Clark\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/climate-environment-society\/\">School of Climate, Environment, and Society <\/a>who traveled to Oxapampa for a summer field-based experience, following an on-campus class, \u201cExploring the Micropolitics of Environmental Governance of a Biosphere Reserve,\u201d in the spring. Their co-instructors were Professor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/faculty\/profiles\/denise-humphreys-bebbington\/\">Denise Humphreys Bebbington<\/a> of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/sustainability-social-justice\/\">Department of Sustainability and Social Justice<\/a> and geography alumna Mireya Bravo Frey, Ph.D. \u201916, a program officer with Climate and Land Use Alliance in Peru.<br><br>The spring class and its culminating 20-day summer field module may serve as a model for future <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/sustainability-social-justice\/experiential-learning\/\">Global Learning Collaboratives<\/a> \u2014 experiential courses, projects, and internships that allow students to learn outside the classroom and across the world, according to Professor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/faculty\/profiles\/ellen-foley\/\">Ellen Foley<\/a>, associate dean of the School of Climate, Environment, and Society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Global Learning Collaboratives are an outgrowth of long-term, community-engaged research by faculty working with local partners in Worcester, Puerto Rico, and farther afield in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBecause Clark has such longstanding networks and relationships across the world, we can give students something that\u2019s really special,\u201d Humphreys Bebbington said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGiving students a hands-on experience makes it more than just a classroom discussion,\u201d she explained. \u201cThings that you talk about in class become real. Students can touch them, smell them, see them, and that gives them so much motivation. They\u2019re talking with people who are doing the work \u2014 farmers, entrepreneurs, community leaders \u2014 and that makes all the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Oxapampa-Peru-768x1024.avif\" alt=\"Overview of Oxapampa\" class=\"wp-image-29693\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Oxapampa-Peru-768x1024.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Oxapampa-Peru-225x300.avif 225w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Oxapampa-Peru-1152x1536.avif 1152w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Oxapampa-Peru-1536x2048.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Oxapampa-Peru-1200x1600.avif 1200w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Oxapampa-Peru-scaled.avif 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"518\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-with-Mireya-1024x518.avif\" alt=\"Mireya Bravo Frey with students in Peru\" class=\"wp-image-29651\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-with-Mireya-1024x518.avif 1024w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-with-Mireya-300x152.avif 300w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-with-Mireya-768x389.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-with-Mireya-1536x777.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-with-Mireya-1200x607.avif 1200w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-with-Mireya.avif 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Geography alumna Mireya Bravo Frey, Ph.D. \u201916, a program officer with Climate and Land Use Alliance in Peru, second from right, with five of the eight students whom she connected with a network of research partners and practitioners around Oxapampa: from left, Humza Musharraf, Brianna Bodner, Morgan McKeen, Zoe Black, and Samantha Harvey.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-empathy-involves-stepping-into-someone-s-shoes\">\u2018Empathy involves stepping into someone\u2019s shoes\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"h-empathy-involves-stepping-into-someone-s-shoes-humphreys-bebbington-gives-bravo-credit-for-inspiring-and-co-teaching-the-class-and-leading-students-experiential-learning-in-oxapampa-the-instructors-are-planning-to-return-to-the-region-with-another-cohort-of-clark-students-in-2027\">Humphreys Bebbington gives Bravo credit for inspiring and co-teaching the class and leading students\u2019 experiential learning in Oxapampa, where they learned about conservation and economic activities in the BIOAY and each explored a research interest. The instructors are planning to return to the region with another cohort of Clark students in 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMireya played a huge role in making this happen,\u201d Humphreys Bebbington said. \u201cThe class and Global Learning Collaborative build on her Clark Ph.D. dissertation, and her contacts and networks made this student experience possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bravo grew up in the Central Highlands city of Huancayo, but her familial roots lay 160 miles north, in the mountains of Oxapampa. There, she conducted research as an undergraduate anthropology major in 2003-04 and became aware \u201cof conflicting relations of resource use and access.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet, just a few years later, community members, environmentalists, NGOs, and local government leaders united in supporting UNESCO\u2019s designation of the 4,383,872-acre region as a Biosphere Reserve, officially recognizing Oxapampa\u2019s biological and cultural significance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>\u201cYou can really see how people value and depend on the surrounding landscapes.\u201d<\/p><cite>\u2014 Brianna Bodner \u201925, M.S.