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The Island of Hawai'i
The Island of Hawai'i
As a Global Pathways experience, about 20 of my global peers went on a trip to Kailua-Kona on the main island of Hawai'i in 2022. This trip was run by the Rustic Pathway company and they handled the setup and planning of our trip. On this trip, I learned about the oppression and challenges that the indigenous people of Hawai'i face and became more mindful of my actions throughout our visit to the island. I tried to make my footprint on the island as small as I could in any way possible, such as tracking the chemicals used in my sunscreen to make sure it did not harm the reefs, being responsible with my water usage, and trying to reuse as much as I could. The islands are facing a crisis right now because the tourism industry and giant resorts are destroying the reefs and gentrifying communities, pushing indigenous Hawai'ians out of places they have lived for generations. To reduce our contribution to this issue we stayed at Pineapple Park Hostel and shopped at local businesses instead of giant corporations. During this trip, I learned about a culture that has been repeatedly pushed aside and neglected because of greed and colonization. I learned how big businesses are destroying the natural beauty of the islands and their people, and I was confronted by my own contribution to this destruction. Too often people are hidden from the truth in order to live in convenience and comfort. I think if more people were exposed to the consequences of their luxuries they would be more mindful and conscious of where they put their money into.
Baja California del Sur
Baja California del Sur
The next year in 2023, I was fortunate enough to go on a second school-sanctioned trip to Baja California del Sur, Mexico. On this trip with my peers, we stayed in the city of La Paz in Ecology Project International's (EPI) sustainable campus. EPI is an organization that organizes and chaperones trips at its many campuses around the world. At this campus, we learned about the local wildlife and ecosystem that is unique to Baja California del Sur and we learned how the campus uses methods to stay environmentally sustainable. We went into the city and shopped at local stores and street vendors in La Paz. This experience showed me how important it is to stay environmentally conscious and how to travel while still being respectful of the culture and city around me. It is important not to be an intrusive tourist who has no regard for the culture and environment around them. In the future, the goal of my trips is to immerse myself in the culture of a place as much as I can and to avoid big commercial hotels and resorts. Instead, hostels that are run by people who care and are a part of the community are much more positive and sustainable places to stay.
Service in Hawai'i
Service in Hawai'i
During my trip to Hawai'i, we spent time at Hue Hue Ranch, a piece of the Akahiao Nature Institute, to assist them in making a self-sustaining garden. The first day was spent exploring the land the ranch sits on, learning its history, and removing dead shrubbery from the garden. The next day we laid fertilizer over the area and dug holes for the plants to be placed. After this, we had a traditional Hawai'ian dinner and got a chance to hear about the history of the island from a native oral historian, named Mikaela. She told us the stories of Hawai'ian gods and their religion. She also talked to us about her experience being a part of a native Hawai'ian tribe and how that has influenced her.
Isla Espiritu Santo
Isla Espiritu Santo
We took a boat to an island in the Gulf of California, and for three days out of the week-long trip, we camped on the beach. During this time we were taught by our EPI chaperones about the environment of the island and how the different organisms work together in a fragile dance that constructs the stunning ecosystem. We each had to come up with an ecology research project that centered around an aspect of the environment of the island. People chose to study the vultures that circled the skies during the day, the hot desert climate, the invasive goats that cross the valley in the mornings, or the color of the dirt. I chose to study the shapes of hermit crab shells and found that smaller hermit crabs are more likely to have smoother rounder shells in comparison to large hermit crabs which more often have rough cone-shaped shells. The experience on the island was fascinating and increased my love for wildlife and the natural world.
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