Galapagos: Preserving Nature's Wonders Program for Teens

Why did you decide to volunteer with GLA in Galapagos & Ecuador?

Emily: My sister had gone on a previous GLA trip and loved it, saying it was the best of the other trips she had gone on with other travel groups, so I decided to check out the website! Then I saw that you could organize the trips by your interests or what you want on the trip. I put in "wildlife," and Galapagos and Ecuador popped up. I instantly wanted to go after reading the short desciption of the trip because, as an aspiring vet, I was hugely interested in the animal conservation we would be doing.

Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.

Emily: On the 5 days that we volunteered we would get up in time to be out on the road by 7:30 am. We would then drive a little distance to Campo Duro, a tortoise conservation camp. There, we did various activities including making orange juice, moving giant branchs, and finding coconuts. We did these activities for an hour or two each, and our main project was pulling guava trees out of the ground. The guava trees are an invasive species who take over and destroy the habitats and food supply of the giant tortoises.

At the end of the 4 days we had probably pulled 700-800 trees out of the ground. On the 5th day, we spent our time painting a school room for the children of the Galapagos. We painted a bright green color over the previous scribbles and cracks so the children could have a fresh learning environment to return to after their vacation.

What made this experience unique and special?

Emily: For the most part it was the location and people in my group. I had never been to the Galapagos, Ecuador, or even South America before, and it was an amazing experience just to travel there. This experience was made even better by our activites there, from volunteering to climbing a volcano, to snorkeling with sea lions, turtles, and sharks.

The people in my group also made this experience extremely special for me. We were all so different and from 3 different countries, but every single one of us got along like a group of friends who had known each other for more than 2 weeks. I'm a shy person but everyone on my trip was easy to talk to, and I didn't have difficulty making friendships that have lasted, even almost a year after the trip.

How has this experience impacted your future?

Emily: Like I mentioned, I'm an aspiring vet so this experience impacted me professionally. Though I wasn't doing straight vet work the conservation and just interacting with the animals has made me more knowledgable and aware. I plan to go back someday and help out again. Personally, this trip helped me grow a lot. I came out of my shell more, tried new things, and learned to rely on myself a lot more. I had traveled without my family before, but this was the first time I didn't have teachers and friends I previously knew with me. I had to rely on myself to remember to get up early enough, charge my camera, and gather all the supplies I needed for the next day ahead of time.