tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19323051897869821442024-03-05T10:50:14.221-05:00Ecuador & the Galapagos, Unit B: Biodiversity HotspotNational Geographic Student Expeditionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01201472908020510765noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1932305189786982144.post-41526702200553092922009-08-09T20:05:00.004-04:002009-08-09T20:08:25.785-04:00A final word<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">We came as strangers, we leave as friends. After three weeks, Ecuador has taught us much. We take memories with us and we leave behind concrete examples of how travelers can give back and not just take from a foreign country-- a cleaned up town square in Mindo, a freshly painted playground with new swings, dozens of new trees planted near Cotopaxi, and a newly constructed orquidiario that will be used to teach locals about the beauty of nature around them.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Many thanks to all our fantastic students, wonderful local guides, and to our expert Kitty Coley for making this trip one to remember.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saludos, </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Elie, Alex, and Jes</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ybEP7DVrFwIBegzyVoIKtCJfJUCt4RFYkcQMO9yfcWuKSVmUhnSzY5RkGUpeSu12ZB0qy4264oBahNTaelBh8X138yPyubztRkqkQ52Fma_O99RBqi_Kj2lhP3E3F5hUAY1HlO8XmDpZ/s1600-h/final.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ybEP7DVrFwIBegzyVoIKtCJfJUCt4RFYkcQMO9yfcWuKSVmUhnSzY5RkGUpeSu12ZB0qy4264oBahNTaelBh8X138yPyubztRkqkQ52Fma_O99RBqi_Kj2lhP3E3F5hUAY1HlO8XmDpZ/s400/final.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368119898480833922" border="0" /></a>National Geographic Student Expeditionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01201472908020510765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1932305189786982144.post-39268128240502058612009-08-05T12:58:00.003-04:002009-08-05T13:03:36.275-04:00Kicker Rock<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Hello all,<br /><br />Yesterday we settled into our last spot in the Galápagos, San Cristobal.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> One group spent the day finishing up On Assignment projects</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> and then hit the beach. The other headed to two locations for</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> snorkeling. One snorkel location is called Kicker Rock (see photo below). Students had</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> the chance to swim alongside sea turtles and sea lions. Many of us</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> even saw Galápagos sharks below us as we swam through the</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> channel at Kicker Rock! From the boat we saw a pod or two of dolphins </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">and watched as dozens of Blue-footed boobies dove at high speed</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> into the ocean to catch their food.<br /><br />Today groups will switch activities.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> And by tonight, everyone will have completed their On Assignment projects. </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">We have a special dinner planned for the group to celebrate all</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> the hard work that our students have put into their photographs, surveys,</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> research, and presentations!<br /><br />On Thursday we head back to Quito for our</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> final night abroad.<br /><br />Hasta luego,<br />Elie, Jes, and Alex<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmXBn5WmAMkrHDvn2I1vTizCqyz1yGVxzl0c6_xR7iDD2HWQJ2N5uneUSZx6IFQqYDCRDfCvYpd_aNQPQ1wrThFuU0LTcOu0-8rY00qL2F66djaKFoEoZZscpUTvfGSwB54DicVnNw98N/s1600-h/_MG_8393+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmXBn5WmAMkrHDvn2I1vTizCqyz1yGVxzl0c6_xR7iDD2HWQJ2N5uneUSZx6IFQqYDCRDfCvYpd_aNQPQ1wrThFuU0LTcOu0-8rY00qL2F66djaKFoEoZZscpUTvfGSwB54DicVnNw98N/s400/_MG_8393+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366526188673944418" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8VcMDa97WMOVsdVTIcNgpuXBULo3v_b8vf-AgobIJ7KxufZQpGrJDNH1y6zKNo93E4OBgqlZjaRViEDCTaVPVaKQFA1nrJRX6FnMd3QCoPveyBu8loXb-uu8yclLm6kDnvnXhysgomLi/s1600-h/_MG_8470+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8VcMDa97WMOVsdVTIcNgpuXBULo3v_b8vf-AgobIJ7KxufZQpGrJDNH1y6zKNo93E4OBgqlZjaRViEDCTaVPVaKQFA1nrJRX6FnMd3QCoPveyBu8loXb-uu8yclLm6kDnvnXhysgomLi/s400/_MG_8470+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366526183446474850" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghczvXzLv3zL4e6H4S4tH_haUe5INuMXEHECtq_Q_1w0i47wD2TGo8JKrzZU0RvUDplXyhVWibyyUip0v2BvbReJKi57nMvzyshwXV4q7JYwulnl32R0DI4bCkHJYGiIGOWDiLobx66Fgd/s1600-h/_MG_8492+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghczvXzLv3zL4e6H4S4tH_haUe5INuMXEHECtq_Q_1w0i47wD2TGo8JKrzZU0RvUDplXyhVWibyyUip0v2BvbReJKi57nMvzyshwXV4q7JYwulnl32R0DI4bCkHJYGiIGOWDiLobx66Fgd/s400/_MG_8492+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366526178508867570" border="0" /></a>National Geographic Student Expeditionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01201472908020510765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1932305189786982144.post-55953655211060799992009-08-05T12:41:00.007-04:002009-08-05T12:57:25.315-04:00Lonesome George<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Hello all,<br /><br />Yesterday we left Santa Cruz for our last island stop in the Galápagos - San Cristobal - where Charles Darwin first landed in the islands.<br /><br />Before leaving Santa Cruz we headed over to the Charles Darwin Research Station to visit the world famous Galápagos tortoise, Lonesome George. Luckily for us Lonesome George wasn't hiding in the brush. Though many of us only saw him from the back (photo below), we did get to see other giant tortoises up close.