Third Millennium Alliance (TMA) was founded in 2007 with the purchase of 
100 acres and the establishment of the Jama-Coaque Reserve (JCR) in the 
province of Manabí, Ecuador, between the cities of Jama and Pedernales. 
The reserve lies 4km inland from the Pacific Ocean. Now encompassing 
over 1,300 acres, the Jama-Coaque Reserve actively protects one of the 
last remaining fragments of Pacific Equatorial Forest, which is 
considered to be one of the most threatened tropical forests in the 
world. Our organization has been running a hands-on, field-based 
internship program in the fields of Biological Field Research and 
Sustainable Agriculture since 2008, with more than 200 young and 
enthusiastic students from around the globe.

Internship Opportunities: 
Interns that participate in our program take on high-impact and dynamic 
research projects within the fields of Biological Field Research (Flora 
& Fauna) and Sustainable Agriculture (Permaculture & Agroforestry) in 
the Jama-Coaque Reserve, Ecuador. Interns must select one of the two 
internship tracks mentioned above when applying, but cross-pollination 
between the two different paths is encouraged for individuals looking to 
broadly experience each topic. Above all, a positive attitude, desire to 
learn, and a strong sense of adventure are the foundations of our 
internship. Working alongside our experienced staff, community members, 
and fellow interns from across the globe ensures an unforgettable 
tropical learning experience.

Below is a list of some of the projects we will be tackling during the 
upcoming 2017 sessions. Some of these projects are new and others have 
been ongoing for multiple seasons or years. When applying please inform 
us if you would like to participate in our Biological Field Research 
path or our Sustainable Agriculture path. 



Biological Field Research:

TMA’s current flagship research project investigates hummingbird-plant 
pollination/interaction networks across elevational and forest 
gradients. Interns will assist TMA staff in a variety of forest 
settings, working with both birds and vegetation in tropical dry 
forests, humid rainforests, and cloud forests.

Daily duties may include hummingbird trapping, camera trapping, 
vegetation sampling, plant collection/identification, pollen analysis, 
group discussions of scientific literature, creation of species 
aging/sexing guides, and data entry/analysis.

Interns will build various skillsets depending on timing of their 
session and the current phase of the project. These skills may include 
GPS navigation, hummingbird trapping, mist-netting, camera-trapping 
protocols and analysis, bird handling and banding, identification of 
birds by sight and sound, aging and sexing of birds, vegetation 
sampling, plant collection and identification, pollen identification, 
and data entry/maintenance. 

Please note this project requires extensive hiking. Applicants should be 
willing and able to hike for ~2 hours on steep terrain in humid and 
muddy conditions several times per week.

Previous projects have included camera-trapping of terrestrial and 
arboreal mammals, censuses of threatened primate species, seed bank and 
germination studies, and herpetofauna monitoring. Interested and 
motivated applicants may have the opportunity to continue work on some 
of these projects.

Sustainable Agriculture (Permaculture & Agroforestry):
• Production Zone Intensive – Focused on increasing food production, 
crop zonification & rotation, plant propagation, care/maintenance, and 
integrated pest management.
• Agroforestry – Maintenance and use of mixed-use forest.  Development 
of cleaning and harvest system, use of products, and analysis of 
agroforestry systems in comparison to the widespread use of slash and 
burn agriculture.
• Reforestation – Plant native trees on 40 hectares of pasture land, 
initiate a bamboo reforestation program along riparian areas, and manage 
a growing nursery of native plant species.
• Green Building – Learn to use natural, recycled and sustainable 
building materials. Assist with construction projects of all forms as we 
continue to grow into the future.

In addition to our standard internships, we also offer a variety of 
seasonal workshops and certification courses. We offer a Permaculture 
Design Certification (PDC) course four times a year, including a special 
traveling PDC each summer that visits three unique farms across Ecuador. 
Additional workshop opportunities will be announced on our website as 
they are scheduled, so please stay tuned here: www.tmalliance.org

2017 Internship Schedule:

A complete program description with the 2017 schedule and prices can be 
found on our website: www.tmalliance.org/internships. Here you can also 
find the application form, contact details, as well as other media, such 
as photos, video, and answers to Frequently Asked Questions. 

We are currently accepting applications for the following sessions:

Taste of the Tropics Internship (4 week program):
•       October 16-November 10: Application deadline September 16
•       November 13-December 8: Application deadline October 13

Academic Internship (8 week program):
•       October 16-December 8: Application deadline September 16

2018 Internship dates TBD; please email us at i...@tmalliance.org if you 
are interested in interning in 2018.

* Accreditation– For students looking to get academic credit for our 
internship program, please discuss the options available with your 
advisor or internship office. TMA does not currently have the ability to 
independently provide academic credit, but we are happy to work with 
your university to ensure all requirements are met by our program. Our 
staff is happy to provide an evaluation of performance and complete any 
paperwork required by the university.

We look forward to working with you!

Jama-Coaque Field Research Team
Third Millennium Alliance 
Quito, Ecuador
Email: i...@tmalliance.org
Web: www.tmalliance.org

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