GALAPA- GO V I S I T THE AMAZON

e Galapagos - a beautiful group of islands o the coast of Ecuador, where thousands of unique creatures roam in an environment virtually untouched by humans. A place o en bucket-listed but hard to schedule a trip to and expensive. But did you know that you have the opportunity to take a trip to the Galapagos next summer? You mer, starting June 10th and ending June 25th. e whole excursion is chock-full of amazing experiences, and no time is wasted. Events within the trip include visiting the cloud forest of Ecuador, snorkeling, visiting volcanoes and the potential of a snowball ght on the equator. a trip to the countries of origin, then biology students should get the opportunity to visit somewhere important to studying biology. e idea of the Galapagos Trip was decided upon and pitched to the Board of Education and it was approved! Similar to the foreign language trips, the biology trip was originally held during spring break. Over the years, it’s become longer and the visit to the Amazon has been included. Mr. Wymer believes this trip can be an eye-opening experience for many. “No human intervention or destruction gives people a rst hand experience as to why we need to protect these places.” e biodiversity in the islands is waning, and over 180 species are in danger of becoming extinct. e Galapagos Islands have been a key part of the discovery of evolution. e animal samples Charles Darwin collected there led to the idea that species weren’t xed and could change by natural processes.

White heard it here folks, YOU COULD GO TO THE GALAPAGOS! Worried about money? You could write an essay to help o set the cost! is opportunity is available for any student who has completed biology class or will have completed the course before June 10th, 2024. is 16-day trip starts in Quito, Ecuador, and includes a 5-day cruise around the Galapagos. is cruise allows you to see the best parts of the islands as well as the opportunity to sleep under the stars. On the cruise, up to 10,000 stars are visible, as well as constellations exclusive to the Southern Hemisphere. e trip is next sum- e Galapagos trip started in 1999 and has been held every other year until 2019. Due to COVID-19, the 2024 trip to the Galapagos is the rst since 2019. Biology teacher Brad Wymer has been organizing the trip since it started, (with the exception of the 2019 trip) and now enjoys watching others experience the beauty of the Galapagos when he attends. “Seeing the students’ eyes light up and seeing them envelop themselves in the experience is hands down my favorite part. at’s why I still do it.” e trip started when Mr. Wymer decided that if Spanish and French language students could attend

For more information, contact Mr. Wymer or stop by Room 26 to ask about the trip!

Various animals shown are exclusive to the Galapagos Islands. The overreacing photo shows the cloud forests in Ecuador.