Weekly Log
September 13th- Team Meeting- assigned to conduct some research on the
tourism industry on San Cristobal Island as well as to find some
general information about the Galapagos.
September 17th- Found some information on the tourism industry on San
Cristobal Island. It was pretty interesting, especially the information
that many of the inhabitants of the island want to make as much profit
from the industry as possible without care for the environment.
September 20th- Team Meeting- Shared the research we did. Realized that
sharing information each class was not the best use of time. Decided to
just add info to personal websites for each other to read. Split the
team up into two research groups- environmental and social aspects of
the Galapagos. I was assigned to research the social aspects.
September 27th- Team Meeting- Subdivided further into smaller research
groups to contribute to group website. I was assigned with Paul to
begin research about the eco-village.
September 29th- Did research on the tourism industry in the Galapagos.
Learned more about the attitudes of the native Gapalagos population
toward the environment they live in. Realized that it would be
extremely difficult to get the natives to agree to be a part of an
"ideal" environmentally friendly village.
October 1st- Website skeleton due. Worked on setting up the eco-village
part of the website.
October 4th- Went to Hayden and rented out Ecotourism and Sustainable Development:
Who Owns Paradise? Read the section on the Galapagos Islands.
The book rated a bunch of places where ecotourism is popular and rated
each area on the successfulness and environmental friendliness of the
tourism industry. Learned some of the problems with Galapagos
ecotourism. However, realized that ecotourism is something that is very
valuable in spreading ideology of conservation, and should not be
discontinued if possible.
October 11th-Team meeting. Decided that the small group research may
not be working out. Decided to just meet as big groups and research
everything that needed to be researched together. Made a list of
possible topics to research.
October 14th- Researched alternate energy sources for the Galapagos
that may be used in the ecovillage.
October 17th- Did some more research on alternate energy sources.
Realized wind power may not be a good idea to use in the Galapagos.
Learned about biomass energy generation (getting energy from organic
and inorganic waste).
October 19th- Began to research education on the Galapagos (both
environmental education and formal education).
October 23rd- Did more research on education in the Galapagos. Learned
that, despite a large number of environmental education programs on the
islands, there is only a small portion of the population participating
in them. There are an extreme lack of programs targeted toward adults
(who are causing most of the problems anyway), and there is not too
much emphasis on formal education, which is just as important as
environmental education.
October 29th- Researched aquaculture methods and whether they could be
implemented around the Galapagos Islands.
November 5th- Finalized all of my research and sent it in to the team
website to be added.
November 10th- Decided on a class structure for the rest of the
semester. Divided class by the three parts of our mission. Six people
for website design, and six more to coordinate the presentation.
November 12th- We are now divided into our new groups. I am in the
village group.