<br /><br />One highlight of the research stations and breeding centers we've visited is seeing the babies. Everyone loves babies! It's hard to believe that these tortoises that could fit in the palm of our hands can grow up to 500 lbs! And it's even harder to believe that most of them will outlive us. <br /><br />Saludos,<br />Alex, Elie, and Jes</span></span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoryIPht64HZcrTf8kWXiW-9wLDq8iEEylBF5U7-F2GWz5pGBCcNQoTT5KXCqu0wWpxVPo9PmUZuCqhQm5NA_JAGkjU7nPow_fBBsqwqGunLWxGaQdSQkQiiEYQghXJRtBfqJOTulArbSp/s1600-h/_MG_8189+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoryIPht64HZcrTf8kWXiW-9wLDq8iEEylBF5U7-F2GWz5pGBCcNQoTT5KXCqu0wWpxVPo9PmUZuCqhQm5NA_JAGkjU7nPow_fBBsqwqGunLWxGaQdSQkQiiEYQghXJRtBfqJOTulArbSp/s400/_MG_8189+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366523710775520658" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8XfRijNPv_ajsUdSYnJ_l325FNPqTlWVITpSKVLRTIjlJWl12-8LChOExo0lIcXPaao5EaVh9wwC_ExWwC4N6eTZKlIHpdiQVUZQh9lUorsruERYFImvYFnatli-LF7xZFDnRHKTyt8A/s1600-h/_MG_8201+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8XfRijNPv_ajsUdSYnJ_l325FNPqTlWVITpSKVLRTIjlJWl12-8LChOExo0lIcXPaao5EaVh9wwC_ExWwC4N6eTZKlIHpdiQVUZQh9lUorsruERYFImvYFnatli-LF7xZFDnRHKTyt8A/s400/_MG_8201+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366523703517536210" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbuptT0srvLo2Ft5wfEP2xGSks_sVKrQQCkWgO0nXqKB2lKcxCSf4P5ljlDEf0BJCayXj6iueUfokyfZFZHmzcLAAAo4r03vKs2ZOLvN7FDzTV_XN2eRK-31SrOf1eFopqPnhtmc1y1eE/s1600-h/_MG_8245+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbuptT0srvLo2Ft5wfEP2xGSks_sVKrQQCkWgO0nXqKB2lKcxCSf4P5ljlDEf0BJCayXj6iueUfokyfZFZHmzcLAAAo4r03vKs2ZOLvN7FDzTV_XN2eRK-31SrOf1eFopqPnhtmc1y1eE/s400/_MG_8245+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366523706018863650" border="0" /></a>National Geographic Student Expeditionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01201472908020510765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1932305189786982144.post-10628732097637863612009-08-02T07:47:00.002-04:002009-08-02T07:49:45.565-04:00Galapagos Wildlife<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here's a glimpse at some of the amazing wildlife we've seen in the Galápagos. Here you can see a Blue-Footed Booby, Marine Iguanas, and White-Tipped Reef Shark. This barely scratches the surface of all the animals we've seen. . .</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsRE_7XpTM1YOhLq_to99SM530V1ByoOGoDH4n5rI_SkFvmDU3zUgBDY0NgIM6e_XOydWUQMwZ52VyfHEf-KgT4O5cJCtEbS4fIPMk5rsZA0sxKCdxk_xyC2GQE2EB5JlNpwyYixkeHLr/s1600-h/_MG_7948.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsRE_7XpTM1YOhLq_to99SM530V1ByoOGoDH4n5rI_SkFvmDU3zUgBDY0NgIM6e_XOydWUQMwZ52VyfHEf-KgT4O5cJCtEbS4fIPMk5rsZA0sxKCdxk_xyC2GQE2EB5JlNpwyYixkeHLr/s400/_MG_7948.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365332036315425042" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNv_FbWFnrWkMXqtvoMVKENLK4lPzkn2zK7hwr98Dp94LDe_V5Chll-8I8tWbvBxpRBxIZz1voYlFM8JF73uCg9utEzFZoUpLjyxemGaebrwE8Rftsvu3po3JeB2VffzbPzj8SgQTykZvb/s1600-h/_MG_8067.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNv_FbWFnrWkMXqtvoMVKENLK4lPzkn2zK7hwr98Dp94LDe_V5Chll-8I8tWbvBxpRBxIZz1voYlFM8JF73uCg9utEzFZoUpLjyxemGaebrwE8Rftsvu3po3JeB2VffzbPzj8SgQTykZvb/s400/_MG_8067.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365332031269779330" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVBBusyW0S59ejHLSKLb2lpP7eq4qxdwHsPGKuTJWikFG0pzU6LRH0c3VWZ8Bf5zwgm_h_TrC4OBsRjjPXV1yFl3FoiOaV6BfYyZKgpdd8XAuKblsTyyaJbNTqjcXP-MeuhpPSFsx7j4G/s1600-h/_MG_8046.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVBBusyW0S59ejHLSKLb2lpP7eq4qxdwHsPGKuTJWikFG0pzU6LRH0c3VWZ8Bf5zwgm_h_TrC4OBsRjjPXV1yFl3FoiOaV6BfYyZKgpdd8XAuKblsTyyaJbNTqjcXP-MeuhpPSFsx7j4G/s400/_MG_8046.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365332033230475794" border="0" /></a>National Geographic Student Expeditionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01201472908020510765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1932305189786982144.post-28439246093498883852009-08-02T07:45:00.002-04:002009-08-02T07:47:38.943-04:00Sierra Negra and Volcán Chico<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hello all,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">On Friday we went on a 10-mile hike of Sierra Negra and Volcán Chico. Our guide said it was the most strenuous hike on all of the islands, and we all made it!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">We walked along the massive caldera of Sierra Negra for some time and then went down into the lava fields. In the lava fields we saw two types of lava - Pahoehoe lava and A'a lava. From one of our vantage points we were able to see all the way to the northern tip of the island. We could also see Fernandina and Santiago islands. Amazing!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here is one of the hiking groups near Volcán Chico.</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguXeXcJupYK2OhCma8hgBNlOfLqVywnebpAPoXBi3mvgz0C4p4FcG3kNGwX36FnKlCcn2bSMwC5R2NfXCn0kNmz23wRIy7ouxZBpoWvd1Wh5rQQTeiuSOhn3aGfj6lrODnsoI5nP2Mvow/s1600-h/_MG_7801.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguXeXcJupYK2OhCma8hgBNlOfLqVywnebpAPoXBi3mvgz0C4p4FcG3kNGwX36FnKlCcn2bSMwC5R2NfXCn0kNmz23wRIy7ouxZBpoWvd1Wh5rQQTeiuSOhn3aGfj6lrODnsoI5nP2Mvow/s400/_MG_7801.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365331747298896098" border="0" /></a>National Geographic Student Expeditionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01201472908020510765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1932305189786982144.post-21816072174616586902009-08-02T07:44:00.000-04:002009-08-02T07:45:36.510-04:00The Galapagos<span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" >On Thursday morning we left Quito for the Galapagos Islands. We flew into Balta and then took a series of buses, ferries, and boats to arrive at Isabela - the largest of the islands. We've been so busy since we arrived, this is the first chance we've had to write. More to come soon!</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Elie, Jes, and Alex</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-mOioTHakb5Y6QvJNgJW7hL-hYfT4Zm-_b86z_bTqqvH2c4YlX0f0GK-Cn8yghVfPBmM6jWHxSIwe35H7gho_nwg2Vjfg1gjKO0-THIr6vv9OsojQiIPd_2jsV0zGY92VoClo11qU4R_/s1600-h/IMG_3004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-mOioTHakb5Y6QvJNgJW7hL-hYfT4Zm-_b86z_bTqqvH2c4YlX0f0GK-Cn8yghVfPBmM6jWHxSIwe35H7gho_nwg2Vjfg1gjKO0-THIr6vv9OsojQiIPd_2jsV0zGY92VoClo11qU4R_/s400/IMG_3004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365331028359145970" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicdjLmKmN1WG9A0AqHXktnVKS6lV13r1nI8XS6V1xHrYpePFceY7356RmRlguL5N9LRytx7znRB5WFFdpM01a0HCK5YYV4aUrYucYzsq0U2t7Vw3ddWx_UaZdFrL9wn0bxABQJFMIwJw9n/s1600-h/IMG_3022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicdjLmKmN1WG9A0AqHXktnVKS6lV13r1nI8XS6V1xHrYpePFceY7356RmRlguL5N9LRytx7znRB5WFFdpM01a0HCK5YYV4aUrYucYzsq0U2t7Vw3ddWx_UaZdFrL9wn0bxABQJFMIwJw9n/s400/IMG_3022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365331022787349522" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6Z-GXqj97o3sAgaJJ03wyY6PzqrO0VO_71NAgQYVY4I2sZ1kvdKW1yItYn1EuISRHJbn77yIy9fZFU9zE9CU_8uq-dI8QxZcZgsWSpd0sjjQLX-EPXBCOVcBGrVNeHnBGfv6YkISYiox/s1600-h/IMG_3063.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6Z-GXqj97o3sAgaJJ03wyY6PzqrO0VO_71NAgQYVY4I2sZ1kvdKW1yItYn1EuISRHJbn77yIy9fZFU9zE9CU_8uq-dI8QxZcZgsWSpd0sjjQLX-EPXBCOVcBGrVNeHnBGfv6YkISYiox/s400/IMG_3063.