Hummingbirds, Butterflies & Orchids, Oh My! 

Andes Cloud Forest Adventure,

Led by specialists

Dr. Marc Minno,

Dr. Luis Mazariegos and

Saul Hoyos Gomez

Medellin-Mesenia-Jardin, Colombia

9 days, 8 nights Sept 26- Oct 3, 2024

Immerse yourself in Hummingbird Heaven and outrageous Orchids and Butterflies in the wild and savor the beauty and mystique of the Western Andes, one of the world's biodiversity hotspots!

Enjoy the wonderful town of Jardin, a secret gem, and two days in the magical Medellin city with our resident board member. Highlights include the Medellin Botanical Garden and an exclusive stay at the private Mesenia-Paramillo Nature Reserve in the Andes cloud forest, which is only being made available to TREE and our participants!

$2400 pp Double occupancy / $2900.00 pp single occupancy

Plus international airfare

Andes Cloud Forest Adventure

ITINERARY

Click on the Day ~ Date ~ and Location box to view the itinerary.

Have questions? Please call 866-355-8733 or email treeinstitutetravel@gmail.com

Itinerary is subject to change

About Medellin

Medellín is Colombia's second largest city and is nestled in the Aburrá Valley of the Andes Mountains. It was founded in 1616 but remained a small, under-the-radar locale until the Colombian coffee boom. It later became the center of the textile industry, and today is a modern, vibrant city. Medellin is a principal manufacturing and industrial area and a commercial flower-growing region, particularly focused on orchids. In fact, Medellín is often called the Capital of The Flowers and The Land of Eternal Spring.

Andes Cloud Forest 

A sixth of the world’s biodiversity – 2 million species of plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms – can be found in the region’s cloud forests. 
The cloud forests of Colombia are a story of isolation and biodiversity, climate change and survival. Over 300,000 species of plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms – can be found in the region. Remarkably, only about 10 percent have been identified.
The mist enveloping these montane cloud forests when warm air meets chillier mountain currents creates conditions for life. In particular, the climate is ideal for orchids, palms, ferns, and epiphytes. Over 200 species of orchids have already been found and cataloged here. 
The steep terrain isolates species, fostering a high degree of endemism. As a result, species with small ranges concentrate here, as they do in neighboring Ecuador and Peru.  Located at the intersection of North and South America, the Colombian Western Andes is home to species from both continents.

Meet your Andes Team

Dr. Marc Minno

A conservation scientist with a PhD in Zoology from the University of Florida and
has over 21 years of experience as an interdisciplinary scientist. Field researcher
in the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, and India, including work in Cuba for
TREE Institute International on imperiled species.

Saul Hoyos

Saúl Hoyos, a Biologist with a Master's in Ecology Evolution and Systematics from the
University of Missouri, Saint Louis, United States, with a Fulbright scholarship.
Specialist in botany but with a wide natural vision of biodiversity and biogeography of
Colombia. Saúl, a TREE Institute Advisory Board member, has been leading Tree
expeditions to Colombia since 2018, showing expertise in scientific and ecological
tourism. He has published two books and discovered many new species, having more
than a dozen papers published in peer review.

 

Dr. Luis Mazariegos

Dr. Luis Mazariegos is an American-educated Colombian whose work has been
published in National Geographic as well as in his book, “Hummingbirds of
Colombia.”Mazariegos also is president and CEO of LAM, a biopesticide company
located in Montana, which sells products in 30 countries.

 

Optional add-on trip extension

Colombia’s “River of Color”
Nicknamed the Eighth Wonder of the World
&
Bogota, the Heartbeat of Colombia!

Sign up for both trips and save $500.00

Click here for information

 

Terms, Conditions and Notes

Terms

• Andes Cloud Forest Adventure Extension $2400 Per Person
  Add $500 for single supplement, $2900.
• A non-refundable deposit of $900.00 is required to reserve your place.
• ADD-ON Colombia River of Color and Bogotá Land package: $2900 Per Person double occupancy. 
• Add $900 for a single supplemental ($3800).
• A non-refundable deposit of $900 is required to reserve your place
• Sign up for both trips and save $500.
• The balance will be invoiced and due by August 1, 2024. All payments are non-refundable.
• Payment can be made by Check, credit card, Zelle.
• A 3% convenience fee is added when paying by credit card.
• If paying by check, make check out to TREE Institute, indicate "Colombia 24" in the memo and mail it to 1075 Duval St. Suite C-11, Key West, Florida 33040. *
• *Mail in Key West is very unreliable! If you do mail a check, we suggest you send it priority mail so it can be tracked.

