Last summer, we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel to an ecological reserve and wildlife sanctuary in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest in Peru with help from the Poole Grant. Since we share an interest in conservation and environmental studies, we chose to spend a week rehabilitating animals and helping the ongoing efforts of rainforest conservation.

      Each day, we would wake up in the early hours and head into the forest to do maintenance work on the reserve’s trail network or conduct a bird census on one of South America’s tallest tree canopy lookouts. Following breakfast, we would aid the resident veterinary staff in feeding and caring for the animals in the rehabilitation center. We would eat lunch in the dining room and take an afternoon siesta before returning to various tasks involving collecting fruits for the animals, upkeep on facilities, and trail camera data analysis in the afternoon. Twice a week, we would gather data on the ongoing Taricaya turtle research project, which included sanitizing the turtle tanks and measuring the lengths of 1,200 turtles. After dinner, the staff and volunteers would play card games and watch soccer matches before heading to bed in the bungalows.

      Along with gaining hands-on experience with animal rehabilitation and rainforest conservation, we found the most meaningful aspect of our trip was the relationships that we built with the other volunteers and staff based on our common interest in environmental awareness. Though we all came from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, we all connected and became a part of something much bigger than ourselves. One challenge was overcoming the language barrier between the staff and the volunteers, but this proved to be one of the most empowering aspects as we found success in communicating to reach a common goal. This trip made us step out of our comfort zones and expanded our horizons to the vast world that exists beyond Taft.

___________________

Established in memory of Robert Keyes Poole ’50, Taft teacher from 1956 to 1962, Robert Keyes Poole ’50 Fellowships are awarded each year to enable Taft students to engage in travel or in projects consistent with Mr. Poole’s lifetime interest in wildlife and the environment.