Operation Wallacea Conservation Research Expeditions for Schools

Stayed in the Sani site in the Amazon and worked with an amazing crew to help gather research and protect such a rare environment. The camp was basic but well equipped when you consider its remoteness. The crew was absolutely increadible with their knowledge and willingness to help us in our tasks.

Then we went to the Galapagos island where we went diving and had another amazing team teach us not only about the ecosystem on our island but also the history of the island.

Both teams were fantastic and very professional in their approach. The future of these environments would be in safe hands if they were put in charge!

My trip to Peru was a time of personal growth and deepening cultural understanding, ranging from conversing with a local seatmate on a plane returning to her hometown of Iquitos, to visiting the indigenous community of San Martin. Being a part of something that aids in ecological conservation and the sustainability of the communities that live there, gave me a greater sense of purpose. It was my first trip out of America, but the Opwall staff, tour guides, and students made the distance from home seem small. My friends and family often asked me how I could stand living on a boat for weeks or the manual flush toilets, and I told them seeing a harpy eagle catching a sloth for dinner, or stumbling upon a tree with twenty monkeys made every experience worth it. If you decide to take this trip remember to take pictures with everyone you meet, because ….lasting impressions.
I was lucky enough to be in Peru for Peruvian Independence Day. On the river, we could hear the neighboring villages’ celebration all weekend long. The boat deck read “Felicies Independencia Dias.” Everyone joined together to sing the Peruvian national anthem and afterward we had cake and other snacks. Without this trip, I would never have found my love for Peruvian culture and their rich history or our guide Segundo’s salsa lessons. In an email to my parents, I wrote, “So many things are better with dolphins, drinking tea in the morning, reading a book in the afternoon, and watching the sunset shoot colors across the sky and water alike.”
Remote Iquitos was filled with street vendors selling delicious fruits and cooked meats. The streets themselves were filled with dozens and dozens of bicycle cabs carrying people to cafes, playgrounds, the arcade, supermarket, and one really nice air-conditioned shoe store. Along the waterfronts, the people attached logs to their homes so they could float as the water levels rise and fall 30 feet every year. The dramatic rises in the water level left more than a few beached boats dotting the landscape. One of our group mused “Imagine canoeing to your neighbor’s house on the weekends!”
Meeting the fantastic team of biologists lead me to understand the real-world applications of our field research. Seeing how biologists live and work has given me a real-life peek into the possibilities of a career in biology. Immersing myself in the culture of Peru and the cultures of our fellow students and shipmates has broadened my personal horizons as well.

In 2016 eight Year 11 Parade College students attended our first overseas Opwall Science expedition. We were the first Victorian school to participate in this program and the first Australian school to visit the Cuba site.

We participated in the 2 week marine research program where we got SCUBA qualified and
undertook scientific fieldwork. This experience allowed the boys to access a largely unvisited marine park and allowed the boys to gain valuable experience in responsible tourism and marine conservation, while also undertaking a cultural immersion. The lectures, activities and staff were all amazing. Upon returning one student said it cemented his interest in an ecology career, which is evidence to the immense impact such an experience had on the boys.

It was a wonderful expierence which I will remember for the rest of my life. Madagascar was very different from the UK such as the climate, the diet, the species ect. One of my favourite memorys was at the first camp we went to which was a two hour walk away from base camp and we were really lucky to have crab and chips for dinner except I'd never tried eating crab claws before
 I was sitting at the table with the local guides and they tried to teach me how to open them but I was hopeless. The guides found it very humorous very time the claw slipped out of my hand bit with a lot of coaching I managed a small but to large victory to me that I managed it. Another small but for me great success was the walk back to Base Camp because I really thought i wouldn't be able to make it up the, what seemed like, a vertical slope but when I got to the top being in front of my other peers I felt a rush of adrelile and I was breathtaken as I looked over the landscape. The feeling of awe I felt standing there is a feeling I'll never forget. I also did some scuba diving and how could anyone forget driving down and swimming with turtles at a arms length away from you. At just 17 and to have this amazing personal victory is amazing and I'd defiantly recommend doing a exhibition.

The two weeks I spent in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest were two of the most incredible, unforgettable weeks of my life. I would recommend Operation Wallacea expeditions to anyone who has the opportunity to go on one, as I would go back again in a heartbeat.

