Kamalu Reflections

Our Trip

¡Hola! We just got back from the Galápagos! We traveled with Kamehameha Schools and the Marine Scholars from Castle High School and their teachers from Pacific American Foundation, Smithsonian Institute, and Hawaiʻi Institute for Marine Biology. The purpose of our trip was to greet Hōkūleʻa and support their mission of Mālama Honua. We also toured the islands with our science teachers and saw the famous examples of evolution and learned about ecology and conservation.  

     The Galápagos is a volcanic archipelago made up of five main islands and several smaller ones. No one had successfully inhabited the islands, due to the lack of water and harsh environment, but there were signs of pre-Incan activity. It was accidentally discovered by the Spaniard, Tomás de Berlanga in 1535, who said its harsh conditions were the “closest thing to hell,” and it became a part of Ecuador in 1832. There are no indigenous people who settled in the Galapagos and the current residents have only been on the island for four to five generations. Even though their history with their islands is a short one, they are very connected to their ʻāina. Countless efforts have been put in place with the purpose of protecting their island home, like the Galapagos 2050 initiative with the goal to restore large parts of the land with endemic plants.

     We spent most of our time on Santa Cruz island where we visited the Charles Darwin Research Station and learned about the history and conservation efforts in the Galapagos. We also spent time touring different islands, where we learned about underwater marine habitats, forest restoration, and programs designed to protect animals like tortoises, finches, and iguanas.  - Kamalu Abad