2009 KIDS ON BOARD PROGRAM IN GALAPAGOS

Bookmark and Share

Today marks the start of the 2009 Kids on Board Program in Galápagos! A group of schoolchildren in the Galápagos Islands will be visiting the National Geographic Endeavour while our guests are off exploring Puerto Ayora.

 

We started this program in 2007 at the request of local teachers, and are excited to kick off its third year.  There are currently eight scheduled programs for 2009, approximately one per month between now and December.

 

In 2007 & 2008 combined, we welcomed a total of 397 local kids on board for a ship tour, Zodiac or glass-bottomed boat ride, natural history presentation, and snack. This was done with incredible support from Sandra Tapia and the Charles Darwin Research Station, local teachers & students, and Lindblad’s dedicated staff, officers, and crew in Galápagos.

 

 

Who participates in the Kids on Board Program in Galápagos?

Local teachers gather permission slips for each student, send a letter to the Lindblad ship applying for the Kids on Board program, and establish the rules that kids must follow during the activities.

 

 

 

 

Lindblad Expeditions (Expedition Leader, Naturalists, Captain, Hotel Manager and other officers and crew) coordinate the Zodaics to pick the kids up at the dock, give safety briefings, offer Zodaic rides to Punta Estrada if conditions are fine, offer a presentation while on board, give a ship tour, offer snacks while the kids are on board, photograph and/or video the kids participating in all activities, and provide a journal to the kids.

 

 

The Charles Darwin Station – specifically Sandra Tapia – works as the liaison between Lindblad Expeditions and the local schools. She contacts teachers, provides necessary paperwork to them (and collects it), organizes the student groups at the dock so they are ready when the Zodaics arrive, supports the naturalists and Expedition Leader during activities on board and the Zodiac ride, and receives paintings and poems made by the kids following their visit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

There have been no comments made on this article. Why not be the first and add your own comment using the form below.

 

Leave a comment

Please complete the form below to submit a comment on this article. A valid email address is required to submit a comment though it will not be displayed on the site.

HTML has been disabled but if you wish to add any hyperlinks or text formatting you can use any of the following codes: [B]bold text[/B], [I]italic text[/I], [U]underlined text[/U], [S]strike through text[/S], [URL]http://www.yourlink.com[/URL], [URL=http//www.yourlink.com]your text[/URL]