Amazing Experience I Will Never Forget!!!

Operation Wallacea was an amazing experience that I will never forget. I spent one week in Cusuco National Park (rain forest) and one week on Utila (an island with beautiful coral reefs). Both weeks were filled with in-depth lectures that went far beyond any high school class room material and hands on activities. These activities included both demonstrations and hands on data collection. For example, in the rain forest my group and I took various measurements of trees which went towards calculating the monetary worth of the rain forest. Companies with large carbon dioxide emissions pay the Honduran government to keep the forests pristine to make up for the environmental damage they cause. On the coral reefs we participated in Coral Watch, by looking at various corals and recording the type and color according to a certain scale. This data was sent to a university who was conducting a large study on the depletion of certain corals.
The staff are very warm and welcoming and help all the students feel safe and comfortable. At meals the students could sit with the scientists and talk to them about their various individual studies which was a once in a life time experience. The overall environment was educational and community centered. This experience was simply outstanding!