My name is Joe Green, and I teach the Environmental Horticulture Program at Pope High School in Marietta, Georgia.
Each year Toyota sponsors an International Teacher Program where teachers will reverse their roles and become students in an environmental study tour. This is an exciting opportunity in learning. 24 American teachers are selected nationally for this honor. Recently, I was fortunate to be selected as a member of this U.S. teacher delegation to the Galapagos Islands. These remote islands located 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador have always been a fascination of mine, and I am pleased to share this experience with my students, colleagues, and community.
Scroll below for a daily travel log of adventures along the way. Also, you may get more information about this and other educational teacher trips at Institute for International Education
Plans are currently underway to integrate this experience into local lesson plans for Pope High School students. Topics such as conservation of native species, environmental stewardship, recycling, natural resources, and global citizenry will be an integral part of the instructional program beginning this semester.
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS TRAVEL LOG: September 30 – OCTOBER 12, 2007
When I spotted the Fed Ex envelope on my front porch, May 25, 2007, I knew it had to be a good sign. Three months earlier I had submitted a 10 page application/essay to be considered for the 2007 Toyota International Teacher Program to the Galapagos Islands. I worked on that application for about two weeks, editing and re-editing each section carefully, making sure I had proposed realistic educational goals and objectives for my dream trip to the Galapagos Islands. And I was right. Inside that Fed Ex envelope was the congratulatory letter and itinerary from Michael Rouse, Corporate Manager for Philanthropy and Community Affairs for Toyota Motor Sales. I couldn’t stop grinning with excitement.
As the summer passed, I worked on my presentation that would be a part of this unique assignment. All summer long I dreamed of blue seas, marine iguanas, and a mystical land unlike no other place on earth. Twenty years earlier I had written an instrumental piece on guitar that I had titled Galapagos. Now I was finally going to hear those notes dance and play like never before.
September 30, 2007 – DAY ONE
Several days of packing and planning had come to an end. If it wouldn’t fit in my suitcase by now, I probably wouldn’t need it. Regardless if I was ready or not, it was now time to depart. Lesson plans were prepared, bills were paid in advance, plants were watered, and the only important thing left to do was to hug my familygoodbye at the curb of the Atlanta airport… I was on my way to Los Angeles for a day of orientation for the Toyota International Teacher Program to the Galapagos Islands
Arriving in the L.A. airport, I was surprised to be met by a limo driver who would deliver me to the Crown Plaza Hotel in Redondo Beach. Here I would join 23 other teachers selected for the Toyota International Teacher Program. Also arriving at the same time as me was fellow teacher, Maureen Barrett of New Jersey. We both tried to contain our excitement as we enjoyed the limo ride to the hotel. Already this was looking like a first class trip.
At the hotel we were greeted by our hosts from Toyota where we received an information packet about the forthcoming adventure. Luckily my plane had arrived early in the day and I had the afternoon free to explore the marina and coastal area across from the hotel. Being an avid sailor, I was in heaven just eyeing the pristine yachts sailing through the pass on a crystal clear Sunday afternoon in southern California.
We all gathered for an informal ice breaker session at 6 p.m. It was exciting to meet the other teachers whom I would be traveling with. It seemed like an instant bond as we exchanged stories of our teaching careers and the trip ahead. Four months of waiting had come to an end, and our adventure in learning was about to begin. The coordinators of this program are Alison Dienes and Mike McCart. They were very welcoming and gave us a brief overview of what to expect in the Galapagos and what to expect for the next 24 hours of orientation in Los Angeles.
October 1, 2007- DAY TWO
I would soon learn just how much one could pack into one day. At 7:15 a.m. we boarded the bus for the Campus of Toyota Motor Sales. This site is called Toyota University, and it is the national headquarters for this progressive company. We enjoyed a full buffet breakfast and were welcomed by a Toyota executive, Irv Miller. We were then enlightened to hear the Program Goals and Objectives by Rhonda Glasscock, a Toyota Public Relations representative who would join us on the trip. Ms. Glasscock emphasized the two mottos of the Toyota corporation. The first is the Japanese term, “Kaisen” which translates into “continuous improvement”. The second is “respect for others”. To me, these seem like two basic principles that explain the success of this company, and a good way in general to live one’s life by.
