October 29th, 2016

​In the summer of 2016, my trip to the Galapagos Islands was the trip of a lifetime.  Each day was truly as memorable as the next.  My first memories of going to the Highlands started with a leap of faith on the Magic Swing that swung out over a cliff. Other memories of sifting through tortoise dung with Scientist Freddie while counting and identifying seeds continue to intrigue me. Memories of our field inquiry where we were digging through volcanic rock with borrowed lunch table spoons and feelings of amazement at how hard the ground was around the vegetation. Lingering thought of the campfire games and dark starry nights were treasured moments. As I sit and reflect on other adventures of hiking to see the huge tortoises, snorkeling with the penguins, swimming with the sea turtles, white tipped sharks, and sea lions, and scoping out the blue-footed boobies on the cliffs were moments to be treasured.  I look back on the adventurous bike ride up to the Wall of Tears and the trek up to the top of the mountain. I remember the ocean swim (in place of the shower) one night, then going to dinner and strolling out to the shoreline for a night time walk along the beach. I refused to allow anything stop me from enjoying the moment because of the realization that I might never have this time again. I chose to walk along the dark moonlit shoreline admiring a million glistening stars, hearing the rolling waves and cautiously walking on the beach hoping not to step on the marine iguanas.  I wanted to experience this moment to its fullest.
​
As I reflect back on this experience, I visualize in my mind the beauty of the Galapagos and the thought that I would want others to enjoy these same experiences. I have these lingering messages posed by Martha's garbage challenge and Juan Carlo's bicycle that washes clothes, that our natural resources are limited. Returning to the States, I am impacted by the amount of trash and the waste of natural resources daily. It is now that we need to make changes and to influence the next generations, making them aware of how precious our natural resources are. As I begin to develop this energy unit, I am reminded that small steps can lead to big change. And so, let the journey begins as I work to tie it all together through my next unit on the conservation of energy resources.  One step at a time!