TIME CAPSULE LETTER
Written by Mag, Leah, Pam, Bekah, Hector, and Luis
Hola Amigos!
Can you believe how long it’s already been since we were lounging and swimming at breathtaking Caribbean beaches, restoring essential marine animal habitat by planting mangroves and sea grape in the most beautiful places, and practicing Spanish to get snacks at the local gas station? We hope school is going really well and you have found ways to make positive impacts in your own community!
We wanted to take some time to look back on all the life-changing experiences you had while you were in the Dominican Republic. We learned so much about how crucial mangroves and coral reefs are to a plethora of sea life, how sea turtles make nests, why native plants are important to the coastal areas, and about what a day-in-the-life of a humpback whale looks like. We all worked so hard in the unbelievable heat and humidity, and in doing so we planted over 450 trees, supported a local permaculture farm, and removed at least 300 invasive plants on a sea turtle nesting beach.
We had so much fun together! Whether we were conquering a fear of heights on the mutli-platformed Zipline that towered over rainforest or boating through ancient, uplifting coral reefs, smiles were not hard to find. We swam through coral restoration forests at a pristine reef off a hidden beach near our home and went on thrilling boat rides through open water. Don’t forget the long hike up a mountain to get to the cool and refreshing waterfall where we slathered our faces in clay and found huge pieces of quartz. We went to Playa Rincón, waded in crystal blue water, and had some really amazing authentic Dominican food.
All of you showed open mindedness, positivity, and astonishing resilience to get through the many obstacles we faced together. At the end of it all, we were stronger together and we’re sad to say goodbye to the friends we had made along the way.
We also learned about how consumption culture contributes to plastic pollution, warming oceans, and the eradication of ocean species. In learning how everything is connected, we also got the opportunity to see how we can make a difference with our choices and actions when considering needs or wants. You took the chance to turn your experience into one meaningful goal to take home. Each person was impacted differently by this trip, and it was reflected in the personal goal you set. It might have been to volunteer more in your community, buy less plastic, or lead a more sustainable life. No matter what your goal was, we want to encourage you to look back and see how far you have come in achieving it and what you can do as a next step to continue on your journey.
We can’t forget our final night together. After a long day of traveling, an afternoon in the colonial zone of Santo Domingo, and a delicious dinner, we had a big surprise from our local partners. Dancing! We laughed and twirled each other around, jumping and smiling as the Dominican dancers showed us the ropes of merengue. After using our last drop of energy on the dance floor, we sat in a circle and appreciated each other in our last heart felt activity before saying goodbyes.
We got to see each of you step up as a leader and grow as a person who hopefully left not only exhausted but inspired to BE THE CHANGE and be a life-long learner.
We miss eating delicious food with you and helping create an even more beautiful world together!
Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!
PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM
Here are a few things you can expect:
- We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
- Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
- Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.
Cell Phone Policy: The GLA cell phone policy is currently in place this summer to help foster meaningful connections between students. This means your student’s phone will be collected every day and returned to them after activities are completed to have with them through the night. Actual tech times and regularity will vary greatly by program location and time zones. During designated ‘tech time’, your student may use their phones as they wish. Please note that your student may not always choose to use this time to get a hold of their parents. If you are not hearing directly from your student each day, you can assume that no news is good news! We strongly recommend you follow the blog to follow your students’ experience without talking to them every day. If you are a parent and would like to get in touch with your student directly, you can call us at +1-619-758-3031 and we can set up a formal time for you to connect with your student.
For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.
-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team
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BLOG POST FOR JULY 15
Hola!
This is your crew from Dominican Republic the Caribbean Sea Conservation Project! And we are excited to start session 2 of summer 2023!
Today is the first day of the program, everything is ready for our students to arrive and start experiencing Dominican Republic! This morning we started pick ups at the airport, we had a group of students who arrived excited and they had opportunity to hang out and rest after a long journey to this beautiful Caribbean island. In the afternoon we had some unexpected airport closure which lead to some unexpected adventures of some of our students. You all took the changes and longer traveling time so well! We had dinner at the hotel and had an chance to meet new people. It was a great opportunity to start making new friends! After that we had a briefing for tomorrow and everyone went to rest after. Because of some flight cancellations we didn’t manage to have a complete team but no worries we are waiting for you Brigita and Amelia!
All of the students shared that a long day of traveling tired them, but they are all super enthusiastic and looking forward to the adventure and service days to come!
We are ready for the 12 days of service learning, lifelong memories, deep conversations and friendships that await.
We hope that you will enjoy using this blog as a way to experience this journey with us!
