Visitor Rules
These rules are designed to minimize risks for visitors, costs for TBS and visitors, and to conserve the environment. Group leaders or professors have the responsibility to distribute and make these rules and policies understood.
- Everyone is expected to behave in a way that is compatible with conservation of the rainforest. This includes control of trash and not harassing, collecting, capturing or exporting fauna or flora, dead or alive.
- No one is allowed on the trails alone. No night hikes may be made without permission from the directors; a staff guide must participate in all night hikes. Please respect the established trails; dont modify them or make new ones.
- No alcoholic beverages may be brought to TBS by individuals. Students in particular are expected to follow all guidelines that apply to TBS staff, including not consuming alcoholic beverages. Visitors may not use any substance considered illegal by the legal system of their home country or Ecuador.
- For the purpose of managing meal preparation, declared vegetarians remain so throughout their entire stay. Other persons cannot switch to become "vegetarians" at selected meals.
- Everyone is expected to dress appropriately for meals.
- Individuals are financially responsible for any and all damage that they cause to TBS property and surrounding lands, flora and fauna. This includes buildings, furniture, other installations, equipment and field gear, linens and kitchen wares among others. Carving or marking on surfaces, wooden or otherwise, natural or constructed is totally prohibited.
- Wearing dirty boots inside any building is not allowed.
- Noise must be curtailed after 9:00 pm.
- TBS is a smoke-free environment. No smoking is allowed in buildings, during organized activities, or on the trails.
- Romantic relationships with staff members will not be tolerated.
- No TBS books are allowed out of the library. For the purpose of humidity control, library doors must be kept closed at all times.
- Only staff members are allowed in the kitchen and storage rooms.
- Access to towers is limited to the canopy tower built around the Ceiba tree and the water tower associated with the hammock house. Other water towers are off limits.
- Visitors may not act in ways that may endanger themselves or others. This refers to reckless or negligent behavior in general and includes activities such as handling venomous or dangerous reptiles or other animals, consuming fungi, plants, or other organisms without permission and/or instruction from a competent authority, being irresponsible in boats or in the water (no swimming alone - ever), climbing trees or vines or moving beyond handrails that define canopy observation or water tower access platforms, as well as any other dangerous acts.
- Laundry service for personal items will not normally be made available more than once per week. In general, this means short-term visitors (less than one week) do not have access to laundry services. No laundry will be accepted during the last two days of any visit. Individuals are responsible for properly preparing items for laundering. TBS is not responsible for any items left in pockets. Students should at least rinse mud out of clothing before delivery to the staff.
- Any visitor must obtain direct prior approval from the administration for occupying staff time or for the use of any TBS equipment. This is understood to include guides and other employees, boats, motors, fuel, tools, laboratory supplies and equipment, computers, library materials, projection and video equipment and all other specialized or general equipment that is found at the station.
- Regulations for student projects include all the restrictions for scientific research that may be performed at TBS. As stipulated in the General Policies and Guidelines for Research, no one may perform any research, experimentation, or studies without the approval of the director or by their professor through the directorate. The only exception to the standard regulations is that short-term student projects that are part of a previously approved formal field course may be proposed verbally and evaluated immediately on site.
Violation of these regulations can result in fines or permanent expulsion from TBS without any right to reimbursement of any payment previously made to cover costs of transportation, room or board.
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