Baylor in Galápagos 2023

Hey everyone, Marielle and Tyler here!  Today was fantastic! We all got to enjoy the clear ocean water with a good dose of vitamin D. Our day began early in the morning at the Aquarium Pier, where a boat picked us up to bring us to Isla Lobos - a small part of the island containing nothing but vegetation and wildlife. We got to see frigate birds, blue footed boobies, sea lions, and other small creatures like lizards and crabs. After hiking the rocket terrain of the island we got to snorkel in the nearby waters. We saw schools of little fish, a parrot fish, a small eel, and sea turtles! Once our island excursion was over, we got to relax on Playa Ocho. Meanwhile, our Captain was on the boat whipping us up a delicious lunch of salad, legumes, rice, and fish or chicken. Sandy, sun kissed, and now exhausted, we arrived back at San Cristobal to shower, rest, and hang out. We ended the night with a delicious dinner at the Pier restaurant, courtesies of Dr. M. Tune in tomorrow, for a day ...

    Hey everyone it's Diego and Cole! Today we woke up early and went to tour the public hospital at San Cristobal. We learned so much about public health in San Cristobal and how they struggled during Covid -19. However, they said it prepared them for other unplanned events, such as when the two cargo ships broke down. At the moment they still depend on the main land and the bigger island of Santa Cruz for medical aid, but they are making progress to become more self sufficient. After we finished our tour it was time to start asking tourist and residents to do our surveys. We were dripped out in our new BU Department of Anthropology T-shirts, and name tags. We were able to get a lot of people to fill out our surveys and by 4:30 we called it a day. Before we went back to the hotel, we got snorkeling gear because we found out that we are snorkeling tomorrow at Lobos Island right off the coast of San Cristobal. We ended the day at an amazing café to get dinner, and ate lava cake...

Today was our first official day of research. We got up early to get to the university to study before our main activities started for the day. On our way to the university, we stopped at a bakery to get pastries and coffee. Right after we got to the university, it started to rain and we got to drink our coffee and eat our pastries while looking out over the rainy beach. It was beautiful! Thankfully, the rain stopped just in time for our tour of the Galapagos Science Center. The labs in the building were very nice and getting to hear more about the research they are doing there was so interesting. One research topic that we found very interesting was about the invasive wild raspberries that are plaguing the islands. The researchers are trying to use the biological mechanisms of fungus to get rid of the plant, but they were struggling to find a fungus that would target only the raspberry plant. When we left the center, we headed into the university to practice the scripts for surveying....

 Hey there, Marielle and Tyler here!! Today was a pretty chillax day here in the island of San Cristobal. We started our day off with Dr. M discussing research, learning about the processes of it, along with things to consider when conducting it. He went over important concepts and terms that are tailored to our research of health, animals, and tourism. For instance, the term biophilia. This term tells us how humans feel strong emotions to own or touch wildlife in its natural process. He also mentioned important ethical concerns to consider, especially when it comes to social media. As it can lead to negative behaviors and attitudes towards animals because people our doing things for views and likes to seek external validation, even though it is not the right thing to do. After lecture we practiced our people skills by practicing the survey scripts amongst ourselves. Once all was said and done we got lunch at a local restaurant and used the rest of free time to experience the islan...

  Hey everyone it’s Diego and Cole! After a long day of travel yesterday we got to sleep in rooms with amazing beds and AC at the Royal Galapagos Hotel. We all had an amazing night of sleep and then we started the day with a delicious breakfast. We slept in and started class at 10:00 am and had some really deep discussions the definition of truth and how it can change with time and culture. After that we took a break to see the sea lions on the beach. Then we discussed what kind of characteristics we want to see in a study in order to increase confidence. Once we finished class we went back to get our gear for snorkeling. Then that we grabbed a quick lunch at a local restaurant, which served us a fish soup and an entree of either chicken or fish. After that we met Diego Iglesias, a Galapagos tour guide from USFQ, who taught us about all the native and endemic flora and fauna. Next we walked through an exhibit that talked about the history of the Galapagos and all the different sett...