Land package includes the following:

• Permits and entry fees
• All accommodations within Colombia
• National Colombia flights
• English-speaking guide during your entire trip starting with the airport welcome
• Private air-conditioned transportation
• Transfers
• luggage handling
• Tips and meals stated on the itinerary

Notes

• There are limited rooms available. First to sign up and pay a deposit-first to go.
• TREE will make flight arrangements within Colombia
• Please include a color copy of the photo & signature pages of your passport 
• We will provide the suggested international flights from FLL to Bogota or we will we can book your airfare for you.
• International flights are not included but estimate the fare to be $560 to $600 round trip from Ft. Lauderdale.
• All participants must complete the registration form. 
• All passports must be valid six months past the trip's return date. Now is a good time to double-check the expiration date of your passport.
• This itinerary is subject to change.
• PHOTOGRAPHY: TREE Institute International reserves the right without notice to make use of any photography/film taken by our staff on the tour for general publicity purposes without payment or permission
  
• A reasonable degree of mobility is required for all passengers on this program. Most of the guided tours provided on this trip are walking tours. Many sites are located on hilltops, where walking up and down streets is necessary. To participate in tours, travelers must be able to walk unaccompanied.
• Disabilities and Wheelchairs: Persons with a walking disability or an injury or who require a wheelchair/scooter or another mobility device must have another dedicated person traveling with them to assist/push, etc. TREE crew and other guests cannot assist persons with limited mobility. On TREE programs, the TREE guide is authorized to remove or ask to leave from the tour any traveler incapable of, unwilling to, or impeding the overall movement and progress of the tour group.

Not included:

• Meals not on the itinerary,
• Alcoholic beverages,
• Extras at the hotel, tips, taxis, and any entrance fees. 
• International airfare. (We can assist with reservations)

Registration

Please provide the requested and mandatory information, including uploading a photo of your passport and signature pages, to proceed to the Payment section. You are not obligated until you submit the payment in the last step.

Payment

 

Who we are ~ Contact us

 

Travel operated by TREE Institute International 

Have questions? Please call 866-355-8733 or email treeinstitutetravel@gmail.com

TREE Institute International

1075 Duval Street, Suite C-11, Key West, Florida 33040

866-355-8733

treeinstitutetravel@gmail.com

www.TREEinstitute.ORG

www.cubajourneys.org

 

Who we are

TREE Institute International is a volunteer-operated, non-profit, charitable organization (501-c-3) that organizes and showcases adventure, cultural, education, and conference trips to places where TREE conducts the work of its mission, including Cuba, Colombia and Argentina. TREE has been taking group trips to Cuba for over 20 years. The TREE Institute holds an OFAC license issued by the US Treasury Department, allowing the organization to legally offer and oversee trips to Cuba. Upcoming trips are licensed and fully compliant with the new OFAC Regulations and meet all current travel requirements.

What we do

The funds from our trips support projects in countries that US foundations do not fund. TREE is currently working with the Medellin Botanical Garden and the University of Antioquia in Medellin, Colombia, to study, propagate and create educational exhibits on the new plant species discovered in the Andes region. There is also medicinal research in Bogota with Colombian scientists on Burgmansia or Angel's tAngel's The species Brugmansia arborea, golden angel's tangel's (B. aurea), B. insignis, red angel's tangel's (B. sanguinea), B. versicolor, and B. vulcanicola were variously distributed in the Andes region of South America, ranging from Colombia to northern  Chile.
For more information on our projects, visit https://treeinstitute. org/our-projects/

We are all volunteers, and TREE spends no money on marketing or advertising our journeys. Most trips are filled with repeat participants, word of mouth, and referrals! 

We appreciate your support! Without you, these projects would not be possible. 

YOU are helping to make a difference!

Colombia's colors can be found all around you in this beautiful and diverse country. From the textiles to the artwork, the sunrises and sunsets to the tropical fruit, butterflies and birds, and the River of Color! Yes, color is everywhere!