Indonesia – Seeing a family of Macaques

Written by Alexandra Barnetson

Photos courtesy of Dr Nancy Priston

Operation Wallacea 2018 has been the most amazing, life changing experience I have ever had, it has given me so many life skills that I am so excited to take from this trip and apply to my life in the future. I have learned so much about conservation, ecology, native flora and fauna and culture that I never would have learned about without going on this trip. It is honestly a once in a lifetime experience that I will treasure and lookback on all throughout my life, and I feel so honored and grateful to Operation Wallacea for giving me this opportunity that I am so lucky to have. I am also so honored and grateful to the team that has taken me on this amazing and unique journey. They have all taught me so much about ecology, conservation and also about the different ways I can apply what I have learned to create future pathways into the field of ecology and conservation, which I am extremely excited for.

So far, I have many highlights from the trip, too many to count, but if I had to choose one it would be seeing a family of Macaques on the mega fauna survey, it was honestly such a special moment and something you don’t see every day. I must say they are very intriguing creatures that I would love to know more about, who knows maybe I will become a Primatologist when I leave school! I have loved every single survey I have done, I have learned so much from such knowledgeable people and I really do feel so blessed to be able to learn from such amazing and accomplished people.

This camp has such a strong sense of community surrounding it. It feels, to me, like a huge family, and again I feel so honored to be apart of it. It makes the experience that much more personal and unforgettable. Thank you to everyone for making this experience the most incredible experience of my life, it has honestly opened my eyes to endless possibilities of my future and the future of conservation and how we can all do our part to make the world a better and more harmonious place for everyone.