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365331020670581378" border="0" /></a>National Geographic Student Expeditionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01201472908020510765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1932305189786982144.post-82393387568240488552009-07-30T10:02:00.011-04:002009-07-30T10:27:35.435-04:00Quito and a visit with Pablo Corral Vega<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hello all,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Yesterday was our last day in Quito. . . we head to the Galapagos Islands today! Yesterday we had the opportunity to ride the teleférico and to see the city from high in the surrounding mountains. In the afternoon we visited an artisan market to buy gifts for our families and friends. We then broke into our On Assignment groups to continue work on our final projects. They are coming along great!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Last night we visited the home of Pablo Corral Vega, an Ecuadorian photographer for National Geographic. His home is filled with his photography-- it looks like an art gallery. The students asked many questions about photography and Pablo gave them advice for their projects. Many students said that they came away with life lessons. One student asked a question of Corral Vega and said that his answer will change the way she approaches her life and career. We hope you enjoy the photos below from our time with him.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">After a few inspiring hours at Pablo's home we came back to our hostel for a joint birthday celebration for Callie and Justin--we celebrated with two delicious cakes from a nearby bakery. There is nothing like a little sugar before bed!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now we are all packed and ready for our 9:45 a.m. departure for the Galapagos!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bon voyage!</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Elie, Alex, and Jes</span></span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWc_SxTIuyHIeYWFtv3gKBq_nhFDZ2Ds0qnchXItdIEM6PT9fX8aMuDQ2KTIsB_rPTg1EfjNvWC6k-K0y_BfE65Gf5Wk7Ta12crPiuslNzHwAAROjMaZWHq3tDnsUsoCE8c4XcYbiqJJFA/s1600-h/_MG_7390+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWc_SxTIuyHIeYWFtv3gKBq_nhFDZ2Ds0qnchXItdIEM6PT9fX8aMuDQ2KTIsB_rPTg1EfjNvWC6k-K0y_BfE65Gf5Wk7Ta12crPiuslNzHwAAROjMaZWHq3tDnsUsoCE8c4XcYbiqJJFA/s400/_MG_7390+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364254370304637778" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJp0FY8jguOsdVFzgC3rlS1VKCOgbprruixwnmz8JxSWDxrc1uv_hIG4uilEH18-bFcRfNPNvm60OIPoLcovlBu_oMc1iwqhpqd89L-qlS3pSep5jBVCaIIqk2yxkgkRiz_fSGAI8naQQm/s1600-h/_MG_7414+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJp0FY8jguOsdVFzgC3rlS1VKCOgbprruixwnmz8JxSWDxrc1uv_hIG4uilEH18-bFcRfNPNvm60OIPoLcovlBu_oMc1iwqhpqd89L-qlS3pSep5jBVCaIIqk2yxkgkRiz_fSGAI8naQQm/s400/_MG_7414+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364254363404850498" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7diPdNbEHGE8rBRj_XVF-XEHzAs4JUWR8ea40TFQ9lTMlxCnlH8_-UK3l3dFKkSWE0Ted4V_s4rHTAYn_t77bm3F51DycC5hgexagm924luunauxalDKqmFDWrLV4l6UyL_Bhuec37vA/s1600-h/_MG_7465+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7diPdNbEHGE8rBRj_XVF-XEHzAs4JUWR8ea40TFQ9lTMlxCnlH8_-UK3l3dFKkSWE0Ted4V_s4rHTAYn_t77bm3F51DycC5hgexagm924luunauxalDKqmFDWrLV4l6UyL_Bhuec37vA/s400/_MG_7465+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364254215055825362" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjErjQXRfMK6mDPWkv7-oXTmGLo2PKP5WI2Z9AeSslodlzA2S_jpvwj_1SlgXeNCcYZqSKgnmBYNk-K8vm6hLQm6IYXStbWPXvOrvgMs8jV0N2dWLv370FShmw5oi_h-j6Oalh2U9HfgzIO/s1600-h/_MG_7489+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjErjQXRfMK6mDPWkv7-oXTmGLo2PKP5WI2Z9AeSslodlzA2S_jpvwj_1SlgXeNCcYZqSKgnmBYNk-K8vm6hLQm6IYXStbWPXvOrvgMs8jV0N2dWLv370FShmw5oi_h-j6Oalh2U9HfgzIO/s400/_MG_7489+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364254211878864898" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEj61bpXwdb6goTxOVhCyeaCaA_SnoU2kmspbNUBgvSGUNgEz9AFKCM7nAZOGIUGmagh2JhTKLDueAo2VMzoUp1iZVWm9qX3SS7Mc58bp4KzwSfW9Lizfd2gXSugToMf-sqgRDBISrvCr/s1600-h/_MG_7496+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEj61bpXwdb6goTxOVhCyeaCaA_SnoU2kmspbNUBgvSGUNgEz9AFKCM7nAZOGIUGmagh2JhTKLDueAo2VMzoUp1iZVWm9qX3SS7Mc58bp4KzwSfW9Lizfd2gXSugToMf-sqgRDBISrvCr/s400/_MG_7496+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364254204624364530" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UBFP0AdvPKZVAaURybYCc4n-CDnTTTNmwUtMfNxd06tBQKo4rMSIrIoAfeerhWNRf5tSlHWEgStL69alQxilJCafMgsZDMHfRI63LGUp9f15TOCx52hC1uB9n_euPOzgC9j4DpnOw6KO/s1600-h/_MG_7394+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UBFP0AdvPKZVAaURybYCc4n-CDnTTTNmwUtMfNxd06tBQKo4rMSIrIoAfeerhWNRf5tSlHWEgStL69alQxilJCafMgsZDMHfRI63LGUp9f15TOCx52hC1uB9n_euPOzgC9j4DpnOw6KO/s400/_MG_7394+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364254181263178226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Pablo Corral Vega<br /></span></span></div>National Geographic Student Expeditionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01201472908020510765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1932305189786982144.post-81911256074577772602009-07-29T09:56:00.015-04:002009-07-29T10:33:15.055-04:00El Porvenir and the Paramo<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Greetings family and friends, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span>Paramo</span>, in loose translation, means unhospitable land. Although some of us were challenged to adjust to the high altitude, strong winds, and colder weather, our time in the shadows of the great volcano Cotopaxi was quite memorable.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">Upon arriving at El Porvenir, our hacienda in the highlands, we warmed ourselves near crackling fireplaces and drank tea. We then took a two-mile hike around the grounds, and watched the sun set across valleys, mountains, and volcanoes.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">On our first full day at El Porvenir we headed out for a horseback ride along gorgeous highland trails. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Despite a few worries beforehand, everyone had an amazing experience. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Students also planted trees and watered vegetation around the hacienda. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">The next day we traveled by vans approximately 35 minutes to Santa Rita, a reserve with completely different ecology and biodiversity. After a quick hike to a waterfall, students painted orchid holders and went zip-lining over the canyon and river below.