Inspired by nature and nurture

It's easy to be inspired by nature in Galapagos: Funky animals are delightful 🤩. I'm also super inspired to see kids being nurtured to love and respect the incredible nature around them - this is the mission of Galapagos Infinito, a project to immerse all grade 7 children in the magic of their surrounding ocean environment.

I've had the privilege to get involved in this while I'm here - the best bit being a day trip to Tortuga Bay with some of the kids. I was wonderfully infected by their enthusiasm throughout the day, enhancing my experience observing birds, iguanas, sharks, and crabs. So cool! I also loved spending time with some of the educators working in the program, and see this as another fabulous benefit: About 15 keen local people have been trained in the method, and now they not only get opportunities for casual paid work in the program, but also grow their skills, experience and confidence. So great!

It's also really interesting to hear about the behind-the-scenes work. My dear friend Noemi took on the fledgling program after the founder, Roby (also a dear friend), died in 2021. It's been a real journey to get the program up and running, and so inspiring to see the success of it after such a short time. By the end of the school year all grade 7 students on all 4 inhabited islands will have had an 'oceanic classroom' day - that's over 500 kids!

As a small and fairly new program, it doesn't yet have ongoing funding (Noemi and the board are working on that), and relies on donations and grants. Verónica (dear friend from Galapagos who now amazingly lives in Darwin) urged me to help set up a Christmas fundraising campaign, and it's working - gathering funds, momentum and more inspiration 😃. See more at: https://www.mightycause.com/story/Galapagosblit…

It gives me great joy to be a part of this. So much of environmental work is about fixing up problems or preventing new problems, whereas this is about appreciating the wonders of nature, learning and growing; a positive way to influence our future generations. ❤️😀🙏🏼😊Baca lagi