During the summer 20 budding Lower Sixth naturalists ventured to the shores of Santa Cruz and Isabela (Galapagos) to engage with the beautiful flora and fauna.
Highlights included hiking the Sierra Negra Volcano, snorkelling at North Seymore Island and Tintoreras (White Sharks in Spanish), as well as seeing giant tortoises in both the wild and breeding at the Charles Darwin centre. With 97% of the islands being National Parkland, the group was guided by two Park Rangers, who shared their extensive knowledge with the students at every location, making everyday an exciting and educational experience.
The jungles of the Amazon ended our trip with a visit to the high-altitude thermal springs of Papallacta; then onto providing services to the Yanacocha Animal Sanctuary, where the students were greeting by a squirrel monkey riding on the back of a capybara!
After an introductory session learning about the local area, mission and how to train a Macaw; students created enrichment activities for the animal enclosures and instructed on how to target train certain species, to allow for hands-free health inspections. A generous donation of tools, equipment, animal feed and other necessities was given to the centre by the group, so they can continue their on-going rehabilitation efforts.
A trip of a lifetime, enjoyed thoroughly by all.