-ES&amp;P \u201926<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Returning to the region as a Ph.D. student, Bravo sought to understand how and why these \u201cdiverse social actors, despite their historical differences, have come to support [BIOAY] as a means of combining development and conservation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her dissertation explores the complex \u201cmicropolitics of environmental governance\u201d in Oxapampa and \u201cinstitution building and social action\u201d that have been foundational to BIOAY\u2019s success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The biosphere reserve has flourished, she concludes, because those involved in organizing and launching BIOAY found common ground and shared \u201ctrajectories of empathy\u201d \u2014 the \u201cprocess of perspective taking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cSome individuals are able to bridge their experiences because they are aware of their positions and are empathic about the perspective of others,\u201d Bravo explains. \u201cEmpathy involves stepping into someone\u2019s shoes, gaining an understanding of their feelings and perspectives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"674\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Peru-trip-1-1024x674.avif\" alt=\"Zach laughing with his fellow students in Peru\" class=\"wp-image-29643\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Peru-trip-1-1024x674.avif 1024w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Peru-trip-1-300x198.avif 300w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Peru-trip-1-768x506.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Peru-trip-1-1536x1011.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Peru-trip-1-2048x1349.avif 2048w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Peru-trip-1-1200x790.avif 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students taste coffee and observe the process of sorting and  roasting beans at the source \u2014 in Villa Rica, the coffee capital of Peru.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"719\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/LaVillaMasRica-Peru-719x1024.avif\" alt=\"Sign for coffee roasters in Oxapampa\" class=\"wp-image-29676\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/LaVillaMasRica-Peru-719x1024.avif 719w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/LaVillaMasRica-Peru-211x300.avif 211w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/LaVillaMasRica-Peru-768x1094.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/LaVillaMasRica-Peru-1078x1536.avif 1078w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/LaVillaMasRica-Peru-1438x2048.avif 1438w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/LaVillaMasRica-Peru-1200x1709.avif 1200w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/LaVillaMasRica-Peru-scaled.avif 1797w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 719px) 100vw, 719px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Coffee-beans-Peru-768x1024.avif\" alt=\"Coffee beans on blanket\" class=\"wp-image-29678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Coffee-beans-Peru-768x1024.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Coffee-beans-Peru-225x300.avif 225w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Coffee-beans-Peru-1152x1536.avif 1152w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Coffee-beans-Peru-1536x2048.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Coffee-beans-Peru-1200x1600.avif 1200w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Coffee-beans-Peru-scaled.avif 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Coffee-bean-roasting-Peru-768x1024.avif\" alt=\"Coffee being roasted\" class=\"wp-image-29675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Coffee-bean-roasting-Peru-768x1024.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Coffee-bean-roasting-Peru-225x300.avif 225w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Coffee-bean-roasting-Peru-1152x1536.avif 1152w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Coffee-bean-roasting-Peru-1536x2048.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Coffee-bean-roasting-Peru-1200x1600.avif 1200w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Coffee-bean-roasting-Peru-scaled.avif 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-oxapampa-proves-that-communities-can-build-something-different\">Oxapampa proves \u2018that communities can build something different\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Humphreys Bebbington also has connections to Oxapampa. She was introduced to the region by her research and life partner, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/faculty\/profiles\/anthony-bebbington\/\">Anthony Bebbington<\/a>, Milton P. and Alice C. Higgins Professor of Environment and Society at Clark\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/departments\/geography\/\">Graduate School of Geography<\/a>. He conducted research there for his Clark geography Ph.D. in the 1980s (and later served as Bravo\u2019s dissertation advisor). Back then, deforestation and soil erosion were rampant in Oxapampa, and many feared the area would become consumed by extractive industries seeking to develop oil, gas and mineral deposits and cutting down forests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the next four decades, the Bebbingtons continued their research, collaborating with Indigenous and local communities impacted by the extractive industry activities in the Andes-Amazon and other threatened ecosystems across the world. With Geography Professor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/faculty\/profiles\/john-rogan\/\">John Rogan<\/a> and Ph.D. students, they founded <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/extractives\/\">Extractives@Clark<\/a>, the Center for the Study of Natural Resources