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">Our last day in the <span style="font-style: italic;">paramo </span>was the most challenging, but perhaps the most rewarding. After an early wake up and delicious breakfast at the hacienda, we drove to the Cotopaxi volcano and hiked up to the <span style="font-style: italic;">Refugio </span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">José F. Ribas</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">, which stands at 4850 meters above sea level. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">The air was thin and misty, but our purpose was clear. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">We took our time, supported each other, and everyone made it up to the <span style="font-style: italic;">refugio</span>, a huge accomplishment for our group! After reaching the <span style="font-style: italic;">refugio</span>, we walked around a glacier lake, Limniolago, and returned to the hacienda for one more delectable lunch.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />We are now in Quito preparing for our stay in the Galapagos. Everyone is excited to meet National Geographic Expert Kitty Coley and leave for the Galapagos on Thursday!<br /><br />Saludos,<br />Jes, Elie, and Alex</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2sAejfz370CW5LI3jKwUEua0-HKV9IQZApwDkF1Lh7nalk1xdMydDzYI3kl0bymJ-9KGu83IcB6w6cTnQH5phDkuwcRktrs-c3Qlos_Zjo8B9yw6TwIReoShexC0Q1E-RX8uI9pFlxcn/s1600-h/_MG_7227+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2sAejfz370CW5LI3jKwUEua0-HKV9IQZApwDkF1Lh7nalk1xdMydDzYI3kl0bymJ-9KGu83IcB6w6cTnQH5phDkuwcRktrs-c3Qlos_Zjo8B9yw6TwIReoShexC0Q1E-RX8uI9pFlxcn/s400/_MG_7227+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363883802612084050" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLtNVs9YOEyHTpYXobluRIBHUR7g7sjmC8EgcZUJK64VY0mKWe-HeUOVUmtsrPyivOcuWde89UR6TyhoxtGHWLFdizoH6r9tCTTD_0PzI8YDrMWB9by2bGumdbrfKfxdjUsumjFCtXzBb/s1600-h/_MG_7252+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; 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display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFtFSzFFSXS1H3eS6hZ2xNyDmUo7lg4bxs9aXES7G_zjvZlPQ9DkP3qxoE1j7fYW6p2IfJflUMAulKGWDeUQHo5fIpySAzePC9E-4zrbZGBnGocjPll1jqFCMiEr02FtEiajdlBRfUAKK/s400/_MG_7203+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363883792611996754" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgreLGQSGaggNUBTwQQUy9EiJZQhCKOCM8mnmvmJGNhQxLDhKYZde1kcvtrDVjTfpPP_EiwOqJMEng-51cLly-nIcgs2hL2vfgz_VzTag53Y_uiAHck3W20h6Ic40eflwFQE5mh-ELkJJEt/s1600-h/_MG_7288+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgreLGQSGaggNUBTwQQUy9EiJZQhCKOCM8mnmvmJGNhQxLDhKYZde1kcvtrDVjTfpPP_EiwOqJMEng-51cLly-nIcgs2hL2vfgz_VzTag53Y_uiAHck3W20h6Ic40eflwFQE5mh-ELkJJEt/s400/_MG_7288+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363883898646303618" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGb-AL7tQMVlGYpOiOMlV7FlOZZF8JZCLYifwN3hOqiwMHxEF2RlU5lLrCYoqQIzrFUtkRQNRelTfrt4mEDohTPe5S59PNWU4xaEXzpM0roqs352i3BOzbdufL5uuJvXpdOusySmpRPt3/s1600-h/P1040512+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGb-AL7tQMVlGYpOiOMlV7FlOZZF8JZCLYifwN3hOqiwMHxEF2RlU5lLrCYoqQIzrFUtkRQNRelTfrt4mEDohTPe5S59PNWU4xaEXzpM0roqs352i3BOzbdufL5uuJvXpdOusySmpRPt3/s400/P1040512+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363883911408979202" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoUxQ4BFAUARE0b4Sl4NwDtLoWMQibc_YTLgPbAL3x6DC4ub1euWQo7WOZUYf-lvn3xRwViewYRsuOThhJ53Ov8-pCSYcU6L6u6xViMQKhpEWmrKyyM_2KKa1w0681JW1Za-5TZVfqiGV/s1600-h/_MG_7347+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoUxQ4BFAUARE0b4Sl4NwDtLoWMQibc_YTLgPbAL3x6DC4ub1euWQo7WOZUYf-lvn3xRwViewYRsuOThhJ53Ov8-pCSYcU6L6u6xViMQKhpEWmrKyyM_2KKa1w0681JW1Za-5TZVfqiGV/s400/_MG_7347+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363883901303061554" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLxACb2GCSynI7_KR627Mo8KQZpeOqFlOOLpE8HJ5nBRXO8b-NPjZ8GDLZ75KPKpu6Xixb5Xt_GXIeTN7wfFf00Tuz2r3GYHW8y9nV0OxjpuO3Aot_WiynK2JK2xJ5CIevUcg4CUSqKJT/s1600-h/P1040504+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLxACb2GCSynI7_KR627Mo8KQZpeOqFlOOLpE8HJ5nBRXO8b-NPjZ8GDLZ75KPKpu6Xixb5Xt_GXIeTN7wfFf00Tuz2r3GYHW8y9nV0OxjpuO3Aot_WiynK2JK2xJ5CIevUcg4CUSqKJT/s400/P1040504+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363883908142283858" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudzQ_XH_2yXUJxg_c38q9efsdfAVllvJgJyVkeGptZe6u9rPMRqgI8pmqNb1fbqUZgxvOughsViMVk8TjOiKCY9yzytQAePJcQdkB7JeHL8NjvBrvmU3sBpCG8C__Qo1Vs4iE7Uu3bBUx/s1600-h/P1040483+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 224px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudzQ_XH_2yXUJxg_c38q9efsdfAVllvJgJyVkeGptZe6u9rPMRqgI8pmqNb1fbqUZgxvOughsViMVk8TjOiKCY9yzytQAePJcQdkB7JeHL8NjvBrvmU3sBpCG8C__Qo1Vs4iE7Uu3bBUx/s400/P1040483+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363883904806190546" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmVaCMlyGMuLYr-NXw_fxp-WLcgp3A1AaiTILkfm5iiB3YEtVpsDpt8GcvoEmsOutHG4w0bYuvMMEt9r4aFrYG2n6hHwPX2sLFH10tiaaEUD_8PeorPiM5lE4jwVDKvmsgTipQwy7Ggrg/s1600-h/_MG_7162+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmVaCMlyGMuLYr-NXw_fxp-WLcgp3A1AaiTILkfm5iiB3YEtVpsDpt8GcvoEmsOutHG4w0bYuvMMEt9r4aFrYG2n6hHwPX2sLFH10tiaaEUD_8PeorPiM5lE4jwVDKvmsgTipQwy7Ggrg/s400/_MG_7162+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363883790075821714" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Hacienda el Porvenir's dog, Lobo</span></span><br /></div>National Geographic Student Expeditionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01201472908020510765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1932305189786982144.post-23339933778729868992009-07-28T13:00:00.001-04:002009-07-28T13:00:02.675-04:00Back to Quito<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGyVuqGRPI4JEZgkg1Zlzc6vrdtmdWjakmnxB8PcfP594WyffMzxMmc1h9umXxxB6lWk3nduExXXUbZnHWI9tl6O23xfiZlna-0R2qt3Y4mxHoIZFTbZBemNX_jJ_cWRxJ4B4MCd6oDq_/s1600-h/IMG_1339.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 308px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGyVuqGRPI4JEZgkg1Zlzc6vrdtmdWjakmnxB8PcfP594WyffMzxMmc1h9umXxxB6lWk3nduExXXUbZnHWI9tl6O23xfiZlna-0R2qt3Y4mxHoIZFTbZBemNX_jJ_cWRxJ4B4MCd6oDq_/s400/IMG_1339.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361725819461597986" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The view from our hostal in Quito.<br /><br /></span></span></div>National Geographic Student Expeditionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01201472908020510765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1932305189786982144.post-23286877907957474072009-07-25T12:45:00.005-04:002009-07-25T12:54:02.554-04:00Tarabita and the bird whisperer<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Saludos!