Today we started with an early morning as we left for the airport at 5:30am. After a long check-in process to maintain biosecurity in the islands, we started our journey to the Galápagos. When we arrived, we stopped at our new hotel, which has wonderful views! We dropped our luggage off and then headed to the Galápagos campus of USFQ with our amazing guide, Kathe. It was "El Día del Tiburón" or "shark day" on the campus, so we were able to witness some neat educational efforts by the university to promote conservation. After a quick orientation, Kathe showed us around the town in San Cristobal. We walked along the pier, and saw many sea lions and even a blue-footed boobie !!! We finished the day with a welcome dinner with some USFQ staff. At the end of our dinner, a processional passed by celebrating the Virgin Mary. It was a great first day in the Galápagos, and we are all so excited to spend the next few weeks on the islands! -Sarah + Grace

Hey everyone, Tyler and Marielle here! We started off our day bright and early to visit the Pacari chocolate farm, which was a 3 hour bus ride. Upon arrival, our tour guide led us on a quick hike through the Chacra forest to see plants of many different kinds, including cacao trees, lemon grass, cinnamon, and even pineapple! Our tour guide even cut open fresh cacao for us to try. After our hike, our group enjoyed a delicious meal consisting of fresh tilapia, palm hearts, plantains, and cassava. The food was delicious! For a sweet treat, we were served a chocolate mousse that was made from the cacao nibs at the farm. After our meal, we were able to see how cacao is harvested, processed, and made. It begins first with harvesting the cacao, sorting it, heating it up on a plate, and then crushing it into a fine powder. Then, it is mixed with sugar, milk, or another liquid to make it dairy-free. We were able to try this fresh cacao accompanied by plantains for another sweet treat. After our...

Hello everyone! This is Diego and Cole. We just finished day 4 here in Quito, Ecuador. We started the day with our Spanish class, taught by Dr. Karla. After Spanish we were introduced to Dr. Cisneros-Heredia. He lectured our One Health class, where we he emphasized the complexity of invasive species as well as the steps required for a species to successfully invade new territory. Dr. Cisneros-Heredia then gave us a tour of the animal hospital where we met a squirrel monkey and were allowed to witness a canine neurosurgery. Following the tour of the animal hospital, a bus drove the class to multiple locations. First we went to Mirador Natural Volcan Pululahua, a state park with a beautiful view. The next stop was at the equator, where we got to see a monument located at the center of the world. We each got to place our feet on the different sides of the equator line, placing us in both hemispheres at the same time. Our final stop was at a restaurant called Fiambre where Andrew Zimmerman...

Hi everyone! This is Grace and Sarah! Our third day commenced with a great breakfast from the hotel. Then, we went to a Spanish lesson about ordering at restaurants and directions that was very beneficial for our communication. After the Spanish lesson, we had a lecture from Daniel Escobar about water in both Ecuador and the Galapagos. The lecture was fascinating and highlighted the fact that research with people is far more complicated and difficult than other kinds of research. Additionally, this lecture was important because it showed us how the Galapagos is a collapsed ecosystem that is overburdened with tourists each year. After the lecture, we started our tour of downtown Quito. The tour was fascinating and allowed us to see a different side of the city that the area around our hotel does not show. We saw several cathedrals and older, magnificent buildings, both of which are different from the area of Quito we are staying in. At the end of the tour, we had to the opportunity to t...

 Hey everyone, Marielle and Tyler here!  We started off our second day in Quito with another engaging Spanish lesson from Dr. Karla. Afterwards, Dr. Sofia Zaragocin brought forth attention to gender inequalities and violence found in Latin America, with an emphasis on the concept of body-territory, also known as cuerpo-territorio. Following the lecture, we received a tour of USFQ's clinic located on campus, where the hospital rooms have some of the best views in the city! Our last lecture of the day was by our very own Dr. Michael Muehlenbein, regarding the topic of One Health in preparation for the research we will be conducting in the Galapagos Islands. To end the day off, we spent our evening exploring different vendors located in La Mariscal Artisan Market, where each of us bought souvenirs to remember our time in Quito, and to share it with our loved ones when we arrive back home. Our time spent here in Quito has been a wonderful cultural experience, and we cannot wait to...