Extraction and Society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Humphreys Bebbington, Oxapampa could have become one of the many Amazon areas devastated by natural resources extraction and deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, \u201cOxapampa is a success story, proving that communities can build something different that both protects nature and works economically for local people,\u201d she said. \u201cYou&#8217;ve gotten a large, diverse group of people to agree on protecting forests, rivers, and biodiversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen you have a successful economic proposition for an area,\u201d she explained, \u201cthat is the best way to keep the oil and gas in the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Coffee-beans-Peru-sort-768x1024.avif\" alt=\"Coffee beans being sorted\" class=\"wp-image-29684\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Coffee-beans-Peru-sort-768x1024.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Coffee-beans-Peru-sort-225x300.avif 225w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Coffee-beans-Peru-sort-1152x1536.avif 1152w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Coffee-beans-Peru-sort-1536x2048.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Coffee-beans-Peru-sort-1200x1600.avif 1200w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Coffee-beans-Peru-sort-scaled.avif 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"604\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-Peru-class-1024x604.avif\" alt=\"Students sit together on a couch on an overnight stay in Oxapampa.\" class=\"wp-image-29648\" style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-Peru-class-1024x604.avif 1024w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-Peru-class-300x177.avif 300w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-Peru-class-768x453.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-Peru-class-1536x906.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-Peru-class-1200x708.avif 1200w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-Peru-class.avif 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, students and recent alumni visiting Oxapampa included Zoe Black, Jenna Ward, Tanya Sheinkman, Samantha Harvey, Zach Baranowski, Brianna Bodner, Morgan McKeen, and Humza Musharraf.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Honey-making-1024x768.avif\" alt=\"Making honey in Peru\" class=\"wp-image-29685\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Honey-making-1024x768.avif 1024w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Honey-making-300x225.avif 300w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Honey-making-768x576.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Honey-making-1536x1152.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Honey-making-1200x900.avif 1200w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Honey-making.avif 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Honey-for-sale-Peru-768x1024.avif\" alt=\"Honey on a shelf in a store\" class=\"wp-image-29691\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Honey-for-sale-Peru-768x1024.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Honey-for-sale-Peru-225x300.avif 225w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Honey-for-sale-Peru-1152x1536.avif 1152w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Honey-for-sale-Peru-1536x2048.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Honey-for-sale-Peru-1200x1600.avif 1200w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Honey-for-sale-Peru-scaled.avif 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Bees-honey-Peru-768x1024.avif\" alt=\"Bees making honey\" class=\"wp-image-29690\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Bees-honey-Peru-768x1024.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Bees-honey-Peru-225x300.avif 225w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Bees-honey-Peru-1152x1536.avif 1152w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Bees-honey-Peru-1536x2048.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Bees-honey-Peru-1200x1600.avif 1200w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Bees-honey-Peru-scaled.avif 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-students-could-see-people-doing-things-that-make-a-difference\">\u2018Students could see people doing things that make a difference\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Traveling 10 hours overnight by bus from Lima through the Andes Mountains, the students \u2014 accompanied by Humphreys Bebbington \u2014 arrived in Oxapampa on June 5 to experience this \u201csuccess story\u201d firsthand. They started out on a celebratory note, attending activities marking the 16<sup>th<\/sup> anniversary of Oxapampa\u2019s designation as a UNESCO-recognized Biosphere Reserve. And they received an up-close view of Peru\u2019s national elections on June 7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo many times we hear stories of more deforestation and more environmental degradation,\u201d Humphreys Bebbington said. \u201cHere, students could see people doing things that make a difference. Those are powerful experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the next three weeks, the class provided students with an opportunity to learn about becoming researchers and practitioners. Students interacted with communities, built relationships, and \u201cpracticed reciprocity rather than simply extracting information,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Students learned about Oxapampa\u2019s rich blend of cultures. The region includes Indigenous Ash\u00e1ninka and Y\u00e1nesha communities, descendants of German and Austrian settlers, and migrants from the high Andes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The class also met with Bravo\u2019s assembled network of academic researchers, NGO representatives, and practitioners living and working in Oxapampa. They included Chris Knudson, Ph.D. \u201916, associate professor and chair of geography at the University of Hawai\u2018i-Hilo, who researches the area\u2019s governance, climate adaptation, natural resource use, and agriculture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Mountains-Peru-1024x577.avif\" alt=\"Mountain scene in Peru\" class=\"wp-image-29680\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Mountains-Peru-1024x577.avif 1024w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Mountains-Peru-300x169.avif 300w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Mountains-Peru-768x432.