<br /><br />The past two days in Mindo have been full of excitement. Split into two groups,</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> we visited Angel Paz, a man we now call the 'bird</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> whisperer'. We woke up at 4:30 a.m. to bird watch and hike.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> Angel spotted at least five species of birds for us, including</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> the Toucan. After the hike, we were treated to amazing food - plantain</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> balls, cheesy <span style="font-style: italic;">empanadas</span> and a fruit juice cocktail. The <span style="font-style: italic;">vista</span> from</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> where we ate was incredible.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />The other day we rode on a tram called the Tarabita over a valley. We</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> then hiked down to a waterfall for swimming. Along the way we learned</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> about plant species and uses. In the afternoon we went zip lining. Many</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> of the students tried tricks and everyone made it through all 13</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> zip lines. What excitement! After lots of traditional Ecuadorian food-- rice and beans-- </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">we are splurging for pizza tonight, followed by a chocolate</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> demonstration!<br /><br />Tomorrow we leave Mindo for Cotopaxi with a stop em route at</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> Mitad del Mundo - a museum marking the line of the equator!<br /><br />Until soon,<br />Elie, Jes, and Alex<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlaLzQYgTAYGif0JjPl55zsPKT_xKsQhe7lclZk5VIWREwGRRgkbZO5NbED2IFzZDDOGqk3jVTokoBkC-adb2_WBkrtniVlqZQ3tK3KjXcXcW5O36PT5vLjYXtlmtLP-nHY8iKmp-XCcD/s1600-h/IMG_1989.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlaLzQYgTAYGif0JjPl55zsPKT_xKsQhe7lclZk5VIWREwGRRgkbZO5NbED2IFzZDDOGqk3jVTokoBkC-adb2_WBkrtniVlqZQ3tK3KjXcXcW5O36PT5vLjYXtlmtLP-nHY8iKmp-XCcD/s400/IMG_1989.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362441270752110690" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4qFPecQmgrPSRedqtmwdLU36vU2w8lVjlbOheQOiPdBDaEU67wK8phV6rA4Pc8Uc4OoFbOsUIVCnmucPSN5CpsHYYTxR_F4vWIXVL85OodU72dr_YlDX_wEZh9Q6Arfp5x3SkAsQCx_U/s1600-h/IMG_2027.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4qFPecQmgrPSRedqtmwdLU36vU2w8lVjlbOheQOiPdBDaEU67wK8phV6rA4Pc8Uc4OoFbOsUIVCnmucPSN5CpsHYYTxR_F4vWIXVL85OodU72dr_YlDX_wEZh9Q6Arfp5x3SkAsQCx_U/s400/IMG_2027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362441267887381778" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HBNeSI64I9m4IMBgLOA7Hlhqu3YrZSce4wXMRzAIQwFJAIxPFMQlcxwCgewU4_9YA0ITEY2i1ZC6Fj2kLFib_9fQ7Ib9XI5yiK4T215dlgutYH5G_1ttPXrYPhBJqA01lpKHT_49BL75/s1600-h/IMG_1895.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HBNeSI64I9m4IMBgLOA7Hlhqu3YrZSce4wXMRzAIQwFJAIxPFMQlcxwCgewU4_9YA0ITEY2i1ZC6Fj2kLFib_9fQ7Ib9XI5yiK4T215dlgutYH5G_1ttPXrYPhBJqA01lpKHT_49BL75/s400/IMG_1895.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362441177130147762" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqXks1AMlYUEJrDRu-W06iul0JF6efhw1-2FxS2ACEOfv7Q-G_VGoHE5VITFf3SzSFmR1SFoJMeV7oo5qNkTUJ_sOj6KjqnkvEI0cXveq3moXzLUmybFrDPFI-wGNutKhU1mdTbeqIWTP/s1600-h/IMG_1798.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqXks1AMlYUEJrDRu-W06iul0JF6efhw1-2FxS2ACEOfv7Q-G_VGoHE5VITFf3SzSFmR1SFoJMeV7oo5qNkTUJ_sOj6KjqnkvEI0cXveq3moXzLUmybFrDPFI-wGNutKhU1mdTbeqIWTP/s400/IMG_1798.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362441171844974802" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJtlzpUF2i8Jw_v4qBiQ3p5LGH_HuQvEDljHoqEhS7efkk6XLuLumW5OZAlH1zkkQh5vapTdr0ImDAts5pf4_mEKL6dKxAoMdFEM-BHsS3TJA0z307nVh8MO5IFYrYh4_t1f4YbYqHYlb/s1600-h/IMG_1778.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJtlzpUF2i8Jw_v4qBiQ3p5LGH_HuQvEDljHoqEhS7efkk6XLuLumW5OZAlH1zkkQh5vapTdr0ImDAts5pf4_mEKL6dKxAoMdFEM-BHsS3TJA0z307nVh8MO5IFYrYh4_t1f4YbYqHYlb/s400/IMG_1778.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362441168399589874" border="0" /></a>National Geographic Student Expeditionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01201472908020510765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1932305189786982144.post-2987624071353701732009-07-23T14:25:00.005-04:002009-07-23T14:33:21.229-04:00To Mindo . . .<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Hello all,<br /><br />Tuesday morning the group broke into their On Assignment teams. Wildlife &</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> Conservation students spent the morning at the Botanical Gardens and Vivarium,</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> which houses a significant amount of amphibians and reptiles, while the</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> two Photography groups visited different parks and worked on perfecting</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> techniques. After lunch in different areas around the city, we all</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> regrouped at Hostal Arupo and boarded our bus for Mindo.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />After a 2.5-hour drive through spectacular cloud forest, we finally</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> reached Mindo, where we met our two guides: Nikki and William. Our guides,</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> who are both bird experts, will be with us for all of our hikes and</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> activities while here and accepted our invitation to join us for dinner</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> last night. After dinner and our brownie/ice cream dessert, we headed back</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> to our hostal and had a quick powwow before lights out.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />Today we began our morning with an hour walk to Mariposas de Mindo, a</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> small butterfly garden down the road from our hostal. After learning about</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> the butterfly life-cycle, we entered into an enclosed garden housing over</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> 30 species of native butterfly, including Morphos and Monarchs. The</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> butterflies were quite friendly and more than a few of the students acted</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> as rest stops for the lime green, orange and even translucent insects.