After breakfast we entered the Toyota Board room which had a panoramic view overlooking the hills of L.A. In the far distance and through the smog, one could see the historic “Hollywood” sign nestled in the hills.
As our first speaker, we were greeted by Toyota’s chief environmental engineer, Mr. Bill Reinert, who gave an excellent presentation on the Toyota Earth Charter and Galapagos involvement. It seems Toyota has been busy for many years spearheading a series of Galapagos environmental conservation projects involving things like community recycling, schools, and a total renovation of their oil storage facilities there. Toyota is not is the business of selling cars in Galapagos, but they have contributed immensely in the education of its people and the funding of multiple environmental projects to help preserve this delicate ecosystem. Mr. Reinert is a national award winning engineer who sums up Toyota’s work there as “It’s the right thing to do.”
Next, we were thoroughly entertained by Dr. Ben Ruttenberg with his presentation titled, “Natural History of the Galapagos Islands”. Dr. Ruttenberg has worked as a researcher for 10 years in the Galapagos, and gave us a detailed summary of the islands’ history and a sneak preview of what we could expect to see in terms of plants and animals there. He assured us that we were in for the time of lives in terms of witnessing such biological diversity and seeing first hand amazing phenomena that few people ever get to see.
After lunch and a guided tour of the entire Toyota University campus, we all sat back to hear Mrs. Cecelia Alvear tell her story about being raised in the Galapagos Islands. Mrs. Alvear is a national filmmaker who immigrated to the U.S. years ago. Her forthcoming book about her life as a child in the Galapagos is due out soon. She was a passionate speaker and encouraged us to not only look at the beauty of the Galapagos, but to also see first hand some of the poverty that still exists in her county.
By 5 p.m., we were all growing weary as we moved into a different room of the building for our final presentation by Paulo Mattioli. We were not sure what to expect, but when we entered this new room, we immediately noticed that there were about 100 different types of drums, congas, djembes, bongos, and other assorted percussion instruments. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that Toyota uses this room and the percussion instruments as method of team building and to blow off steam! They hire Paulo to lead these exercises where even the least musically inclined person can participate in a group drum circle…. What a way for corporate workers to blow off steam at the end a day, I thought… Anyway, Paulo proceeded to train and lead us all in a series of tribal beats for about an hour or more. He was very passionate and patient as he instructed us on some basic rhythms for a group effort. Just when we were all about to feel tired from a day of lectures, we were suddenly revived by pounding on the drums relentlessly. We later learned that Paulo Mattioli was a true professional percussionist, who had recorded with artists such as Sting and Kenny Loggins.
With a drum beat in our heads and a lure in our hearts, we were bussed back to the Crown Plaza to prepare for our 5 a.m. Galapagos flight the next day. I left with a good feeling that this would indeed be a life altering experience on the horizon.
Tuesday, October 2: DAY THREE
This is a day that will just be chalked up to getting there. Other than socializing with the other teachers, all I recall is that we left California at 5 a.m., flew to Houston, and arrived in Quito, Ecuador at midnight. By the time we boarded the bus to the hotel, it was 1 a.m. At 2 a.m. I smiled at the huge queen size bed in my hotel room. Unfortunately, I would only get to enjoy that sleep for 3 hours before rising the next day at 5 a.m. to catch the flight from Quito to the Galapagos.
Wednesday, October 3: DAY FOUR
We arrived at the Quito International Airport by 6 a.m. dragging our feet and feeling unsure of what day it really was. We were now departing for a flight to the Galapagos. It had been a long travel day yesterday, but I began to feel my second wind kickin’ in. Little did I realize just how jam packed with activities this day was about to be.
