Southern Isabela Island
Our day began riding in the back of a pick-up truck, passing the brightly colored village of Puerto Villamil on the southern part of Isabela Island. We traveled up so high we reached Sierra Negra volcano. We noticed the vegetation changing the higher we drove.
Once we got out of the truck, we hiked 1 ½ miles to the rim of the volcano’s caldera, one of the largest in the world. There was steam still rising from its eruption last October! The black lava flows covered most of the caldera, with lots of vegetation around it. We saw many different finches along the way up and also bugs!
After lunch at the ship, we returned to Villamil to visit the tortoise breeding center of the Charles Darwin Research Station and National Park Service. When we first got there, we saw two tortoises mating. We met the kids who help protect the giant Galápagos tortoises and watched them measure and weigh some 5 year-old tortoises. They invited Mitchell and Sarah to hold the tortoises and help with the measurements.
When we finished exploring the center, we left and went to the headquarters of the kids’ Environmental Education Center for a special play. They practiced for three months preparing the play, and it was very good!
After the play, we each gave one of the children a t-shirt we made. Each shirt showed something from our home state that represents us. Even though some of these kids are at a very young age, they know how important it is to protect nature.
Protecting nature isn’t something you just watch on T.V. It is something you have to do with your hearts as well.
Our day began riding in the back of a pick-up truck, passing the brightly colored village of Puerto Villamil on the southern part of Isabela Island. We traveled up so high we reached Sierra Negra volcano. We noticed the vegetation changing the higher we drove.
Once we got out of the truck, we hiked 1 ½ miles to the rim of the volcano’s caldera, one of the largest in the world. There was steam still rising from its eruption last October! The black lava flows covered most of the caldera, with lots of vegetation around it. We saw many different finches along the way up and also bugs!
After lunch at the ship, we returned to Villamil to visit the tortoise breeding center of the Charles Darwin Research Station and National Park Service. When we first got there, we saw two tortoises mating. We met the kids who help protect the giant Galápagos tortoises and watched them measure and weigh some 5 year-old tortoises. They invited Mitchell and Sarah to hold the tortoises and help with the measurements.
When we finished exploring the center, we left and went to the headquarters of the kids’ Environmental Education Center for a special play. They practiced for three months preparing the play, and it was very good!
After the play, we each gave one of the children a t-shirt we made. Each shirt showed something from our home state that represents us. Even though some of these kids are at a very young age, they know how important it is to protect nature.
Protecting nature isn’t something you just watch on T.V. It is something you have to do with your hearts as well.