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> Despite the cold water, the students embarked on a tubing expedition right</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> after the butterfly garden. Tied together in groups of 5´s and 6´s, the</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> tubes carried the students down the Mindo River for about 20 minutes,</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> conveniently dropping them off near the entrance to our hostal.<br /><br />With an</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> hour of free time before lunch, many of the kids participated in a game of</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> volleyball, while others lounged around in the hammocks and admired the</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> view.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">We ate lunch in town and then took part in some community</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> service. Directed by Klever, an extremely friendly local resident, the</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> students broke up in to two groups. The first group spent the afternoon</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> cleaning up the town square by removing unwanted plants and trimming trees</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> and bushes. After working for about an hour, the group was joined by local</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> Mindeños who worked alongside the students. Meanwhile, the second</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> group painted and repaired the jungle gym of the local pre-school with</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> help from some of the school´s children.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />Now we´re off for some well-deserved showers and dinner!<br /><br />Saludos!<br />Alex, Jes, and Elie<br /></span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKxnEneDz3Qo7wKe_XgXDEW9luXJwZzo0g_JX6ZwukUB6nIwcLeYP_rxDay6TNtLvtw5mhRMc27919zV2yH2HOlf3F4QucIYwZt8e3YwqM5WZE572k5ersDsKWK5JjUtIAZ6d3SsICMfV/s1600-h/IMG_1742.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKxnEneDz3Qo7wKe_XgXDEW9luXJwZzo0g_JX6ZwukUB6nIwcLeYP_rxDay6TNtLvtw5mhRMc27919zV2yH2HOlf3F4QucIYwZt8e3YwqM5WZE572k5ersDsKWK5JjUtIAZ6d3SsICMfV/s400/IMG_1742.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361724399584163842" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFMqXayTwQeVJHrQaPd3fogi7GST3SrMXcmpDTtpQRi08SmlmS-w7h0Cy4FpigKQ_SxDz_pbux1FUR_JHfkjwHalf68HCDryYxS-ocNplEquC76sxU1SwqvdJRiPheFFvE_4NhE5bt7yns/s1600-h/IMG_1717.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFMqXayTwQeVJHrQaPd3fogi7GST3SrMXcmpDTtpQRi08SmlmS-w7h0Cy4FpigKQ_SxDz_pbux1FUR_JHfkjwHalf68HCDryYxS-ocNplEquC76sxU1SwqvdJRiPheFFvE_4NhE5bt7yns/s400/IMG_1717.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361724395223831634" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaVi5xakHBbcd0oES1Tt9fADE8-RvnLZ3XhfAab1xUv6XZ5-F2bu96vp57GzHo800ebuzAI7tNCJiWyRpHzl5i4DCOk3eqH9Xp8_DeWYRmL1NIjhuonrKtIQ64GnmWr38qOagxDq8ZwFql/s1600-h/IMG_1689.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaVi5xakHBbcd0oES1Tt9fADE8-RvnLZ3XhfAab1xUv6XZ5-F2bu96vp57GzHo800ebuzAI7tNCJiWyRpHzl5i4DCOk3eqH9Xp8_DeWYRmL1NIjhuonrKtIQ64GnmWr38qOagxDq8ZwFql/s400/IMG_1689.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361724206518043074" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQBudQ2yapBZGrKNNK8HodG5-Jl_3Eco0WIXAvikG1hdHgax-P8somzIlubFBoRfHuIyGbFAcQM_Z248Nnjw3QIJu1RG4qxPsIAJiYCDfND4dnCdCxf4xzEMX2W8I0Cfb6GnpoZyehpmV/s1600-h/IMG_1649.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQBudQ2yapBZGrKNNK8HodG5-Jl_3Eco0WIXAvikG1hdHgax-P8somzIlubFBoRfHuIyGbFAcQM_Z248Nnjw3QIJu1RG4qxPsIAJiYCDfND4dnCdCxf4xzEMX2W8I0Cfb6GnpoZyehpmV/s400/IMG_1649.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361724202808916322" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRwqOtm63wEB0V9lL4-j18Mg4Wj12b3fVHfxxkrv3sOuGEV6UPsTmg4Vtuk6LuXchHtTG_HdNzn3ckGFphPR1deDrPgUUzY0Yw_ThdHkA5xXP1xAuFaZZkCynO4dNJ4jgASsJC0Aei0IN/s1600-h/IMG_1479.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRwqOtm63wEB0V9lL4-j18Mg4Wj12b3fVHfxxkrv3sOuGEV6UPsTmg4Vtuk6LuXchHtTG_HdNzn3ckGFphPR1deDrPgUUzY0Yw_ThdHkA5xXP1xAuFaZZkCynO4dNJ4jgASsJC0Aei0IN/s400/IMG_1479.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361724197136333698" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZIuhT0JcOWvlK1savkqCLTdPHDStbj2A4Cut9rN9F2gjzLnan7lt7O2eFcF8e4iobUNHpAElruNQdK4T6nte-6zhFut_ffjkGO-g8rbw9_TddXOzi7avZAZ7VQ3MruASuy5CzlT4GbCm/s1600-h/IMG_1546.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZIuhT0JcOWvlK1savkqCLTdPHDStbj2A4Cut9rN9F2gjzLnan7lt7O2eFcF8e4iobUNHpAElruNQdK4T6nte-6zhFut_ffjkGO-g8rbw9_TddXOzi7avZAZ7VQ3MruASuy5CzlT4GbCm/s400/IMG_1546.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361724201739538530" border="0" /></a>National Geographic Student Expeditionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01201472908020510765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1932305189786982144.post-20209901124124095922009-07-21T13:16:00.006-04:002009-07-21T13:28:07.491-04:00Quito Eterno<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Hello family and friends!<br /><br />After a morning of getting to know each other through orientation</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> games yesterday, we broke into our On Assignment teams for the afternoon.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> Photography students worked toward a body of 8-12 images that</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> have a common theme while Wildlife and Conservation students </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">created projects on various topics, including plant biodiversity,</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> bird species comparisons and carbon footprints of Ecuadorians.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />Last night as a group we visited Quito's </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Old Town</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. An organization called</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> Quito Eterno led us on an educational tour. Our students took lots of pictures</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> and learned much of the city's history, as well as many of its</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> secrets. The tour concluded with a cup of hot chocolate at a spot with</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> a great vista of the city. The best part - our tour was lead by the caped</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> <span style="font-style: italic;">Diablo</span>! (see photo below).