Insetting vs. Offsetting Greenhouse Gas Emissions

It's no doubt that studying abroad is a fantastic opportunity for cultural immersion and to learn new skills in a new location while making new friends. But we now know the detrimental effects our travel has on the planet so as conscientious travelers, what can we do about it so that we can continue to learn abroad without contributing or at least, drastically lessening, our travel's negative impact on the planet?

"2020 and 2021 have seen an increase in climate change-related disasters; climate change is real, is here, and it affects all communities, affluent and low-income alike."

IOI's Director of Operations and International Partnerships, Daniel Ponce Taylor, explores this question in his recent blog for Gap Year Association.

"Students that participate in gap year programs can emit more CO2 than some of the communities in which they engage emit in an entire year. There is no way around the fact that our field activities emit a lot of carbon when traveling to remote locations. As an industry, we must do something about that!"

Read more about what he has to say about the topic here:

https://www.gapyearassociation.org/2021/10/26/insetting-vs-offsetting-greenhouse-gas-emissions/

Regenerative Agriculture Study Abroad

IOI's Strategic Partnership Advisor, Daniel Ponce Taylor, ponders what "regeneration" means today, as we slowly move forward with a new version of "normal."

At IOI, one way that we're "regenerating study abroad" is by using our regenerative agriculture project to not only teach students about its techniques and benefits but to also counterbalance the impact that study abroad travel has on the planet.

Ready to join the regenerative revolution?

Check out the article to learn more.

Global Competency Certificate: A spotlight on one of IOI's online courses

New research validates the use of the AFS Global Corporate Certificate on short term international programs

A recent study from Purdue University has revealed that adding the AFS Global Competency Certificate (GCC), a course that IOI offers as part of our online add on options, to short term study abroad and international experiential education opportunities has an astonishing effect in the participant's Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), a widely used instrument of intercultural competency measurement.

The GCC is an 18-module video-based digital learning aid to developing intercultural competence. Combining video-based modules with facilitated reflection and discussion sessions, this course helps students move beyond their comfort zones and start to see common features across different cultures as well as different ways of thinking or behaving. The GCC course has recently been updated to take into account not only global cultural differences but an in-country perspective to help gain cultural awareness closer to home.

““I have seen this course develop and improve throughout the years. The combination of top-class videos and resources, with guided reflection sessions makes this a very effective tool for educators. I have seen how impactful this course can be on students, and now we have data to prove this! As a trained GCC facilitator I always encourage our partner institutions and our individual participants and volunteers to consider adding this course prior to their international educational component””

— Daniel Ponce Taylor, Director of Operations and International Partnerships at IOI.

As part of our commitment to offering impactful experiential education opportunities in Cuba and the Galapagos, IOI promotes the AFS GCC as part of our pre-trip tools, and when discussing faculty-led and study abroad programs, we suggest this course when the institution does not offer a similar course to their students. “Study abroad and internationalization programs at universities are often designed on the assumption that participants learn simply through reading about culture or by coming into contact with the new and different people and situations,” said Linda Stuart, Head of Global Competence at AFS Intercultural Programs. “Research has concluded otherwise – that global competence, the capacity to communicate, collaborate and lead effectively across differences, is developed through intentional, facilitated learning.”

IOI offers several online courses and we encourage you to consider these as options prior to your trip with us or during these next weeks whilst we spend lots of time at home!

Quick Tips from IOI's EcoGarden

A big “thank you” to social media volunteer, Stefan Ascherl for these tips and photos!

As spring ends in the southern hemisphere, and approaches in the northern hemisphere, we'd love to share some quick gardening tips from our EcoGarden in Isabela Island, Galapagos. This garden, right outside of our IOI office, is used as a model for our urban farming program and for hands on activities/learning for children and adults!

What is an EcoGarden? It's gardening with the environment in mind - gardening sustainabily and with native plants. Interested in gardening, farming, and agriculture? Check out our sustainable farming and urban agriculture volunteer program!

Empty egg boxes are the perfect base for growing young plants!

Flowers are always appreciated, so we give them some space in our garden between all the green vegetables to give our garden a pop of color!

Although we don't encourage using single-use-coffee-cups, if there are any around, then use them to grow young plants like we do!

You can upcycle empty plastic bottles to grow plants in them. Just cut them in half and color them up!

Stay tuned TO our social media for your chance to win an IOI t-shirt with quick quizzes from our garden!

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Volunteering with IOI in Galapagos: All ages welcome!

By: Michelle Warble

Volunteering with IOI in Galapagos: All ages welcome!