Once we crossed the blue sea towards Galapagos, I felt an energy surge inside of me, and I was ready to go again. We arrived at the Baltra airport after flying over azure seas only to find a land that looked desolate as the moon. This is not a land of greenery. It is entirely of volcanic origin, and not much really grows in these rocks except for desert-like plants and a unique plant life endemic only to the Galapagos. Although my first impression was a bit of a shock it turned out to be short lived. I immediately noticed the Darwin finches that were ever affable and friendly, and completely unafraid of people. I thought for a moment that they would actually land on my head they were so friendly.
It was at the Baltra airport where we were greeted by our guide, Morris. It turns out Morris would be our most valuable resource for learning all the details of the islands and its people. Although only 25, he was a warm and friendly walking encyclopedia of knowledge about the islands, its people and the wildlife found there. He made us feel welcome right away. I wondered just how many American tour groups he had hosted in the past. I knew we would not be his last.
When our bus arrived at the boat ferry terminal, the aqua blue sea was breathtaking… immediately, we saw frigate birds soaring overhead and playful sea lions cavorting by the pier. Yellow warblers made a good photo op, and a windmill powered the electricity for the bathroom there.
A four minute ferry ride brought us to Santa Cruz Island, the most populated island of the archipelago. Within five minutes I had seen two sea lions, a frigate bird, a Galapagos pelican, and one of the most noted bird of the Galapagos, the Blue Footed Booby. Here we boarded yet another bus for the journey onward to our eventual hotel room. Along the way we made a stop at a series of volcanic craters. It was here where Morris explained the volcanic origin and geological make up of the island. It was also here where we met the superintendent of the Galapagos schools. He greeted us warmly and assured us we would meet again at the Teacher Forum in a couple of days.
Galapagos Islands are made up of 127 scattered islands. However, only three of these islands are inhabited. The island population is about 27,000 people although no one is really sure of the exact count. Due to the tourism boom thousands of Ecuadorians are now trying to establish residency in the islands for better wages. There are about 140,000 tourists visiting the islands each year. Tourism has taken the place of fishing as the main trade for Galapagos. There has been a surge of Ecuadorians moving to Galapagos where they seek employment in this burgeoning field of growth. Since 1980 the population of the Galapagos has increased 833% -- from 3000 to 28,000! We will soon learn how this exponential growth has created environmental, economic, and social challenges for the islands and its people.
After a walking tour of the craters our bus continued into the upper elevations of Santa Cruz Island where the temperatures dipped into the 60’s. Here, green vegetation was more evident as we donned sweatshirts to adjust to this change.
Our next stop would be a tour of a sustainable organic garden project hosted by the director, Carlos Zapata. The project is called Cedevis - Demonstrative Center of Sustainable Life. It is a part of FUNDAR – Foundation for the Responsible Alternative Development of the Galapagos
This 84 acre farm is a teaching facility designed to be a model for Agri-Eco-Tourism. The whole purpose here is to promote organic gardening as an educational tool for the people of Galapagos. This sustainable farm project is setting its goals high as an educational unit working to remain in harmony with environmental, social, economic, cultural, and political venues for the people of Galapagos.
We enjoyed an interesting power point presentation about the farm project while seated outside under a plastic tarp. The Nature Conservancy owns the farm, trains its employees, and utilizes volunteer intern students from across the globe who want to learn by doing. We were hosted to a tasty lunch that featured all fresh veggies from the farm, fish caught that morning, and chicken from the henhouse. It would be one of the finer meals of the entire trip. Next, their educators led us in a hands on circle of life activity after lunch on the green lawn.
I was impressed with the presentation and the creativity of the lessons that were shared with us American educators. After lunch, we toured the garden plots where we took dozens of photos of the gigantic Galapagos tortoises grazing about the grounds. These creatures are icons of evolution that are still quite plentiful in the upper elevations of Galapagos where green plants can support their habitat. They seemed quite tame and unafraid as we posed next to them for photos to share with the folks back home. Some of these creatures could be found sunning in a mud puddle while others seemed bored with our presence.
After the turtle tour, we boarded the bus again; this time headed for the largest town in the islands, Puerto Ayora. The journey was unfolding quite nicely, and it was a good day to be alive.
