Greetings from the Galápagos! I have completed my first week at Jatun Sacha, a wildlife reserve on San Cristobal Island, which means "big forest" in Quechwa which is the native language of a local tribe. So far I am having such a wonderful time! Not only are the sights breath taking and unlike any other place in the world but the people I am working with have been so kind! There are about 12 other volunteers around my age from the US, Canada, and England in addition to a couple older volunteers from the US and new volunteers from around the world arriving weekly.
We are fighting two wars on this island, the war against mora and the war against wild pigs. Mora is an invasive black berry type plant that is taking over the land and killing off lots of the indigenous plants. The wild pigs have been ruining gardens and natural wildlife around the reserve. They also make for a tastey dinner if we catch one!
This week we spent two days cutting down over a hundred yards of mora on a local farm. I'm considering adding "Machete Master" to my resume after losing count of the blisters that appeared within the first hour. We also helped weed a garden and uproot old tree trunks to make room for new plants.
In our free time we have explored the reserve which included finding a hidden waterfall in the forest! It was nice and refreshing to take a dip after a long day of cutting mora.
On Friday the reserve leader and his wife cooked a barbecue lunch for us on the beach of Puerto Chino. The weather was wonderful and the beach was absolutely stunning. It was an amazing experience to catch some rays next to a sea lion and ride the waves with two sea turtles! This weekend we are taking a trip into town to do some snorkeling and kayaking on our couple days off.
This is the experience of a lifetime and I can't wait to see what else is in store!
A hidden waterfall on the reserve.
Sharing the beach with our seal neighbors!
Adios!
-Olivia
Olivia,
ReplyDeleteAnother awesome experience?! Wow- I'm glad that you are enjoying your time so far. I really appreciate the description of what you are "fighting" against. I know that evasive (non-indigenous) plants are a huge problem in many areas all over the world. When you dig them up, you have to make sure to get all of the root- right? Are the blackberry plants big?
I hope you catch a pig! How are you doing that? Traps?
The pictures are absolutely stunning. I can't wait to see more. Don't forget about the photo contest. Make sure to take pictures with UM swag and/or include the blog "M".
Best,
Tammy