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A week in the rainforest is something I had never envisioned for myself with 7 days of sweltering heat and mosquitos. The contrast of my life back home was extremely prominent, however it made me appreciate the simpler things in life such as eating meals together and a flushing toilet.

Each day I would wake up in a tent with my friends and prepare for the day ahead. We would walk down transects and collect any data relevant to the survey, chatting with the onsite scientists as we walked. They were honestly some of the best people I have met with their love for animals and wildlife driving their passion and kind personalities. The data collected is used to understand animal behaviour and abundance for research and conservation, saving endangered species from climate change and human activities.

 

 

Throughout my week in Calakmul, I saw a variety of animals ranging from a toucan, to a terrapin, to a coral snake. Even though by the end of the week we were covered in mosquito bites, this once in a lifetime opportunity allowed me to better experience my life fully and widen my horizons.

As well as doing surveys in the forest, we had to deal with obstacles along the way e.g. evacuating during a hurricane and dealing with a flooded tent. This in hindsight made us more independent and helped build up our resilience and problem-solving skills. Overall, I am very grateful for this experience and being a part of the unforgettable Operation Wallacea.

 

Title photo by Alex Tozer

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Wallace House, Old Bolingbroke, Spilsby, Lincolnshire PE23 4EX, UK
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