                  Howdy y'all, it is Diego and Cole. We just finished our first day in Ecuador, and had a great time being introduced to the culture of USFQ. We started the day by touring the beautiful campus. We learned a lot about the history of the University, and were able to see some unique attractions, such as the dragon, the tie fighter, and the PIG. The culinary school cooked up some lunch for us. It was hard to believe the amount of amazing food they had on campus. The class refreshed their knowledge on Spanish with the help of Dr. Karla. An interesting topic we learned was the Kichwa language that is native to Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. After Spanish we crushed the One Health Ecuadorian Perspective class with Dr. Trueba. He lectured about the pathogens of nature, the dangers they cause, and how human activity amplifies them both directly and indirectly. To end the day we had a group dinner at Noe Sushi Bar, which had some incredib...

Hi my name is Cole and I am a senior Biochemistry major with a Biology minor graduating this summer. I'm from Houston, Texas and I am taking 2 gap years before I plan to attend medical school. After I graduate I am planning work as an EMT while I apply for research Jobs in Houston and Dallas.  I can't wait to see all the types of animals on the Galapagos island and trying the different types of food in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. 

Hello everyone! My name is Diego Ortiz, and I am going into my senior year as a biology major. I am so grateful to be blessed with the opportunity to attend this research trip. It excites me to know that in the span of this month I will be able to learn how research is conducted, practice my spanish, and experience the amazing Ecuadorian/Galapagos culture. I will have my camera ready at all times to get photos of the blue-footed boobies, iguanas, penguins, and so many more unique animals! 

 Hi everybody! I’m Grace and I’m a rising junior honors neuroscience major with a minor in forensic science. I’m planning on attending medical school and pursing pediatrics. In my free time, I love being outdoors and painting! This summer, I have been busy taking classes and doing research. I also went skydiving which was super fun.  I am excited to see wildlife during this trip and experience Ecuador!

  Hi everyone! My name is Marielle, and I'm a senior Biology major. I was born in Manila, Philippines, and have moved to 6 different cities throughout the years. After taking an evolution class at Baylor, my interest in exploring anthropogenic research has grown, and I could not say no to a Galapagos trip! I believe that there are many answers we can find to complex questions in science by immersing ourselves in nature and all of the experiences it has to offer. I look forward to learning more about the culture and history of Ecuador while documenting our findings and favorite experiences!

Hi! My name is Sarah Stellburg, and I'm a senior Medical Humanities major with a Spanish minor on the pre-med track. I'm from Tempe, Arizona, and I spent the first half of my summer back home, spending time with friends and family, applying to medical schools, and kayaking. When I saw the opportunity to go to Ecuador with Dr. M, I knew I had to take advantage of it. I'm so excited to practice my Spanish, improve my research skills, and explore the outdoors! Thanks for following along :) I can't wait to share our daily activities and all we are learning over this next month.

 Hello! My name is Tyler Long and I am going into my junior year at Baylor. I am a Health Science Studies major on the pre-med track with a minor in Biology. I came across this trip late in the spring semester and was immediately on board. I’ve been wanting to get into research, so when this opportunity came about I just couldn’t ignore it. This is a once in a lifetime experience, and I can’t wait to get started! I anticipate coming home from Ecuador as a better critical thinker, problem solver, and team-player. This trip will not only strengthen us as students but also teach us other important qualities such as humility, compassion, and understanding. 

Located in the Pacific Ocean, about 620 miles off the coast of Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands are a place where nature reigns supreme. This archipelago, consisting of 19 breathtaking islands and numerous islets, boasts a unique ecosystem that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Each island is a testament to the ongoing forces of creation and transformation, offering a living laboratory for biologists, environmentalists, and nature enthusiasts alike. Six undergraduate students from Baylor will be embarking on a 30-day trip to these islands, participating in important research and unforgettable adventures.  This blog will help students reflect on and record their experiences, and will be updated regularly throughout the trip. We will land in Ecuador on July 9th, and we can't wait to share!