Our hotel rooms in Puerto Ayora were simple, but clean and comfortable. The streets of town buzzed with children on bicycles, fishermen cleaning fish, and the occasional chicken scampering across the cracked sidewalks and brick streets. Dogs seem to wander around harmlessly. We stayed at the Hotel Silberstein located just across the street from the main port. Dozens of skiffs and yachts bobbled on their mooring balls as unknown bird types soared above. We would stay in Puerto Ayora for three nights. My room mate for this leg of the trip was Preston Lewis from South Carolina, and we got along great.
As if this were not enough activities for our first day in Galapagos, there was yet one more activity in store for us. At 6 p.m. we all met in the hotel conference room for a presentation by Mr. Felipe Cruz, Director of Technical Assistance at the Charles Darwin Research Center. His presentation was titled “Galapagos Islands, A Paradise in Danger?” Little did I know the information shared by Mr. Cruz would stay with me for the entire trip and beyond. I learned that nearly half of all the animal life in Galapagos can be found no where else in the world…. and that 97% of the reptiles here are endemic only to these islands… and that 95% of the biodiversity here remains in tact. He painted a clear picture of a paradise thriving but in danger due to over tourism, over population, corruption, and a lack of vigilance on the part of the government and tourism industry to monitor and regulate this exponential growth in the Galapagos Islands.
I also learned that Charles Darwin’s visit to Galapagos in 1835 was only for a period of 5 weeks. It would be many years later before he published his historical findings in the Origin of the Species.
We learned that the 17th century marked the era of pirates and buccaneers in the Galapagos. And that the Galapagos was later designated as a penal colony by Ecuador in the 1800’s. Prisoners were banished to these remote, desolate islands as form of punishment. In 1942, the U.S. established a short lived military base on the island of Baltra as a means to protect the Panama Canal only 700 miles away.
Mr. Cruz finished his presentation by explaining the Isabella Project, a successful effort that eradicated 150,000 goats that were destroying the plant life on the island. Evidently, 4 goats were introduced by early settlers back in the 1800’s. Due to the lack of predators, the goat population flourished and has had catastrophic effect on the endemic plant life for the islands. Hence the Isabella Project was initiated in 2006. With an intensive hunting campaign using dogs, helicopters, and hundreds of licensed hunters, the goat population was eradicated in a few short months. I found it interesting that many of the goat herds were located by the use of “Judas Goats” equipped with radio collars and sex hormones to lead the hunters to the goats that could not be located by other tracking methods. Evidently, every single goat on the island was destroyed through this intense campaign to eliminate them. Native plant species are now making a remarkable come back.
Mr. Cruz closed his presentation with some unkind remarks about the poachers who illegally hunt down thousands of sharks here only to harvest their dorsal fins before dumping the shark back into the sea. Unfortunately, there is still a strong demand for shark fin soup in the Orient. There continues to be some hostility between the fishermen, the tourism industry, and the Galapagos National Park Service who do their best to regulate the tension in the interest of environmental stewardship.
Day one on the Galapagos had been a day to remember… so much to see, so much to absorb… so much to learn. When my head hit the pillow at 9:10 p.m., I was out like a light.
DAY FIVE OF THE TRIP: Thursday, October 4, 2007
The second day on the Galapagos would be another fact filled journey through a memorable maize of new friends and new knowledge. Today would be the day we would visit local schools, and I could hardly contain my excitement. Our delegation was divided into small groups each with an assigned school on the agenda. Other teachers in my morning school group were Shannon Hill from Texas, Maureen Barrett from New Jersey, and Preston Lewis from South Carolina.
Our assigned school visit was at a local high school called Colegio Miguel Angel Cazares. At the school we were greeted by an affable man named Franklin Mesios. It turns out he was the agriculture teacher at this particular school. His enthusiasm for gardening was evident as he shared the successful school project where they are successfully growing a wide variety of Galapagos endemic plant species to reintroduce to the island. Here students plant seeds and tend to these plants for the purpose of re-establishing the real plants of the Galapagos. Through the years multiple invasive species of plants have altered the natural habitat of the islands’ plant life.