<br /><br />This afternoon we leave for adventures in</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"> Mindo!<br /><br />Saludos,<br />Alex, Elie, and Jes<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9I-G_wCv9WS5q6LpVOZ1eI3BnmmU7FXoEuyc6zyNEpYm4t8MI5pjX5IuPHRgZ28dln7WrWY96myh8tyfG2ODIx0JVCabJ5tShzvAb57gRltHhtaTOT4Bk95pfYuUw-cwENXbSDQTtHKxi/s1600-h/ngecb+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 279px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9I-G_wCv9WS5q6LpVOZ1eI3BnmmU7FXoEuyc6zyNEpYm4t8MI5pjX5IuPHRgZ28dln7WrWY96myh8tyfG2ODIx0JVCabJ5tShzvAb57gRltHhtaTOT4Bk95pfYuUw-cwENXbSDQTtHKxi/s400/ngecb+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360964226458699458" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6MXO4Oc6Y6KLZ8H7_fUBhU-e4OqPZ5PPe_04Wd7H7AOFV4bD5BoDbSfslMhJNstKRdkrTg3dJ1fgk5lwcaGK2teH8C4KOlvfUdmIWscAAlfln25g_A8pKRpiq9TDWMBa_xE1KS3eq4Me/s1600-h/ngecb+%283%29+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6MXO4Oc6Y6KLZ8H7_fUBhU-e4OqPZ5PPe_04Wd7H7AOFV4bD5BoDbSfslMhJNstKRdkrTg3dJ1fgk5lwcaGK2teH8C4KOlvfUdmIWscAAlfln25g_A8pKRpiq9TDWMBa_xE1KS3eq4Me/s400/ngecb+%283%29+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360964220787957810" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipF1VJrAhKjGCW1O4tIb4UGIAUFmj5bJIMTond_le8npW8FBZbwgLu8YIBMzKBYTrei_FJGGq5Q1kdBSg7zFNH24sxJcWDwAfTABzXYZRuonNSsHinw7M6cqZ1Z9UjbKBUxdLFpR556nER/s1600-h/ngecb+%282%29+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipF1VJrAhKjGCW1O4tIb4UGIAUFmj5bJIMTond_le8npW8FBZbwgLu8YIBMzKBYTrei_FJGGq5Q1kdBSg7zFNH24sxJcWDwAfTABzXYZRuonNSsHinw7M6cqZ1Z9UjbKBUxdLFpR556nER/s400/ngecb+%282%29+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360964216604085250" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwrujfVxuopT-CFZZR8AX0749W5bdKH4lv5pw-ILtHhJNWcMJGkxTJJ5XfRGqW59ZKiaQw0FItWw670zUrKBt9TbHvHwNnsOR3wLW5M7JvEMUxk01E4uvfsbdgzcY_hwA4e_fuiVXzm_X4/s1600-h/ngecb+%281%29+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwrujfVxuopT-CFZZR8AX0749W5bdKH4lv5pw-ILtHhJNWcMJGkxTJJ5XfRGqW59ZKiaQw0FItWw670zUrKBt9TbHvHwNnsOR3wLW5M7JvEMUxk01E4uvfsbdgzcY_hwA4e_fuiVXzm_X4/s400/ngecb+%281%29+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360964216002329394" border="0" /></a>National Geographic Student Expeditionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01201472908020510765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1932305189786982144.post-14732933633539719142009-07-20T08:44:00.003-04:002009-07-20T08:51:28.450-04:00The group has arrived<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">We've received word from the expedition leaders that the group has arrived in Quito. They are settling into their home in Quito, the Arupo Hostal. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">En route to Quito yesterday, the students took time to get to know each other at the Miami International Airport-- there was much talking, card games, and airport snacks. (See photo below.) They ended the evening with a little celebration and song for Justin on his 15th birthday!</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Today the group will hold an orientation and begin to explore this historic city.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360522390481205874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0M2zouOvyD_BeeOF5e1r553SDrfpsnU_oikW2MIfQ_NyVQM5q-hTWZLjc-7Xo6EXWXqwJGxkOI2bYP_e3a5xqNb5Xa6ZCNz2eWrc0NVnS6fMtCrOGeZONCCMWoykn0dUZV3LWGw0en5p/s400/ngecb.jpg" /><br /><div> </div>National Geographic Student Expeditionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01201472908020510765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1932305189786982144.post-41777383926970607112009-06-01T16:20:00.005-04:002009-06-01T16:24:58.415-04:00Meet the Expedition Leaders<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBf8oMRt_Z-t8z3V8x7M6OV1kaggShNGzV8RUv-Iys5j20dRLsOGgqUpfFec4lkxnSvhCiTcEyHHGKG7O2bNX9WWs3OJcFUt3W0skdwOQRdE3Acv_LGPy6InuapaBEAZfuvqLc0v8TN6P/s1600-h/NG+Ecuador+AB+%28Medium%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBf8oMRt_Z-t8z3V8x7M6OV1kaggShNGzV8RUv-Iys5j20dRLsOGgqUpfFec4lkxnSvhCiTcEyHHGKG7O2bNX9WWs3OJcFUt3W0skdwOQRdE3Acv_LGPy6InuapaBEAZfuvqLc0v8TN6P/s400/NG+Ecuador+AB+%28Medium%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342457103381620594" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CLMCKEE%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Verdana; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:536871559 0 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">2009 Ecuador B Expedition Leaders, left to right: Elie Gardner, Jes Therkelsen, and Alex Silva
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<br /><b style="">Wildlife & Conservation</b>
<br /><b style="">Alexandra Silva.</b> <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Cornell</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place>, B.S. Alex was an Animal Science major and a Natural Resources minor at Cornell, with a special emphasis on wildlife and habitat preservation. She spent a semester at the Universidad San Fransisco de Quito’s Evolution, Ecology, and Conservation in the Galápagos program, where she studied and traveled the varied regions of <st1:country-region st="on">Ecuador</st1:country-region>, including <st1:city st="on">Quito</st1:city>, the rainforest and the <st1:place st="on">Galápagos Islands</st1:place>. She served as a volunteer veterinary technician at CEMEII, an animal hospital on the <st1:placetype st="on">island</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">San Cristóbal</st1:placename>, where she worked directly with the Galápagos campaign to limit the damage caused by domestic cats and dogs, and as an animal keeper at the <st1:placename st="on">Santa Marta</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Rescue</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Center</st1:placetype> in <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Tambillo</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on">Ecuador</st1:country-region></st1:place>. At Cornell, Alex was a teaching assistant for a course on domestic animal biology, a journalist for the New York Forest Owner Association newsletter, and an administrative assistant for the Cornell Cooperative Extension. She worked as a veterinary technician at the <st1:placename st="on">VCA</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Berwyn</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Animal</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Hospital</st1:placetype> in <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Berwyn</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">Illinois</st1:state></st1:place>. In the fall of 2009 she begins a two-year fellowship with Environment America, an environmental advocacy organization. Alex has traveled throughout <st1:country-region st="on">Ecuador</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region st="on">Venezuela</st1:country-region>, and <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Chile</st1:place></st1:country-region>. She is fluent in Spanish.