I was apprehensive about the IOI Galapagos volunteer program when I signed up. I knew I wanted to go somewhere and do my small part to make the world better than I found it. However, I thought that most of the people I would be volunteering with would be teenagers. As someone in their 40s, I didn’t know if I would be able to connect at all with anyone. I’m happy to say that I was very wrong. There are volunteers here from all parts of the world and of all ages. Love of travel and wanting to volunteer give us all common ground. I think the youngest volunteer to work in the program was 18 and the oldest was in their 70s. There are several different areas of volunteering. Here is more information on 3 of the 6 programs we offer in Galapagos. Stay tuned for more information on our other 3 programs!

Giant Tortoise Center

Activity Level: Medium to Difficult (walking, lifting, outdoor cleaning). Work can always be tailored to individual needs.

Dress Code: Long sleeves on feeding days, modest casual on other days (no spaghetti straps or short shorts).

More information: The tortoise center has the maximum level of activity. Each day, you walk 2 miles to the center and then spend the morning feeding the tortoises or cleaning their pens. You must be able to walk 7 km (4 miles) per day and be physically active for 4-5 hours. Most of your work will be in the shade, but some of the walking trail will be in the sun. Hours of work are to depart at 7:15 a.m. (it is a 30 minute walk) on feeding days, and 8 a.m. on non-feeding days. These volunteers typically arrive back to Isabela at 12:30 p.m. For the tortoise center, you walk on a path that takes you by ponds sometimes filled with pink flamingos, ducks and iguanas. Most of this path is shaded by mangrove trees.

Helpful hints: On feeding days, wear long sleeves that can get dirty and may be stained from the food. Other days, short-sleeved shirts are ok. You will be interacting with tourists, so make sure to dress in a somewhat modest fashion (no tank tops or spaghetti straps). Sleeveless tops are ok.

A nesting turtle returning to the ocean after laying eggs.

Turtle Nest Monitoring

Activity Level: Medium (only walking, no lifting)

Dress Code: Modest Casual

More information: Turtle nest monitoring isn’t as strenuous as the tortoise center, but does require walking 18 km (11 miles) per day, sometimes in the morning sun. This is also sometimes at high tide, where you are walking in very wet sand. It also requires a different schedule with an early morning shift (usually 6 a.m.) and a night shift that can start any time from 6 p.m.-10 p.m.

Helpful Hints: Dinner is something to plan ahead of time, since the hours differ from the other volunteers. You will be walking in the water at times, so plan to wear shorts or quick-dry trousers. You will also need a full water bottle for the watch, since it is very humid and you might be sweating a lot. For the turtle monitoring, you walk along the beach with the sounds of the ocean waves and sea birds. In the morning, you can watch the sun rise and at night, you can see the stars of the Milky Way.

Social Media

Activity Level: Low to Difficult-As much or little as you would like! The activity level can be relatively low, so this would be a good choice for someone who is looking for volunteer work that is not as physical.

Dress Code: Casual (No short shorts or spaghetti strap tops) The social media team spends their days walking around the area, taking photos, writing blogs, interviewing community members and other volunteers, and attending local events!

Helpful hints: As a social media volunteer, you can do any or all of the above to document the experience. In addition, you are encouraged to participate in other activities to document the experience. This can range from culinary adventures to fun after volunteering activities - like snorkeling, hiking or bike riding!

We hope this inside scoop on our programs (from the eyes of a volunteer) are helpful and we look forward to sharing more! Please be sure to reach out with any questions or hesitations you may have. We'd love your help in Galapagos!

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Fall Break stories and adventures

ITINERARY 1: CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN

By Claire Griffin, Study Abroad Student Fall 2019

As all 12 of us piled into the small vessel responsible for transporting us across the rough seas of the archipelago, we waved goodbye to our Isabela for the week. It did not take long to start missing our little town, especially in the comparatively huge and modern metropolises awaiting us in Santa Cruz and San Cristobal. We constantly joked about our case of micro-culture shock: “Are these roads ALL paved? Is that a multi-story building? Oh god A SUSHI RESTAURANT?!? We’re in Las Vegas!”

Our first 4 days of the journey took place in San Cristobal. Disoriented by the deceptively complex street layout (to be fair, anything more extensive than Isabela’s one main road feels complex these days) and a dwindling internet connection, we immediately got lost searching for our hostel. After moaning, groaning, and sweating under the weight of our bags, we finally arrived to our little slice of home at the hostal de Consuelos Gil. Unbeknownst to us, the Gils who owned the cozy casa were of the very same tree as the Gils in Isabela, whose members house a number of IOI students; as a result, we were practically staying with family! The following days were filled with souvenir shopping, exploring, and lots and lots of delicious food. One of our excursions included a beautiful drive through Cristobal’s highlands, with stops at a volcano crater and a tortoise breeding center, and ended at a pristine little beach (“Puerto Chino”) on the opposite side of the island. Even more exciting about San Cristobal was that we had the opportunity to meet up with other University of Miami students studying biology abroad at the island’s college (ran by University of Quito). It was great being shown around by a few familiar faces!