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Mountains-Peru-1536x865.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Mountains-Peru-2048x1153.avif 2048w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Mountains-Peru-1200x676.avif 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"988\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Denise-Humphreys-Bebbington-students-Peru-1024x988.avif\" alt=\"Denise Humphreys Bebbington surrounded by students on a mountain hike in Peru.\" class=\"wp-image-29668\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Denise-Humphreys-Bebbington-students-Peru-1024x988.avif 1024w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Denise-Humphreys-Bebbington-students-Peru-300x290.avif 300w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Denise-Humphreys-Bebbington-students-Peru-768x741.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Denise-Humphreys-Bebbington-students-Peru-1536x1482.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Denise-Humphreys-Bebbington-students-Peru-1200x1158.avif 1200w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Denise-Humphreys-Bebbington-students-Peru.avif 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Denise Humphreys Bebbington (center, in white) surrounded by students on a hike in Peru\u2019s Oxapampa\u2013Ash\u00e1ninka\u2013Y\u00e1nesha Biosphere Reserve (BIOAY), one of 797 UNESCO-designated natural areas around the world. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-hiking-Peru-trail-768x1024.avif\" alt=\"Students hiking through the jungle in Peru\" class=\"wp-image-29671\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-hiking-Peru-trail-768x1024.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-hiking-Peru-trail-225x300.avif 225w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-hiking-Peru-trail-1152x1536.avif 1152w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-hiking-Peru-trail-1536x2048.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-hiking-Peru-trail-1200x1600.avif 1200w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-hiking-Peru-trail-scaled.avif 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Boots-Peru-768x1024.avif\" alt=\"Boots on a path\" class=\"wp-image-29692\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Boots-Peru-768x1024.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Boots-Peru-225x300.avif 225w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Boots-Peru-1152x1536.avif 1152w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Boots-Peru-1536x2048.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Boots-Peru-1200x1600.avif 1200w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Boots-Peru-scaled.avif 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-we-re-trying-to-understand-the-world-around-us\">\u2018We\u2019re trying to understand the world around us\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Students worked with Cristina Sono N\u00fa\u00f1ez, a strategic communication consultant in Peru, to document their experience through video and photography. Sono developed a storytelling series for social media and other communications platforms at Clark and the School of Climate, Environment, and Society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meeting the Y\u00e1nesha community of Tsachopen had a significant impact on Zoe Black \u201926, M.S.-CDP \u201927. \u201cThis was knowledge that was almost erased in colonization, so it\u2019s very important that we are able to keep it,\u201d Black said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In their meetings with Oxapampa community members, she explained, \u201cwe\u2019re trying to understand the world around us, so understanding the world through Indigenous perspectives is very valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The students visited an ecological research center and school for underprivileged children in Centro Yanachaga (formerly, but often still called, Prosoya), a fish farm in La Colmena, and a bee museum, where they learned about apiculture and tasted honey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Morgan McKeen \u201925, M.S.-ES&amp;P \u201926, was struck by the transformation of Prosoya, where rural children receive a formal education while also learning trades like woodworking, baking, and beekeeping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThinking back on the history of the campus is super-powerful because it used to be a hacienda, which comes with a lot of questionable history and treatment of people,\u201d McKeen said. The site has been \u201crebranded,\u201d and \u201cmaking use of this beautiful property for something good and community-driven is super-impactful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Moth-Peru-1-768x1024.avif\" alt=\"Moth in Peru\" class=\"wp-image-29686\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Moth-Peru-1-768x1024.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Moth-Peru-1-225x300.avif 225w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Moth-Peru-1-1152x1536.avif 1152w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Moth-Peru-1-1536x2048.