Marine Biology Partner Announced for the Ecuador Teen & Family Retreats!

28 Mar Marine Biology Partner Announced for the Ecuador Teen & Family Retreats!

Este año vamos a tener charlas con la Pacific Whale Foundation y Palo Santo Travel pana bus con las ballenas y conocer las historia de las ballenas y la communidad de Puerto Lopez.

During the 2015 Ecuador – Marine Biology & Culture-10 Day Family Retreat & the Surfing & Marine Biology-12 Day Teen Mini- Learning Community  participants will be partnering with the Pacific Whale Foundation – Ecuador under the supervision and guidance of Dr. Cristina Castro. Pacific Whale Foundation‘s mission is to protect our oceans through science and advocacy.  Dr.  Castro will providing education about the work they do in Ecuador as part of  the Pacific Whale Foundation research team.

During the  Marine Biology & Culture-10 Day Family Retreat Dr. Castro and her team will give a hands on 2 hour presentation to the children and families  sharing  vital information about the migrating whales and the team’s scientific and conservation work in Ecuador.

During the Teen Surfing & Marine Biology-12 Day Learning Community, Project World School‘s involvement with Dr. Castro will go deeper. Our teens will spend one full day at the research center diving into, learning about and assisting their scientific research.

We also have a very important hands-on  project lined up for our teen volunteers. Dr. Castro and her team recently acquired two whale skeletal remains. The Project World School teen community will assist Dr. Castro’s team with cleaning and reassembling the skeleton to be used for future educational purposes. This will require teamwork, concentration and skilled hands from the Project World School teen community.

The teen community will spend a second day with Dr. Castro and her team on a research boat (the first of the season!) observing the Ecuadorian coast, searching for the first signs of migrating whales. The Project World School team will help document the whales through photographs and videos from the research boat to be identified and cataloged later. Not only does this mark the pre 2015 “whale watching” season for tourists, it marks the commencement of  scientistic research for the Pacific Whale Foundation – Ecuador team for 2015. Project World School is honored and excited to be a part of this very important research!

THE PACIFIC WHALE FOUNDATION- ECUADOR SEEKS USED ITEMS FOR DONATION. DO YOU HAVE ANY OF THESE ITEMS TO DONATE? 

Cristina Paola Castro A., Ph.D., B.A.

Research Director, Ecuador Research Program

Cristina received her B.A. degree in Biology and Chemistry in the Central University of Ecuador in 1996, and was granted a doctorate in Biology from the Central University of Ecuador in 2001. Her research interests are in management and conservation of marine mammals in Ecuador.

Since 1997 her studies have focused on the breeding grounds of humpback whales in the Machalilla National Park, Ecuador. Cristina has also directed programs of marine mammal environmental education programs, written books on environmental education for indigenous children living in the Ecuadorian jungle and coast.