We spent one day in Cristobal scuba diving at Kicker Rock, also known as “The Sleeping Lion” in Spanish, with a great company called Gustavo’s Fishing Adventures. The topography of Kicker Rock was impressive alone, but the rich diversity of marine life complementing the rock’s elaborate underwater walls left us all in awe. Huge bait balls, hammerheads, barracuda, Galapagos sharks, manta rays, and more. The dive crew took great care of us both under and above-water (is there anything better than Oreos post-dive?), even adding an extra stop on a small remote island where a naturalist crewmember showed us around and told us about the local flora and fauna.

After our time in Cristobal, we headed to Santa Cruz for three days. We quickly discovered a new favorite spot on the island, the Santa Cruz Brewery, whose variety of house-made brews, board games, and amazing fajitas kept us coming night after night. When our group wasn’t dining or shopping, we were diving the amazing sites around Santa Cruz, including North Seymour and Gordon Rocks. Some only did one of the sites, some did both, but all had an amazing time. The most memorable moment in my dive experience was what we deemed “underwater rock climbing” at Gordon Rocks, and it looked exactly as it sounds. The undercurrent was so strong that day that we all had to tightly grip onto the site’s rocky wall to stay together, especially when we moved locations. The result was an activity akin to scaling a rocky cliff - if that rocky cliff were surrounded by fish, turtles, and the occasional shark!

Break ended with a cheerful and much-needed return to Isabela. While the week was full of adventures we’ll remember forever, we all agreed that none of the other islands compared to our very own “Queen Izzy” and its charming town, Puerto Villamil.

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ITINERARY 2-5: TALES FROM A LIVE ABOARD, FAMILY IN GALAPAGOS

Kaylie Anne Costa

“Welcome aboard the Galapagos Master! During fall break I stayed on a diving liveaboard exploring the Galapagos archipelago. We began our journey in San Cristobal. Two amazing dives at Baltra and a land visit to Seymour island where we saw frigates, boobies, land iguanas, and much more started the trip off with a bang. Then we headed to Darwin and Wolfe Islands, home to the largest shark biomass in the world. From endemic tiny nudibranchs, to schools of hammerheads, to safety stops with whale sharks, these two islands were more than a dream come true. …Oh and we also saw a pod of orcas. So cool! Next we sailed to the north end of Isabela island to Punta Vicenta Roca. We descended about 100 feet into dark, murky water and waited patiently. All of a sudden out of the dark blue emerged a mola. It came towards us and swam above us, right through our bubbles. That very same day we dove with the world famous marine iguanas of the Galapagos. The males dive down about 15ft and munch on the nutritious green benthic algae. We finished the trip with two more beautiful dives near Santa Cruz Island, then I raced the clock to make it onto the ferry to return in time for school the next day on Isabela. Best week ever!”

Meagan Ando

“During my fall break, I sailed for 7 days on the Reina Silvia liveaboard across the western route of the Galápagos Islands with my parents, who flew down from Jacksonville FL. We sailed from Santa Cruz to Floreana island, where we snorkeled, visited post office bay, and hiked up to the highlands. From there we travelled to Punta Moreno and Elizabeth Bay on the western side of Isabela Island, where we snorkeled with marine penguins. We visited Fernandina Island, where we spotted two Mola-mola, 2 Brydes whales, and got to snorkel with marine iguanas! We then travelled around the northern part of Isabela island and around to Santiago, crossing the equator twice. In Santiago, we hiked through a Frigate bird nesting site and a sea lion nursery and even got to snorkel with White tip sharks!! Then, my family visited my host family in Puerto Villamil and stayed for 2 days, in which we biked to the Wall of Tears and walked to the Tortoise Breeding Center!”

Max Braun

“For my fall break, I met my parents on San Cristobal to get on a liveaboard for a tour around the eastern islands of the Galápagos. We went to Española, Floreana, Santa Cruz, Santiago, and Genevesa. Some of the highlights of the trip involved diving in Floreana and Santa Cruz, seeing nesting albatrosses in Española, and seeing all three species of native boobies (Blue Footed, Red Footed, and Nazca) plus the rare Galapagos Short Eared Owl on Genevesa. It was a great way to see the eastern islands of the archipelago, and I was glad that my parents got to enjoy this special place with me.”

