Honduras

I traveled with OpWall with a group from my old high school. At the time I went, I was going into my second year of college studying environmental studies and biology. This trip was a great chance for me to get hands on experience in the field of study that I enjoyed and also gave me a chance to see if I wanted to go into research or not. Since I technically went with high school students, I wasn't a research assistant and didn't have a big part to play in the actual science, but I still really enjoyed being out in the field and learning from the scientists who taught us what we look for when collecting data. That is to say, though, that we did have a big part to play in the overall Operation Wallacea program however. As a group, we helped the scientists find certain organisms and collect data on habitation, etc. We spent most of our time out in the forest or scuba diving in the Caribbean.
During our week in the Cusuco National Park, we slept in tents that were set up on platforms above the ground. The fact that they actually had make shift stalls and toilets was amazing seeing as how we were in the middle of a forest and wanted to keep our carbon foot print as little as possible. The base camp living standards are pretty comfortable; you have basic electricity and natives to the small village not too far from our base camp actually cook food for you. It is good food too, however if you rely on meat for most of your diet you might need to bring jerky with you because they don't have access to a lot of meat. For part of the week we also stayed in a satellite camp in the middle of the jungle. These camps are literal camps because you either sleep in a hammock or in a tent on the hard ground. They have dug holes and trenches to use as the bathroom (I thought it would be horrible, but it wasn't that bad). I got sick while at this site and the medic was very attentive to me. They were ready to airlift me out if I didn't get better, but I did. When you go to satellite camps, it requires strenuous hiking with your heavy rucksack on your back so it does require you to be in okay shape. But honestly, the hiking was half the fun. It really allowed us to see the forest and experience it hands on. I love the green and all things nature so it was so much fun for me to go on hikes with the scientists looking for amphibians and snakes. One time we actually spotted a rattlesnake that was hidden under some leaves; it was a gorgeous yellow tan color.
The second week of our two week trip was spent on the island of Utila off the northern coast of Honduras. Op Wall plans everything for you so all you have to do is follow directions. The living standards on Utila are better than base camp because we are living in a hostel situation where there are 7 people per room with 4 sets of bunk beds. We had running water and our own bathroom in our room. We were right on the ocean and could see it out of our window. Since we were there in the summer it was quiet hot and there was no AC, but what do you expect for such a small island. We were living in luxury compared to the rest of the country. We went scuba diving twice a day for six days and it was a great experience.
This trip made me grow as a person and also made me realize that this is something that I want to do for the rest of my life. To experience another part of this beautiful earth was such an amazing thing for me because it reaffirmed my goals of saving this planet and conserving the wildlife that we threaten. For the parents out there, we were constantly with trained professionals who knew what they were doing (i.e. doctors, tour guides who knew the forest like the back of their hand, op wall people who do this year after year) so your 15/16 year old will be just fine. It is a good experience for them to learn responsibility too. I went with 16 year-olds and one 15 year-old and I can say that they needed to learn a thing or two about what it means to be a mature and responsible adult and hopefully they achieved that while working with OpWall. I would love to go on another trip with OpWall soon!