Galapagos Blog – pre-departure lecture
First week lectures on Charles Darwin, evolution, and the natural, geological, and human histories of the Galapagos set the stage for our trip.
Larissa Williams and our students discussing evolution and natural selection.
Our class has been meeting for the last two days to prepare for our upcoming travels to the Galapagos. On Tuesday I lectured on Darwin’s adventures, the Galapagos, and natural selection. Today I covered the geology and oceanography of the area. We will be covering material about the animal inhabitants above and below the water tomorrow and finish out the week with a discussion about the human history of the archipelago. Students have been assigned seven (Galapagonian) organisms and they will be creating a field guide and powerpoint presentation on those animals for Friday. Monday at 3:30am we push off from Lewiston en route to Guyaquil, Ecuador. Stayed tuned for our plane, automobile, and boat adventures to come!
(Contributor: Larissa Williams; photo: Greg Anderson)