We also visited several class rooms to say hello to students or just mingle amongst them. The thrill of our visit was evident on the faces of the kids who treated us like we were rock stars. They clung to us and were eager to have their photos taken. Many had never seen a digital camera and were tickled to see their smiling faces shown to them in the window of a small camera. We ended the day with a short meeting in the office of the principal. He was such a kind man, and called his wife to tell her he was about to bring 4 American teachers home for a visit! Unfortunately, our bus came before that home visit could actually happen and we would have to leave in order to make our next appointment. Kids waved us goodbye and I knew I would never see them again.
After a wonderful Galapagos lunch of island food, we were whisked off for a walking tour of the Charles Darwin Research Center. Once again I was reminded of how fortunate we were to have an experience like this. With things like the special guided tours, hand picked speakers, and excellent presentations, I knew our trip to the Galapagos was so much more than what the average tourist ever gets to see or experience. Thus was the truth as we entered the Darwin Center located just a few blocks from our hotel.
Here we enjoyed a presentation by Dr. Sandra Tapia about how the Darwin Center trains local teachers and students on important issues of environmental conservation. She spoke only Spanish and one of our fellow teachers, Jon Dicus, from Minnesota, did an excellent job as translator. After her presentation, we enjoyed a walking tour of the center where we observed tortoise colonies and other animal preservation projects. They have a unique tortoise breeding center here where they raise and protect small tortoises before releasing them into the wild.
Since everyday on the tour had been packed with learning activities, this day would be no exception. In the evening we boarded the bus and headed to a school known as the Colegio Nacional Galapagos. This particular school has a very strong vocational instruction program where students learn practical hands on skills for career training.
We were treated to a tour of the wood shop where intricate carvings and sculptures of native animal species had been mass produced by student hands. I was impressed by the quality of the work and I immediately wanted to buy one of the sea lion sculptures. But we were told the products were not complete, and that sales would begin soon. Several students were busy working or cleaning up at 7 o’clock in the evening. It is common for many schools in the Galapagos to develop creative business ventures such as this woodworking project to serve as fund raisers. I knew these animal sculptures of sea lions, hammerhead sharks, and native bird species would soon rest on the mantle in some American tourist’s home.
Next, we were given a complete tour of the school’s Culinary Training Program. Due to the booming tourism industry trade, there is a demand for qualified chefs. We were told that this school graduates 30 new chefs each year, and that most of them find ready employment either in island restaurants or on cruise ships. The students taught each American teacher in our group how to make a dough boy in honor of the upcoming holiday Day of the Dead. Our dough boys were placed into a huge oven, and we were then directed to the school auditorium for a musical performance that I would never forget.
There was a tight energy in the room as students scrambled behind stage curtains, and adults tested microphones for the upcoming show. We sat patiently and we all anticipated the typical adolescent school stage show that would border on rinky dink… but we would soon be surprised as to how wrong we were. When the lights went out, a gangly teenager approached the microphone and recited a lengthy welcoming message to his American audience … all in English! I could tell it was a struggle for him, but what a fine job he did …. As we clapped, the show began… And what a show it was! 90 minutes of dancers! Guitars! Flutes! Congas! Singers! Choreographed movement in colorful costumes! Handclaps! Audience participation! My hand was soon taken by a dancer and led to the center floor where I would prove again that I am a terrible dancer… Before long our entire teacher delegation was synchronized and moving in a dance circle laughing all along the way…It was a fast moving show that illustrated a deep love these people have for their unique land and its natural resources. All the songs, dances, and costumes had a theme of The Galapagos, the land that they love, the unique animal life and biodiversity they all embrace.… it’s the only land some of them have ever seen, and their visible pride in the culture was overwhelming.
The future of the Galapagos is in the hands of children like these. I felt a easy contentment that everything would be ok with this new generation at the helm.
| 01 Nov 2007 by joe |
