A trip with a purpose
By Julie Matuszewski; photos courtesy of Chris Todd
Students carry a juvenile hawksbill turtle that has never previously been caught. Data entry is critical for tracking this turtle’s future.
Latin American Sea Turtles (LAST) Association is a nonprofit organization that strives to create environments where humans and sea turtles can live together in balance. Eighth grade students from all three American Academy (AA) campuses traveled to the Osa Peninsula in southwestern Costa Rica to support local sea turtle conservation efforts. Students worked side by side with the LAST South Pacific project team in the recovery of mangrove forests, seagrass beds and studied the rare eastern Pacific hawksbill turtle.
Ziplining and hiking in Corcovado National Park, night hikes to see glass frogs and free time swimming in the Pacific Ocean were added perks on this trip of a lifetime. AA student Nicholas Juanillo said the main thing he took away from the trip is that, “our world is impacted by the small things we do every day and what we throw away.”
Amazingly beautiful
Off-grid at the remote reserve of Campanario Biological Station, the group enjoys an evening under the stars with a hike along one of the four beaches of Campanario.
