Earthwatch Institute

Name: Andrea Morgan Region and Resource Specialization: The Americas and Natural resources (with special emphasis on food and agroecology), and their relationship to socio-political movement, action, and change. International Experience: Volunteer work, Earthwatch Institute, Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies) Language Program and Volunteering, The Language Travel Company and Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF), Peru Year and Length of Placement: Trinidad: one month, summer 2007 – Peru: 2 months, this summer!!!! Description: The Earthwatch Institute is a large, international non-profit edicated to supporting scientists who are researching and solving environmental problems. While in Trinidad I helped a small community-run Leatherback Sea Turtle conservation organization. I was out on the field every night for two weeks collecting data on nesting female sea turtles and new hatchlings. The data collected is part of an international effort to track, protect, and learn about this highly threatened species. Plus, I have been obsessed with turtles my whole life, so this was an amazing spiritual experience. In addition to the volunteer work, I was able to integrate into a small, rural, impoverished community and learn a lot about the ecology and people in the area. I learned a lot about pre and post-modern slave-society culture and Trini history. Also, I took this as an opportunity to critically analyze eco-tourism, as it was a major source of funding for this program; I was able to apply many of my experiences with eco-tourism to theories and ideas I have learned and conceptualized regarding racial and gender dynamics as well as and power structures, politics, cultural practices and environmental sustainability, education etc. This was a powerful and educational experience, I would recommend Earthwatch to anyone. I am traveling to Peru this summer for two months to do a language immersion program and WWOOF my way around South America….to be continued. Recommended Organizations: Local: Friends of the UBC Farm, student club dedicated to saving and getting people involved with the UBC Farm – email: savetheubcfarm@gmail.com Student Environment Centre (SEC), a resource group that can connect you to any environmental organization in Vancouver – email: http://www.ams.ubc.ca/student_life/resource_groups/sec/ International: Earthwatch Institute: www.earthwatch.org Women for Women International: http://www.womenforwomen.org/ Photos: (top) Andrea Morgan with Earthwatch Institute with a fully grown adult female sea turtle. (bottom) Andrea Morgan holding a Hawksbill hatchling in one hand and a Leatherback in another.