A few months ago I submitted a photo I took this summer for the Sea Turtle Conservancy's 2013 calendar contest, and it won! Since it's been getting colder and school is making me question my sanity right now, this was a much needed surprise.
The calendar is available on the STC website for $12.95. All proceeds benefit the STC's sea turtle conservation and habitat preservation efforts.
For our final YIIP blog, Larissa has asked us to compile a list of a few things we have gathered since returning to Canada. I apologize since this is extremely late - time has been flying by since I started school. I can't believe it's already been three months since I've come home!
Five things that I enjoyed about my internship experience are: 1. Being surrounded by nature 2. Meeting and working with other like-minded people 3. Working my dream job and feeling like I'm making a difference 4. Being physically active every day 5. The wealth of knowledge I gained at the station Five things that bothered me during my internship experience are: 1. Mosquitoes and sandflies (my legs will never look the same) 2. Being blinded nearly every night by sand-flinging turtles on the beach 3. Las cucarachas grandes 4. Mouldy clothing 5. Freezing showers in the dark after walking in the rain Five things I missed most about Canada/Toronto: 1. Friends, family and pets 2. Warm showers 3. Clean bathrooms 4. Sushi 5. Being able to speak the same language as everyone around me Five things I will miss from my host country: 1. The three best friends I made this summer 2. All the inspiring people I met at the station 3. The abundance and diversity of flora and fauna as well as the breathtaking landscapes 4. The slower pace of life 5. Pineapple jelly
I miss watching the jungle wake up on the dock.
The howler monkeys start yelling at distant motor boats,
the kiskadees begin squabbling in the trees,
and the bats return to their roost for the day.
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TOUR DE TURTLES UPDATE!
Back in July, I was lucky enough to watch a satellite tagged green turtle be released by the Sea Turtle Conservancy. Four months and 1,356km later, Shelldon placed 7th in the race. You can check out the migration map here (Shelldon is just off the coast of Nicaragua currently). Some of the leatherbacks have travelled as far as Newfoundland!