Agatha Freedburg

“For fall break, my parents came to visit me. I met them on Santa Cruz on Monday the 21st. The next morning we hiked to a place called Las Grietas, a picturesque ravine that you could snorkel in. I saw huge parrotfish and a moray eel! In the afternoon, we went to El Chato to walk through a 400 meter long lava tunnel and collapsed craters. Also while in Santa Cruz, we hiked the trail to Tortuga Bay and explored more of Puerto Ayora. After a few days there we returned to Isabela, where I introduced my parents to my host family, which was super cute! Later that same evening, we went to Sam’s restaurant for dinner with a couple friends, then to Uku Lounge for live music. On their last full day in the Galapagos, I took my parents along the boardwalk to the tortoise breeding center, then gave them a tour of Puerto Villamil. Later we met up with the entire group, most of whom had just returned from their fall break in Santa Cruz, at our favorite beachside bar.

My favorite part of fall break was when we went to North Seymour Island and saw many frigates, iguanas, boobies, lava lizards, and sea lions. We found booby nests and even saw part of the booby mating dance.”

We're back!

By Claire Griffin, Study Abroad Student Fall 2019

Welcome back to IOI’s blog!

Pardon the hiatus in posts; our group is just coming back from a jam-packed fall break, during which my internet connection went from abysmal to nonexistent. But we’re back and better than ever!

Picking up from where we left off, our class with Dr. Drennan ended with some amazing field trips and a number of interesting projects. We spent several days surveying the popular snorkel spot Concha de Perla, using waterproof data tables to document species diversity within the estuary.

We later embarked on a day long boat ride to the remote and beautiful western side of Isabela, where the wildlife was like nothing we had ever seen. Right off the bat, we had the rare and fantastic chance to see Galapagos’ wild orcas. The duo gave us a fantastic show, hunting and breaching amidst a huge flock of birds, and to our delight even came right under the boat to check out the 16 squealing humans on its bow. While topping orcas is near impossible, the day progressed with a number of other magical encounters: Galapagos penguins, flightless cormorants, pelicans, blue footed boobies, frigates, albatross, sea turtles, sea lions, iguanas, and even an elusive Bryde’s Whale!

Also within these past two weeks: the 10th anniversary of IOI’s inception! We celebrated with an all-day fiesta in the highlands, inviting the whole community out to enjoy all varieties of food, artisan goods, games, competitions, farmers markets, live music, and tournaments in soccer and volleyball. Most exciting, however, was the launch of a novel local agricultural program called “Maria Rosa.” This groundbreaking program creates a network for local farmers, referred to as “Red de Producción y Consumo Local,” to market their goods to local restaurants and businesses, and in addition provides courses on sustainable farming practices. Maria Rosa thus aims to be an emblem of local production and sustainability paving a bright future for Isabela and the community.

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The course finished with individual presentations on 16 endemic species here in the Galapagos. Each student conducted extensive research on their chosen species and presented on its geographic and ancestral origins, its speciation within the Galapagos, and its potential adaptations to and/or risks faced during periodic El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. I chose the Galapagos sea lion, and despite a heavy workload I genuinely enjoyed learning about the history and ecology of this charismatic species. Other project topics included everything from ferns to owls to iguanas, and everyone had a great time presenting on their chosen species!

After a tear-filled farewell to Dr. Drennan, we all set out on our various adventures. 12 of us stuck together to explore the other two main islands (San Cristobal and Santa Cruz), while the other 4 reunited with family members visiting from the US to then set off on their own expeditions, several embarking on weeklong cruises that explored the entire archipelago. Check out my next post (that’s right, you’ll be getting TWO in ONE WEEK!) to read student testimonials from both the 12-person trip and each of the individual trips. We’ll explore the myriad of adventures that Galapagos has to offer, and hopefully provide some insight for future Miami students and IOI participants planning their own excursions!

 Until next time,

Claire Griffin

Birthday Celebration, Start of a New Class, and Isabela Experiences!

By Claire Griffin, Study Abroad Student Fall 2019

Hello all!

Where did I leave off last? I believe it was Thursday’s stunning snorkel fieldtrip to Isla Tortuga. The island itself was a marvel: layers of stone jutting out of the sea in beautiful twists and folds, dotted with iguanas and all types of seabirds. Waves of bright blue water sprayed through its caves and blasted against its cliffs, while below the surface huge schools of fish darted among a city of corals, craters, and clefts.

Over the weekend I was lucky to celebrate my birthday here in paradise, surrounded by close friends both new and old. I could not express my utter joy and appreciation in words as what felt like the entire island cheered for me at the stroke of midnight while out on Friday. I spent the first day of my 22nd year learning to surf, snoozing on the beach, hunting down the best pizza on the island, and spending time with my host family.

