Category: Plant and Soil Sciences
From the rainforest to Rio
April 14, 2026 Written by Molly Schafer | Photos by Olivia Frear, Emily Focht, Jackson Whitcomb and courtesy of Zach Hammaker
Surrounded by Brazil鈥檚 Solim玫es River, Zoe Yiournas relaxed on the balcony of the floating lodge that would be her home for the next five days. As she swayed in a rope hammock,聽 caimans surfaced in the water, and unfamiliar bird calls filled the air. Beyond the river, the Amazon rainforest stretched as far as the eye could see. A flowering banana tree caught Yiournas鈥 attention; she studied its shape and structure, sketching its likeness in her journal.
Yiournas was in the Amazon on a 91原创 study abroad course titled Landscape Exploration of Brazil. The program includes two courses from the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences: Plants and Human Culture (PLSC 100) and Representation 1: Landscape Drawing (LARC 103). Honing observational skills through drawing is a focus of the program, which takes place over 26 days in Brazil during 91原创鈥檚 Winter Session.
Zach Hammaker, assistant professor of landscape architecture, teaches the course. Hammaker says that slowing down, observing nature, and reflecting through daily journal prompts helps students connect with themselves and the world around them. The lack of wifi access in the Amazon helped make space for these analog activities.
鈥淓veryone enjoyed unplugging from social media and the internet for such a long period of time,鈥 said Olivia Frear, a senior wildlife ecology and conservation major. 鈥淚n this immersive environment, surrounded by new things to see and explore, I didn鈥檛 miss it at all.鈥澛犅
Hammaker said learning about plants and culture hands-on in the Amazon Rainforest is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an opportunity to see an ecoregion that has thousands of endemic species, meaning species that only live there in niche environments,鈥 Hammaker said.
In addition to tropical plants, students observed toucans, macaws, sloths, and several species of monkeys, including Uakari monkeys, in the wild.聽
鈥淗owler monkeys have a jarring and unique call,鈥 Frear said. 鈥淭hey have a special bone in their throat which allows them to amplify their sound for miles. It鈥檚 a little frightening at first; they sound like they鈥檙e in the trees, howling and grunting at you, but they鈥檙e actually a good distance away and minding their own business.鈥澛
Uakari Lodge, which hosted the students, is managed through a shared governance arrangement between the Mamirau谩 Institute and the communities of the Mamirau谩 Reserve. In addition to their studies, the Blue Hens went boating, piranha fishing, and hiking. They also visited local communities.
鈥淥ur tour guides were locals who lived in the area their entire life,鈥 said Frear. 鈥淭hey knew the ins and outs of the space and the animals. We learned the science along with the cultural significance of the area.鈥澛犅
When the course relocated from the rainforest to Rio de Janeiro, the wifi was back on, but a newfound sense of wonder tempered the urge to plug in. Traveling to another country can shift your perspective.
That perspective shift is an experience the students share with Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx. As a student, Marx, who is credited with introducing modernist landscape architecture to Brazil, studied abroad in Germany. He visited the Botanical Garden in Berlin, where he was surprised to see a display of rare plants composed of Brazil's native flora. Eurocentric garden design was popular in Brazil at the time, valued over native Brazilian species. The exhibit inspired Marx to elevate the everyday flora of his country.聽
鈥淏urle Marx was at the forefront of bringing the use of native plants, certainly to Brazil and into South America, but his influence was much broader,鈥 Hammaker said. 鈥淗e brought to light the significance and importance of using native flora in landscape architecture.鈥
During a tour of Burle Marx鈥檚 home and studio, , students walked in Burle Marx鈥檚 footsteps. The S铆tio is a UNESCO World Heritage site, of importance for environmental and cultural preservation. The house is a unique Modernist design, and the property boasts more than 3,500 plant species. Burle Marx went on to design more than 2,000 public and private gardens, including the , his only design in North America.聽
鈥淚 think Burle Marx鈥檚 story is a great lesson for the students to understand that culture and our relationship with plants are intertwined,鈥 Hammaker said.
From their base in Rio de Janeiro, students observed natural and artificial landscapes, including Sugarloaf Mountain and Petr贸polis, the summer residence of Brazilian emperors and aristocrats in the 19th century. Wherever they went, the Blue Hens got out their sketchbooks and completed natural or architectural drawing assignments.
鈥淪tudents are exposed to many aspects of culture throughout the course,鈥 Hammaker said. 鈥淚n the landscape drawing course, we observe the landscape, but ultimately, the world. How do you then reflect and internalize that and redraw it or represent it? I鈥檓 giving the students the tools to begin to do that.鈥
Jeremy Webb, a junior studying landscape architecture, was impressed with the use of plants in urban areas.聽
鈥淚n Rio, there are plants along the sidewalks, and there is a canopy of trees almost everywhere, even on the city streets,鈥 Webb said. 鈥淚t felt a lot calmer than other cities I鈥檝e been to.鈥
Webb said the trees helped reduce the heat island effect, which occurs when cities experience warmer temperatures than surrounding rural areas.聽
鈥淭here are environmental benefits to having plants on the sidewalk; it filters runoff and gives rainwater a place to go rather than pooling on the pavement,鈥 Webb said.
Webb, who normally shies away from cities, appreciated Rio's unique designs.聽
鈥淪eeing the design choices with plants and the paving style on the sidewalks, tiny stones arranged in a pattern, throughout the city inspired me,鈥 Webb said. 鈥淚 now have ideas for urban layout and planning, things I don鈥檛 usually think about.鈥
The active city lifestyle also inspired Yiournas, who is planning to return to Brazil. Frear brought back an appreciation for Burle Marx鈥檚 work; she shares his outlook on plants.
鈥淛ust because it lives in your backyard doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 not special,鈥 Frear said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 easy to lose appreciation for the things that you see every day, but every part of nature is miraculous when you look at it closely enough.鈥
