Living in Data:
Rainforest Retreat
Santa Marta, Colombia
Cohort One: September 4th - 9th, 2026
Cohort Two: September 11th - 16th, 2026
Spend five days in the lush and bird-filled jungle of Santa Marta, Colombia with Jer Thorp and a small group of curious bird + data + art enthusiasts. We'll wander the forest with local guides, learn new skills and approaches, visit indigenous communities, and collaboratively author projects deeply connected to this remarkable place.
Join me in September in Colombia.
We'll spend five days fully immersed in the gorgeous and spectacularly diverse jungle of northwestern Colombia. Based out of the remarkable Frana Lodge, we'll balance our time immersing ourselves in the forest and working on collaborative projects that are grounded in the place and in our shared experience.
We'll make day trips to nearby Kogi villages and to Tayrona Park. Cohort two will range a bit farther afield to the the Santa Marta mountains and to other nearby ecosystems. Evenings will be spent enjoying local food, engaging in conversation, and listening to the calls of nocturnal birds and animals. We'll have knowledgeable local guides on hand to make sure we get the most out of the birdlife.
Living in Data:
Rainforest Retreat
$1,800
only 12 spots available!
Includes accommodation, breakfast and dinner, transport to and from SMR airport, and all retreat programming. 50% deposit to secure your space, 50% due June 30th, 2025. Guests will be assigned accommodation based on registration order and accessibility needs. See accommodation details below.
Cohort One will stay close to Frana Lodge and pay deep attention to the ecosystems around us.
Cohort Two will venture a bit farther afield and is a great choice for repeat retreaters!
Agendas
(Subject to change depending on weather and other unavoidables!)
Cohort 1
Day 1: Arrival
Retreat participants arrive throughout the day. We'll have a driver waiting for you at the airport. In the evening we'll have a welcome dinner and a presentation by Jer and Walter on the themes of the week.
Day 2: Getting Grounded
The forest around Frana Lodge contains a myriad of treasures. Accompanied by our local guide, we'll familiarize ourselves with the lowland rainforest ecosystem and begin to collect data and observations. We'll return to the lodge in the afternoon to hold a series of collaborative exercises to set out our intentions for the week. In the evening we will go on a night walk near the lodge.
Day 3: Hike to Teykú
We'll wake up early and set out on a two-hour hike to Teykú, a Kogi Village up in the nearby hills. Along the way we'll bird and investigate a series of interesting pocket ecosystems. At the village we'll learn from the Kogi people about their worldview and their relationship to nature. We'll have lunch on our way back to the lodge, where we'll spend the afternoon and evening working together.
Day 4: Going Deeper
We'll begin with a guided bird walk nearby the lodge with our local guide. The morning will be spent immersing ourselves in the forest. There will be the chance to hike to nearby jungle cascades , to tour a cacao plantation, or to enjoy the quiet around the lodge. In the afternoon and evening we will refine our work. After dinner we will set up a moth sheet and see what nocturnal visitors arrive.
Day 5: Tayrona National Park
We'll wake up early and make the short trip to Tayrona National Park, where we'll look for the rare Blue-billed Curassow, Great Potoo and other birds that live in the park. We'll spend the morning in the park and then have lunch at a gorgeous beach (bring your swim suit!). In the afternoon we'll return to the lodge. We will have a closing dinner at a nearby restaurant and then a night walk and a return to the lodge.
Day 6: Departure
Cohort 2
Day 1: Arrival
Retreat participants arrive throughout the day. We'll have a driver waiting for you at the airport. In the evening we'll have a welcome dinner and a presentation by Jer and Ryan on the themes of the week.
Day 2: Getting Grounded
We'll begin with a guided bird walk nearby the lodge with our local guide. After breakfast we'll hike up into the hills to a gorgeous set of jungle cascades and pools. We'll return to the lodge in the afternoon to hold a series of collaborative exercises to set out our intentions for the week.
Day 3: Trip to Minca
We'll wake up early and take a shuttle up into the Santa Marta mountains to visit one of the most unique ecosystems on the planet, to seek out some rare endemic birds, and to visit a local indigenous community. We will have lunch in Minca. This will be a full day trip and we will arrive back at the lodge in the evening with a a night walk through the forest.
Day 4: Going Deeper
We'll begin with a guided bird walk nearby the lodge with our local guide. The morning will be spent immersing ourselves in the forest. There will be the chance to go on longer hikes, to tour a cacao plantation, or to enjoy the quiet around the lodge. In the afternoon and evening we will refine our work. After dinner we will set up a moth sheet and see what nocturnal visitors arrive.
Day 6: Departure
Day 5: Rio Mendihuaca
Rio Mendihuaca is a nearby river that winds through dense forest before emptying into the Caribbean Sea. We'll hike up to a waterfall and then drift slowly down the river, through the estuary and eventually to the ocean. This will be an extraordinary chance to investigate transitions between ecosystems and to see forest, marsh and seabirds!
A most remarkable place.
Colombia is home to more bird species – 1,969 – than any other country on earth. Santa Marta province, in the northwest of the country, is renowned in particular for its astounding diversity of hummingbirds and for a large number of high-altitude endemics.
Our retreat will happen just a few miles from the entrance to Tayrona National Park, and only an hour's drive away form the Santa Marta Mountains. The forest here is dense and full of life. The trails are extensive and the whole area is very nearly car-free. Short hikes will take you to cascading waterfalls; longer ones will bring you up into the foothills of the mountains. Leaf-cutter ants, rainbow lizards, poison dart frogs, howler monkeys and a myriad of brightly-colored butterflies will are good bets on any excursion into the forest.
Frana Lodge was opened in 2023 by Franz Freidhager and Ani Salas. A marvel of site-specific architecture, the lodge is almost completely constructed with local materials. Surrounded by all sides by forest, it's a perfect place for us to feel fully immersed.
Facilitators
The details.
Accommodations
Retreat programming will happen at Frana Lodge. This year all accomodation will be on the lodge property!
Getting there
The closest airport to Frana Lodge is Santa Marta (SMR). Registration includes transport to and from this airport. Transit from Barranquilla (BAQ) is also possible at an extra cost. Transit time from SMR is approximately 60 minutes, 2.5 hours from BAQ. Participants should plan on arriving before dinner on September 11th and leaving any time on September 16th.
We will meet you when you arrive for the hike into the lodge, which takes approximately 25 minutes. Assistance will be available for luggage. Please wear clothes that are compatible with wading across a shallow river, and shoes that are easy to remove. The hike is not challenging but does involve two short uphill sections. If you have mobility concerns, please reach out and we can do our best to accomodate.
Food and drink
Breakfast and dinner are included for participants. There are several affordable and delicious options for lunch near the lodge.
If you have dietary restrictions or food allergies we can most likely accommodate. Please make a note when registering or reach out with questions.
Filtered water, coffee, tea and fresh juices are available throughout the day for all participants. Wine & beer is included with dinner, additional alcoholic beverages are available for purchase at the Frana Lodge bar.
Connectivity
Frana Lodge has wifi. It is reasonably fast but perhaps not well-suited to very bandwidth-heavy applications. Cellular service is reliable in the area but may vary with provider.
Safety
The area near Frana Lodge is considered to be quite safe. That said we will follow procedures to ensure safety and well-being of all participants.
Participants in the retreat will be required to agree to a code of conduct which prioritizes a safe, respectful, and productive environment for all participants