As an additional birthday delight, BisCaydence (the University of Miami a cappella choir I’ve been in for a years) released its first professional album, “Blue Horizon,” on Spotify Friday. The group, which I consider to be a second family (or third now, when including my beloved hosts here in Isabela), is undoubtedly what I miss most from Miami; as such, the music has become my go-to homesickness remedy.

To everyone’s great excitement, the beginning of this week marked the start of our course with Dr. William Drennan. Touching on everything from climate to geography to botany to governance, Drennan’s course encourages us all to engage in thoughtful discussion and be more mindful of the world around us.

Tuesday involved a long, green bike ride from the base of Sierra Negra volcano (which we will be hiking up later on in the program) back to town, with stops along the way to observe transitions between different climate zones and their associated plant life. Drennan noted that it’s getting more and more difficult to differentiate the distinct subzones within the highlands (grouped together as the “Humid Zone”) as the invasive species introduced for agricultural purposes further their reach. Still, the rich vegetation and stunning views made the long and arduous bike ride worth it!

Until next time, Claire Griffin

Life as a Study Abroad Student

Another week in Galapagos has come and gone in the blink of an eye. Our classes with Dr. Olson have included lots of nature walks led by our guide Alfredo, complete with salinity profiles and birdwatching (two of the professor’s favorite pastimes).

Almost every day after lecture, our entire class will head to the beach for an afternoon of relaxation and various games. If you ask me, life’s simplest pleasures require only a ball, a beach, maybe a sunset, and a group to enjoy it all with.

Students spent a sunny weekend with their families and together at the popular surfer spot El Faro. It was a delight watching the locals shred alongside IOI’s very own surfer extraordinaire, Rachel Sandquist. My favorite moment of the day had to be when UGalapagos student Karen Slattery, under Rachel’s encouragement, got up on her first wave. Shoutout to Josh Zahner for capturing that scene perfectly, as seen in the picture below.

(Left: Karen Slattery, happily atop her first wave. Right: Proud teacher Rachel Sandquist pumping her fists)

On Monday we celebrated the 22nd birthday of UGalapagos student Kate Cordero with cake and a visit to the nearby tortoise conservation center! After cooing over the abundance of these adorable baby tortoises at the facility, students walked back to IOI through lush green forests and mangrove ponds dotted with bright-pink flamingos and slumbering ducks.

Looking forward to our big snorkel tomorrow at Isla Tortuga!

Thanks for reading! Until our next adventure,

Claire Griffin

Photo Creds: Claire Griffin

Weekends as a study abroad student

After a Thursday and Friday spent toiling on final projects for Social Ecology, students made the most of their second free weekend in Isabela; highlights included all varieties of water sports, intense tournaments of ultimate frisbee, hiking in the highlands, and continued exploration of our beautiful home in Puerto Villamil.

On Saturday morning, UGalapagos participated in an archipelago-wide cleanup: locals and IOI volunteers united, fanning out across the island and surrounding waters to collect all forms of pollution and debris. By the end of the day, Isabela teams had collected over 448 kg of trash!

Me and my “mom” Ruth!

Every Sunday is “family day” for study abroad students, who take time out of their week to bond with the beloved host families of IOI. This past Sunday I was lucky to spend the day with my “madre” Ruth Gomez and her extended family up in the highlands.

We hiked the beautiful Sierra Negra volcano in the morning then explored the picturesque “Equine Camp” in the afternoon.

It’s hard to decide what I enjoyed most: seeing faces young and old light up with joy when everyone took turns riding horseback, embracing what I like to call my “inner-Eliza-Thornberry” whilst bonding with the five dogs and dozen horses that call the Camp home, or learning all types of new card games with nothing more than laughably basic Spanish, a series of hand movements, astute observation that any scientist would be proud of (stay tuned for a peer-reviewed thesis on the game theory behind it all), and most importantly, a blessedly patient family to teach me.

IOI was happy to welcome the arrival of Donald Olson, or as the locals affectionately refer to him, our very own Charles Darwin! When he’s not talking about birds, he’s teaching us all about physical oceanography and the plethora of atmospheric and oceanic factors influencing the world we see around us. We started the week off strong with a 10-hour boat trip yesterday, complete with lava rock tour and two amazing snorkels. Students happily braved the frigid waters to swim with flights of sleek eagle rays and golden/cow-nose rays, a horde of baby blacktip sharks, and a number of mellow sea turtles.

Until our next adventure,

Claire Griffin