From early morning breakfasts in the rainforest for mistnetting (where we ringed and measured birds such as Wire Tailed Manakins and even a Toucan!) to late night canoe trips upriver to catch and measure Caiman (and stroking their stomachs to keep them calm) everything we did was absolutely amazing. What made the trip more amazing were the groups we worked in, the people we became close to and the funny times we shared as people fell into the swamps in the jungle or couldn't catch a fish in a survey.

Nearly everyday we had lectures about the local area or different types of birds and animals native to the Amazon Rainforest. All the lectures were really interesting and made the surveys we carried out more meaningful as we understood more of what we were seeing and doing. The lecturers, biologists and guides were honestly some of the kindest people I have ever met and had the pleasure to work with.

From floating upriver counting pod size of dolphins to trekking into the jungle and recording monkey group size and activity, there was never a boring moment and always something new to try out whilst on the surveys (such as GPS, filling out data forms or using different measuring devices). The skills you learn whilst on an Operation Wallacea trip are so valuable and you don't even feel like you are learning difficult techniques as everything is so fun and interesting.

Nothing could ever beat waking up on the boat that has become your home and seeing dolphins jumping outside the window on one side and the jungle teeming with life on the other. Exotic birds and butterflies fly over and around the top deck where you can spend free time washing, reading or just getting to know everyone you are sharing the incredible experience with. The sunsets that lit up the sky every evening were absolutely breathtaking.

There may have been a few unexpected visitors in the rooms at night but it was nothing a bit of bug spray couldn't fix! Another concern I had before going was about what food I might get to eat but there was nothing to worry about as we got three very filling meals everyday... as long as you liked rice, pasta and eggs.

My experience in Peru is one that I will treasure for ever and I hope to join future Operation Wallacea teams travelling to other parts of the World.

Operation Wallacea was an amazing experience that anyone who has an interested in the natural world should be part of. Leaving civilisation behind and going to live in the south african bush was a surreal experience, arriving late and night and waking to the noise of the hippos was such a contrast from life in rural Lincolnshire. Seeing four of the big five was a truly unforgettable experience. After a week in the bush we were transferred to Sodwana Bay to take part in a reef ecology course. diving in a world heritage site, swimming with dolphins and seeing humpback whales was a once in a lifetime experience. overall the trip pushed me out of my comfort zone, made me more confident and cemented my desire to study Biology at a higher level. I would fully recommend this trip to anyone with even a slight interest in nature.

The two weeks in Honduras were an amazing experience that’ll I’ll never forget. The first week in the cloud forest, I collected different data from different species of animals along international scientists. This enabled me to learn about the National Park and how important it is in order to keep many species alive, this I enjoyed seeing and investigating for myself. From identifying and locating birds by their calls to exploring a wider context of our A level syllabus in biology. For example, the ‘mark, release, recapture method’ with snakes. A challenge for me but also one of my highlights was canopy access, where we got to climb into the canopy, it was pretty strenuous and scary at times, but once at the top the view was extraordinary.
The second week in Utila was an unforgettable experience, here we had the chance to become a qualified PADI open water diver. Some of these skills we had were pretty unnerving and took several attempts, although we did all manage to do it with the strong support from the staff. It took a lot of perseverance but it was well worth it to be able to explore the outstanding beauty of the reef. Exploring the reef itself was the main highlight of the trip, as we got deeper it almost seemed as if we were in a completely different place. We saw many types of sea life, including sting rays, eagle rays, parrotfish, pufferfish and lionfish. We were lucky to dive in such a preserved reef as it was one of the few which hasn’t been affected by coral bleaching.
Ultimately, the trip was an incredible experience, that I would definitely recommend doing and would love to do it all again.

I was responsible for 16 students aged 16-19 from my English school. We had an extraordinary time. We travelled to Calukmal in Mexico for a week in the forest, trekking and surveying with expert scientists, visiting the Mayan ruins, enjoying fascinating lectures and just living the jungle life. Accommodation was basic but gave a real experience, and we would not have wanted it to be more touristy. The second week was spent diving in the Caribbean at Akumal, with more glamorous accommodation (air con and flushing toilets!) and expert tuition from Akumal Dive Centre.

Throughout the expedition Opwall staff were professional. We felt safe, but not too safe (it's the jungle in Mexico, not the New Forest in the UK). Arrangements were impeccable. We would go again - in fact we are, to Honduras with Opwall in 2018. Can't wait!

On the back of their experiences a number of my students changed their university plans, wrote EPQs or founded their UCAS statements on their travels. All have university offers, some unconditional, some expressly as a result of their work. Opwall changes lives. Go. Go now.