Ceiba Foundation

Connecting Nature and People

Ceiba connects people and nature, saving tropical species and habitats while helping communities improve their lives and livelihoods. We focus on Ecuador's coastal forest and orchid-rich mountains, two of the most threatened ecosystems on Earth. Our approach keeps land in local hands by emphasizing conservation easements and financial incentives to promote sustainable land stewardship.

Study Abroad

Enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime educational adventure in pristine tropical locales, and benefit from Ceiba’s twenty years of conservation experience and the academic quality of the University of Wisconsin

Conservation

Your support protects critically threatened forests on Ecuador’s Pacific coast and in the Andes by launching locally-operated nature reserves and linking community development to biodiversity conservation

Research

Ceiba scientists, volunteers, and researchers from around the world study how to protect nature and ensure that communities benefit from ecosystem services like clean and abundant fresh water

Notes from the Field

Ceiba is Hiring! – US Nonprofit Administrator

March 4th, 2024 | Joe Meisel

Are you an organized, detail-oriented person seeking a flexible job in an awesome city with a small, international, environmental non-profit? Come join Ceiba, and make a difference in the world! Location: Madison, Wisconsin Schedule:  Four-day work week, minimum one in-office day per week Start Date:  March 15, or as soon as position is filled Position ...

Tropical Conservation Semester – Apply Now!

September 8th, 2023 | Joe Meisel

The Tropical Conservation Semester, Ceiba’s popular study abroad program, takes students on an extended exploration of Ecuador’s amazing and diverse ecosystems.  From the high Andes and misty cloud forest, we spend two weeks in the Amazon basin (and the world’s most biodiverse place, Yasuni), and then journey to the renowned Galapagos islands. You can be ...

Coral Reef Ecology Course Prepares for Belize

July 13th, 2023 | Joe Meisel

Ceiba Foundation’s annual course on Coral Reef Ecology is getting ready for Belize! 22 students have already taken coursework on fish biology, ocean dynamics, marine invertebrates, and the ecology and conservation of corals and their reef ecosystems.  Along the way, they’ve designed research projects — ranging from parrotfish behavior to the impact of microplastics to ...