It was the final project I had to do for my bachelor’s degree. 

I ventured on a research trip to Honduras.  The intent was to spend several weeks in the bosco nano, cloud forest, in Cusco national park.  I would be assessing the diversity of flora and fauna with a focus on carbon banks.  During part of that time I stayed with the family of Maria Meja, a local coffee farmer.  I valued the experience of seeing how this very small rural town operated.  They had limited resources and the impact of the modern world was evident. 

The second half of this trip was to spend several weeks studying coral reef ecology on the island of Utila.  Spending the days scuba diving I was able to observe the biodiversity of the coral reefs.  We were able to see and assess the impact of climate change not only on the reef but the community.  The small island community was dependent on the reef regarding fishing, tourism, and the well-being of their living environment.

The value of being engulfed in these communities was valuable.  It gave me the insight to see the relationship of people and their environment.  It strengthened my value of wellness and how communities can be affected in various ways. 

On a further note our exit of Utila was a bit dramatic as we were evacuated due to a severe hurricane.  I could not help to think about the people that would be out of water, food, electricity out for days, the damage to the reef.  The fact that the island only had one doctor, Dr. Bob who practiced from his bungalow and was always in flip flops.  I was able to check back weeks later and the island seemed to be only mildly affected and avoided traumatic disaster.