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Moth-Peru-1-1200x1600.avif 1200w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Moth-Peru-1-scaled.avif 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-market-Peru-1-768x1024.avif\" alt=\"Students visiting a market in Peru\" class=\"wp-image-29688\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-market-Peru-1-768x1024.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-market-Peru-1-225x300.avif 225w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-market-Peru-1-1152x1536.avif 1152w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-market-Peru-1-1536x2048.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-market-Peru-1-1200x1600.avif 1200w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Students-market-Peru-1-scaled.avif 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Visiting Ulcumano Ecolodge in Chontabamba, where Eduardo de la Calena is restoring a \u201ccloud forest\u201d that had been clearcut by timber companies, made an impression on Jenna Ward \u201925, M.S.-ES&amp;P \u201926.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve been learning a lot from Ulcumano and some of the other environmental spaces we\u2019ve been in about the importance of ecosystem services that these forests provide,\u201d Ward said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Peru\u2019s coffee capital of Villa Rica, students met environmental lawyer C\u00e9sar Ipenza and fourth-generation coffee producer Juan Carlos Cueva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cVilla Rica was a wonderful experience. Meeting Juan Carlos and his partner, his wife, and seeing them run this business together was really inspiring for me personally,\u201d said Humza Musharraf \u201926. \u201cI hope to see more projects like that in the future that are in touch with the history of the landscape and local people and supporting local economies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Later, in Yanachaga\u2013Chemill\u00e9n National Park, \u00c1lvaro Hurtado, CEO and founder of Tangara Music, took students on a \u201cbioacoustics\u201d eco-tour of this protected area of rainforests and cloud forests. Immersed in Peru\u2019s Central Jungle, they heard a rich soundscape populated by hundreds of bird and amphibian species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And in Fundo La Gorda, a conservation refuge and rustic ecolodge located in the cloud forest of Oxapampa, the students learned about medicinal plants, agroforestry, and sustainable land use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tanya Sheinkman \u201926, M.S.-CDP \u201927, saw reasons to be hopeful about the community-driven solutions she encountered in Oxapampa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen communities and local businesses prioritize protecting regional biodiversity and ecosystem services,\u201d Sheinkman said, \u201cit can create economic as well as personal incentives to preserve, engage, and actively conserve the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, Brianna Bodner \u201925, M.S.-ES&amp;P \u201926, said that she understands \u201cthe forest better now by seeing how interconnected people are with nature. You can really see how people value and depend on the surrounding landscapes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Rainbow-Peru-768x1024.avif\" alt=\"Rainbow over an Oxapampa village\" class=\"wp-image-29657\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Rainbow-Peru-768x1024.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Rainbow-Peru-225x300.avif 225w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Rainbow-Peru-1152x1536.avif 1152w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Rainbow-Peru-1536x2048.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Rainbow-Peru-1200x1600.avif 1200w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/Rainbow-Peru-scaled.avif 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-intro\">Photos by Cristina Sono N\u00fa\u00f1ez, Brianna Bodner \u201925, M.S.-ES&amp;P \u201926, and other students participating in the Oxapampa class<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Eight Clark students and recent graduates traveled to Oxapampa, Peru, for a field-based experience this summer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":29644,"template":"","meta":{"story_color":"var(--clarku-color-blue)","story_headerImg":29644,"section_label":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[241],"displayed_author":[242],"featured":[495],"topic":[131,160,165,133,276,162,134,322,136,121],"class_list":["post-29641","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment-sustainability","displayed_author-meredith-woodward-king","featured-research","topic-climate-change","topic-faculty-research","topic-geography","topic-global","topic-international-development-and-social-change","topic-research","topic-school-of-climate-environment-and-society","topic-study-abroad","topic-sustainability-and-social-justice","topic-undergraduate-students"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.1 (Yoast SEO v28.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Students visit UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve in Peru to learn from Clark\u2019s research partners | ClarkU News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2026\/09\/24\/students-visit-unesco-designated-biosphere-reserve-in-peru-to-learn-from-clarks-research-partners\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Students visit UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve in Peru to learn from Clark\u2019s research partners\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Eight Clark students and recent graduates traveled to Oxapampa, Peru, for a field-based experience this summer.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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