Contributed byHeathwood HallEpiscopal School

Kneeling:Dennis DeJesus; Katherine Holloway, PEAK Instructor; Anna Yeakel; Frances Ellerbe; and Katie McInnis. Standing: Ransom Haywood; Jonathan Rost; Gregory Morrison; Stan Wood, PEAK Director; Seth Cantey, Heathwood alumnus; Jim Morris, Heathwood Science Instructor; Eric Reeves; Whitney Cantey; Catherine Hipp; Christine Parham; and Jennifer Houck A group of students and teachers from Heathwood Hall were in Ecuador and the famed Galapagos Islands June 22-July 8 as part of a natural history expedition organized by the school's PEAK Outdoor Center.

The adventure for the 10 students and three teachers included time at high elevation in the Andes Mountains, the rich agricultural coastal plane west of the Andes, and the Galapagos Islands, an equatorial archipelago of volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean made famous by Charles Darwin and the voyage of the HMS Beagle.

During their seven day stay in mainland Ecuador, a country of incredible ecological diversity, students visited the Cotopaxi volcano (elevation 9,347 feet) and a series of other volcanoes, alpine lakes, rivers, and waterfalls in the Andes Mountains as well as lakes and river valleys in the fertile lowlands near Guayaquil.

Students also visited Middle of the World Museum, a museum dedicated to science associated with equatorial and gravitational phenomena. During their eight day visit to the Galapagos Islands, students also traveled by boat to a series of islands in the archipelago where they explored the renowned marine, coastal and inner-island habitat led by a native naturalist.

While it was certainly an unforgettable experience for all of the young people participating, the trip could hardly be mistaken for leisure travel. Students were involved in field activities for a minimum of six hours per day (longer on the Galapagos portion of the trip) for 15 days, accumulating 90 hours of study that is eligible for high school enrichment credit at Heathwood Hall.

Founded in 1951, Heathwood Hall combines faith and a campus spiritual life with a top college preparatory academic program. The school serves 850 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade with a nationally recognized program featuring the only outdoor education component of its kind in the region. Student achievements include 100% college placement and more than 30,000 hours of community service since 2000.