Field Expeditions
Scientific Research & Student Expeditions
in the Serra do Espinhaço
The Serra do Espinhaço is one of Brazil’s most remarkable and least-known mountain ranges—a vast landscape of plateaus, valleys, and historic communities where ecosystems, cultures, and histories intersect.
The region offers an exceptional setting for field courses, research expeditions, and study abroad programs focused on ecology, geography, archaeology, history, and culture.
Gift of Go supports researchers, universities, and educational groups interested in working in this region through field-based expeditions and logistical coordination across the Espinhaço.
Off Trail Through Campos de Altitude
Field Research Expeditions
Gift of Go supports scientists and researchers working in Brazil’s Serra do Espinhaço and its surrounding Cerrado and Atlantic Forest landscapes.
Our role is field-based and logistical. We help local and international research teams move through remote terrain, reach communities and conservation areas, and operate safely in landscapes where infrastructure is minimal and local knowledge matters.
Because our work is rooted in long-term field presence and relationships across the range, we are often able to assist with:
• access to remote areas and conservation units
• transportation and field logistics
• introductions to local communities and collaborators
• coordination with regional specialists and institutions
• expedition planning and operational support
Members of our team also serve on the advisory council of Sempre Vivas National Park, one of the region’s largest protected areas.
Researchers interested in working in the Espinhaço are welcome to reach out to discuss what support might look like in practice.
On break in Milho Verde
Study Abroad & Student Field Programs
Gift of Go also designs and guides field expeditions for universities and educational groups interested in experiencing the landscapes, communities, and ecological systems of the Serra do Espinhaço through place-based field learning.
These programs are typically structured as expedition-based learning journeys, where students move through multiple landscapes and communities rather than remaining in a single location.
Programs may include:
• travel across different regions of the Espinhaço
• field observation across Cerrado landscapes and Atlantic Forest transition zones
• engagement with rural and traditional communities
• conversations with local researchers, historians, anthropologists, and practitioners
Gift of Go coordinates the field framework for these programs—including routes, logistics, transportation, and local partnerships—while visiting professors lead the academic curriculum.
When appropriate, we collaborate with faculty and researchers from the Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM) in Diamantina and other regional institutions.
Programs can be designed for:
• university courses and study-abroad programs
• graduate or research field seminars
• high school educational expeditions
• small academic groups interested in place-based learning
Because these programs involve travel through remote landscapes and communities, they are typically best suited for small groups prepared for active field exploration.
If you are a professor, program leader, or institution interested in organizing a field expedition in the Serra do Espinhaço, we would be happy to start a conversation.