Program Reviews

I have to say that my trip to Romania was a once in a lifetime experience. I truly enjoyed every aspect of it, even when it got tough, it rained too much, or when I had to try sleep in a tent I stupidly set up on a slope! Overall, I would highly recommend Romania to anyone who appreciates lush, green countrysides with thick magical woodlands. Not only was it beautiful, but the locals at each village were welcoming and friendly. However, I must say one highlight for me were the puppies we occasionally encountered!

I had an amazing time during my recent trip to Mexico. During my time in the Jungle in Calakmul our group became a family and shared unforgettable memories together. During my time at the marine site, my passion for marine biology escalated and I felt inspired by the vast range of biodiversity I saw. I would recommend this trip to everyone, it has been an experience I will remember for the rest of my life.

I was qualified for diving before the trip, so was able to do the full week of open water dives, which were overall great fun. The one problem is I have issues with spacial awareness, so I was never quite sure where things were. This was compounded by the fact that I was underwater, and moving up and down quite a lot due to me breathing. After two days, I had settled a bit and was diving normally, but I still had issues knowing where things were. This was fine most of the time, excpet while doing transects, as while one group were doing the transect we were asked to swim round the reef in a group. This led to a problem as me and my partner were at the back. I was distracted by several fish, and swam to close to the people in front. This led to me being kicked in the face. This led me to stop, and this led me to look around-where I saw a turtle. I'd been wanting to see one all of the dive, so finally being able to was great!

I went for two weeks as a research assistant to Transyvlania in Romania. I was excited before I left and knew it would be a great trip but the reality of the expedition greatly surpassed my expectations.

The pristine landscape, the massive diversity of plants and animals and the group of fellow students and staff all contributed to a thoroughly enjoyable two weeks. I particularly enjoyed seeing the unspoiled landscape. The Târnava Mare region is one of the last pockets of Europe that exists as it did during Medieval times. I found it fascinating to see the hay meadows full of flowers, the simple farming methods and the way of life of the people who live in the region. It was truly like a time warp.

I will share one anecdote to show the staff at Operation Wallacea's competence and concern. I stupidly got the dates wrong for my flight and ended up arriving a day after everyone else. This was dealt with excellently - I wasn't made to feel bad or as though I was putting anyone out. Someone was sent to collect me from the airport and drive me to the camp. I was so grateful and impressed by the staff and their concern that everyone was safe and enjoying themselves. They are a professional, knowledgeable, friendly group - I cannot commend them highly enough.

My time in Transylvania was absolutely fantastic. Never before have I been unable to hear the sound of the birds singing over the buzz of the crickets and grasshoppers in the grass. With every step I took, hundreds hopped away from my feet and it made me feel like I was in some sort of fairy tale. On my first day out in the field, within the first five minutes I had seen more butterflies than I had ever seen before in my life. I got to hold my first ever bird, a tree sparrow which we'd caught in the mist nets and I even got to stroke the head of a magnificent Hawfinch. I learned so much from this trip and it has got me hooked on doing fieldwork in wonderful and exotic places. It was a truly magical experience, and one that I will never ever forget.

The trip to the middle of the rainforest and then being able to enjoy the wonders of the under water world was an amazing and unforgettable experience. Initially, I believed it would be a science heavy trip, working in the heat. However, I was mistaken. Although I did learn a lot about how to collect data efficiently and effectively and about to the habitat we had entered, I actually gained more transferable skills such as team work, perseverance and independence. Arriving from a busy city with a few parks dotted here and there, my friends and I were unsure of what to expect. We arrived to the camp where we greeted by friendly people, fed, shown around the camp and then escorted to our tents, where we had time to unpack and relax before heading out again for some afternoon activities. The rest of the week was just as exciting as the first day and even more so when we causiously entered the forest for the first time and saw the beautiful habitat and habitants! The second week our excitement grew as we bused to Akumal, near Cancun, for a week of diving. Although not all of us were qualified we had the opertunity to become certified divers. Staying in dorms, we got to meet new people and make new friends. The dives were spectacular and we were garinteed to see a turtle which we did! At least 10 in just one dive!
Each day was a new experience for us all. With some of us taking science A Levels and others studying the arts, we were a varied group, nevertheless we all enjoyed it and have wonderful memories from the trip. I would strongly recommend going if you have the opertunity.

I visited Mexico for four weeks with Operation Wallacea, for a total cost (including flights) of around £2000. During this time, I spent 2 weeks at the Calakmul biosphere reserve taking part in biodiversity surveys of the animals in the area. I then spent two weeks in Akumal gaining my PADI Open Water certificate and taking part in coral reef surveys.

Due to the compulsory lecture series and the heavy focus on biodiversity monitoring and conservation, I would only recommend this trip to aspiring biologists/zoologists, as for myself and many others it has provided invaluable work experience, but I can see little gain for those studying other subjects at university.

I had the chance to see some amazing wildlife and gained some incredible experiences and life-long friends.

This trip was only my second going abroad and I have to say I enjoyed it so much. Romania is a beautiful place and so rich in nature. Getting up everyday at 4:30am was hard to begin with but so worth it. I'm also fairly sure my feet have grown into elephant hide from going on this trip and I can no longer sleep past 9am. HOWEVER, I got to meet some amazing people and experience so many things for the first time including mist netting and seeing an Aesculapian snake, bee eater, hoopoe and hawfinch. The experience was not only valuable to me as a zoologist but also as a person.

This expedition allowed me to fully immerse myself in Transylvania, it's people and it's wildlife. Participating in a variety of surveys with experts in their fields allowed me to expand my knowledge of the native species. The entire trip was very well organised and the daily timetable was full of activities. I experienced the culture of the local people, the effects of traditional farming on creating wildlife-friendly habitats and the camaraderie of carrying out surveys with a group of enthusiast research assistants. This location is an unexpected wildlife haven and should be of interest to anyone with an interest in native British wildlife.

After a long day in the Calakmul Forest, studying birds, reptiles, butterflies, mammals and autotrophs - we were back in camp, finishing an amazing dinner made by three women that live in the nearby village. There were a few of my students at computers, inputting data - being mentored by our amazing staff. Another group was pulling out a Twister game pad and playing twister. Pretty soon, a crowd was gathered around the game, and my high school students were laughing, playing, wrestling with some of the smartest PhDs and researchers I have met. In that moment, I realized how lucky my high school students really were. They were gaining great field experience, but just as importantly, they were treated like equals, sharing in the research and sharing in the camaraderie that develops when a group of people treat each other with respect and work hard together toward a common goal. This was just as valuable a life lesson as the research and can only happen when everyone on staff shares this value of inclusiveness and respect.