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<br />Photography</b>
<br /><b style="">Elie Gardner.</b> <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Missouri</st1:placename></st1:place>, B.J. Elie is an award-winning, St. Louis-based photojournalist and educator. She majored in Journalism at the <st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Missouri</st1:placename> and spent six months studying in <st1:city st="on">San José</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on">Costa Rica</st1:country-region> at the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Costa Rica</st1:placename></st1:place>. She studied journalism and photography with the Associated Press’ Diverse Voices/Diverse Visions program and in a six-week fellowship at the Poynter Institute. Elie was a crew member for the Missouri Photo Workshop in 2003 and 2005, and directed the photo sequence at the Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists’ Minority Journalism Workshop in 2007 and 2008, a position she will hold again in fall 2009. She completed photography internships with the Columbia Daily Tribune, the Grand Forks Herald, and The Tico Times in <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">San José</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on">Costa Rica</st1:country-region></st1:place>, and worked as the online photo editor for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She is currently an adjunct professor at <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Webster</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">University</st1:placename></st1:place> and a staff photographer at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Elie is proficient in Spanish. Some of her photography, multimedia and editing work may be viewed online at www.eliegardner.com.
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<br /><b style="">Photography</b>
<br /><b style="">Jes Therkelsen</b>. <st1:placename st="on">Amherst</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">College</st1:placetype>, B.A.; <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">American</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place>, M.F.A. Jes is a Washington D.C-based photographer, filmmaker, media consultant, and educator. He graduated magna cum laude from <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Amherst</st1:place></st1:city>, where he majored in Geology and collaborated with NASA on his thesis project. After receiving a one-year Hellenic American Educational Fellowship to teach in <st1:city st="on">Athens</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on">Greece</st1:country-region>, he relocated to <st1:city st="on">Washington</st1:city> <st1:state st="on">DC</st1:state> to study social media at the Center for Social Media at <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">American</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place>. Jes has written, produced, and directed several award-winning independent films, and is the owner and founding director of Sensory Media Arts LLC, a Washington-based media production company. He serves as a lecturer in Film and Visual Media at <st1:placename st="on">American</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype> and <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Catholic</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place> in D.C. As a 2008 Advocacy Peace Fellow in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Nepal</st1:place></st1:country-region>, he initiated The Clean Hands Project – a media campaign meant to empower and mobilize Nepali Dalits by teaching them photography and video-making. The project may be viewed on-line at http://www.cleanhandsproject.com. Jes’s photographs have been exhibited at numerous venues in <st1:state st="on">Washington</st1:state>, including the Washington School of Photography, Touchstone Gallery, Tryst Café, Healing Arts Gallery, and the <st1:placename st="on">New</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Media</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Center</st1:placetype> at <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">American</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place>. He is currently a 2009 Washington D.C. Artist Fellow. Besides filmmaking and photography, Jes is an avid musician and composer.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span>National Geographic Student Expeditionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01201472908020510765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1932305189786982144.post-87343743264934785852009-06-01T16:20:00.001-04:002009-06-01T16:20:26.964-04:00Welcome!<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CLMCKEE%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Verdana; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:536871559 0 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">Welcome family and friends of National Geographic Student Expeditions participants!
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<br />We have created this blog in order to keep you updated on the progress of your child’s National Geographic Student Expedition this summer. We hope that occasional updates throughout the expedition will help keep you informed about the activities, projects and successes of the program.
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<br />The expedition leaders will post entries approximately once per week during the program. The leaders’ first priority is the students and the program. If updates are infrequent, it is likely due to the group’s very busy schedule and inconsistent internet access. Please know that any important issues that arise during the program will be discussed and resolved with leaders and parents by phone, not through the blog.
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<br />We suggest that you subscribe to the blog so that you receive e-mail notifications when a new update is posted. To subscribe, enter your email address under ‘Subscribe via e-mail’ on the right-hand column of the blog.
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<br />Best wishes from us all at National Geographic Student Expeditions<o:p></o:p></span></p> National Geographic Student Expeditionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01201472908020510765noreply@blogger.com