I knew when I came to Ocotepeque, I wanted to start a project at the school related to environmental education and animals. Growing up, I always had a passion for animals, and started volunteering at a very young age in animal shelters, vet hospitals, and wildlife rehabilitation centers. I even had the chance to work at the Denver Zoo when I was in college at Colorado State University, as a student zookeeper, which was an incredible experience! I was also an environmental educator for several years at the Colorado State University Environmental Learning Center, so education has always been a passion of mine. As I continued on with college, I realized I enjoyed working with wild animals more and more, so I started doing research in tropical birds of Costa Rica as well as the wilderness of Colorado, and starting August 2013, I will be a student at Cornell University where I'll continue to research tropical birds, at the amazing Cornell Lab of Ornithology (www.birds.cornell.edu). My interests in avian conservation, community-based conservation, and environmental education made My Little Red House Bilingual School a perfect place to do a school project! Here in Ocotepeque, there is a strong community with a small-town feel, and unbelievable birds as well!
So, my wishes came true! I started an after-school program focused on birds and nature, called "Nature Explorers," and received great support from Carol Penman, the school founder and volunteer coordinator. The class was held for 7 days after school, where we learned about what scientists really do! Students mastered their observation skills, learned how to keep a science notebook, practiced ways to respect and appreciate nature, and discovered how amazing and unique birds in Honduras are! We even had the chance to take a full-day field trip to the Reserva Guisayote, where students explored the wonders of the their very own cloud forest, many who had never been before, and some students even conquered their fears of hiking in the wild!
Being able to see this after-school program come to life, and watch the students' lights go off about nature in their lives, was truly a life-changing experience. These students are one-of-a-kind, and are always so eager to learn about new topics, and get to know people from all over the world. I truly believe these children are the leaders for conservation of forests and wildlife in Honduras, and I can't wait to see what they will do. Please stay tuned for pictures, and a more detailed description of what each day looked like during this exciting program!
So, my wishes came true! I started an after-school program focused on birds and nature, called "Nature Explorers," and received great support from Carol Penman, the school founder and volunteer coordinator. The class was held for 7 days after school, where we learned about what scientists really do! Students mastered their observation skills, learned how to keep a science notebook, practiced ways to respect and appreciate nature, and discovered how amazing and unique birds in Honduras are! We even had the chance to take a full-day field trip to the Reserva Guisayote, where students explored the wonders of the their very own cloud forest, many who had never been before, and some students even conquered their fears of hiking in the wild!
Being able to see this after-school program come to life, and watch the students' lights go off about nature in their lives, was truly a life-changing experience. These students are one-of-a-kind, and are always so eager to learn about new topics, and get to know people from all over the world. I truly believe these children are the leaders for conservation of forests and wildlife in Honduras, and I can't wait to see what they will do. Please stay tuned for pictures, and a more detailed description of what each day looked like during this exciting program!