Environmental Studies: A Sustaining Interest

Molly Brown

Owner, Casa Divina Lodge
Mindo, Ecuador

Education:               
Bachelor of Arts, 2000, Environmental Studies, University of Oregon
Bachelor of Arts, 2000, Anthropology, University of Oregon

When Molly Brown came to Ecuador as an exchange student from the University of Oregon, she had no idea she was meeting her future. She developed and now owns the environmentally conscious Casa Divina Lodge in Mindo, Ecuador.

Located in the subtropical humid forest, better known as the cloud forest, of Ecuador in South America, the lodge serves travelers from all over the world and specializes in neo-tropical bird-watching tours. Brown and her husband, Efrain, who Brown met while studying abroad as a UO student, created the lodge by combining his talents as a carpenter and her knowledge of environmental studies and anthropology. 

Brown originally came to Quito, Ecuador, in 1998, where she attended a local university through the UO Study Abroad program. While there, she created an independent study project that combined two majors, anthropology and environmental studies. For her project, she completed a series of interviews of local residents and compiled local history to form a picture of the influences of national and international tourism on a formerly isolated community.

“I credit the UO with encouraging me to get out in the world and see different ways of life, world views, and attitudes,” she says. “Even on campus in Eugene I was able to study some pretty exotic subjects that fed my curiosity and eventually led me to South America.”

Almost every quarter as a student, Brown was able to earn credits in the field, whether it was trail restoration at Eugene's Mt. Pisgah Arboretum or studying tourism in rural Ecuador. “I really appreciated the faith and confidence that my UO faculty had in me to find useful and relevant projects outside of the classroom,” she says.

Brown’s course work and the real world come together every day. “I am pleased that my environmental studies background gave me the awareness to be able to create a place that is environmentally conscious,” she says, “and I studied cultural anthropology because people and culture fascinate me.” 

“I am lucky enough to get to interact with folks from all over the world on an almost daily basis!”

Brown is interested in hosting UO students visiting Ecuador...providing they want to help with sustainability-minded projects such as organic gardening or volunteering at the local animal rescue center. Interested students can e-mail Casa Divina directly for more information.

Text by Jennifer Snelling.
Photos courtesy of Molly Brown.