From the excited DR Caribbean Sea Conservation Project team:
Mag (International director)
Luis (Local director)
and mentors
Bekah
Leah
Pam
Hector
BLOG POST FOR JULY 16
Written by Carter B
Welcome all family and friends.
Today was the first full day of the Dominican Republic Marine Conservation Program. After a wonderful breakfast with new friends we all Left the Hotel at 8 and drove for a few hours before stopping for lunch in Samana. We learnt about the importance of water safety and all the rules necessary when traveling to a new country. After a fulfilling lunch we jumped back into the buses and headed to our home base. While singing and getting to know each other along the way. Once we made it to our home base, everyone separated and headed to our rooms where we would spend the next hour getting to know our roommates. After our rest hour all 28 of us met again for group bonding actives and a more detailed rule talk. Rice, Chicken, Beans, and Salad was for dinner. We are very excited for tomorrow and to start our service.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 17
Written by Emily P, Carter B and Emerson G
Hola from the Dominican Republic!
Today we started off with breakfast and then headed off to the CEBSE headquarters. We visited the whale museum inside and shared what we learned. Afterwards our CEBSE partners educated us on the lasting importance of coral reef and mangrove conservation. They showcased their reef research lab, which had samples of different types of coral, which they took from surrounding reefs. After our seminar, we grabbed lunch around the corner and headed back to home base. Our afternoon constituted of swim tests, chicken fights and beautiful views from the ocean. We showered and regrouped for dinner and participated in our nightly activities. Overall, was a lovely day despite the occasional drizzle.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 18
Written by Danica C, Michael K, Amelia O
Hola from the Dominican Republic!
Today we started off with breakfast and then headed off to the CEBSE to pick up tools for our service work. We rode the bus to the mangrove nursery and got to work right away. We split into three groups and each had respective tasks to accomplish, which consisted of collecting seeds, kayaking through the mangroves and clearing the garden beds of the dead plants to make room for new ones. Afterwards, we crossed the river to have a picnic on a wooden pier. We headed back to the site to complete our service, and we were assigned new jobs: clearing up lingering trash around the river and throwing out the plastic bags containing the dead plants. On our way back to home base, we stopped at a gas station to grab some snacks and take a break. We showered and participated in our nightly activities, including the chow circle and taking a dip in the pool after dinner. To sum up, we had a wonderful day of service despite the heat, that some of us were not used to!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 19
Written by Avery K, Gaia C, Hannah K.
Buenos noches!
Today we got up bright and early and quickly ate a nutritious breakfast, including fresh fruit and toast, before hopping on the busses to head towards our thrilling zip lining adventure! After completing a strenuous vertical climb/hike, we zipped through the lucious nature of the Dominican Republic. We were all in awe of the beauty as we glided through the forest and went from platform to platform.
After a quick stop to get some local VIRGIN Piña coladas, we headed back to the busses and took a 30 minute music filled drive to the stunningly tranquil beach, Playa Rincón. We then had a picnic style lunch while overlooking the heavenly scenery. After capturing the beach with our cameras, we hustled our way down to the turquoise waters. The 2 fun filled hours in the water flew by quickly, and we had to depart back to home base. We ended our day with a reflective circle and a nutritious dinner ready for tomorrow’s service! Overall, we had a great day!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 20
Written by Amalya, Lily, Mateo
Buenos Noches!
This morning we woke up early to eat a healthy breakfast. Locally sourced fresh fruit, toast, and spread fueled us for another day of service! After arriving at the beach on a music filled bus ride, we prepared ourselves with some cold water and sun/bug spray. We went on a short trail through the woods and balanced on a log to get over a river, while some people may have fell in, to reach the mangrove planting sight. While some dug holes, others were in charge of retrieving the plants and planting them to restore the mangrove forest on the beach line. After a couple hours of hard, yet fun work, we took another bus ride to lunch at a restaurant on the beach with delicious cultural food and an amazing landscape.
Feeling refreshed we partook in a competitive yet informative simulated debate to help us understand multiple perspectives concerning the issues of fishing regulations and coral reef protection. We then took a short walk to our next service sight where we encountered a turtle nest foreshadowing our soon to be learned information about the process and cycle of sea turtle reproduction. We continued to plant trees that hung low and help protect sea turtles and cleared invasive tree species that are harmful to Samaná beaches.
At 4:00 we were done with service for the day and were treated with pool time or going to the beach, students choice. Everybody came together and after a reflection of the day with our mentor groups we ate another delicious home cooked meal. After dinner we played a fun trivia game that included many giggles. We had some time to ourselves where we could either shower or relax. Then at 10:30 we had lights out and went to sleep, excited and intrigued for the next day to come.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 21
Written by Daniel, Amber, Holly
Buenas noches!
We started today off with breakfast which consisted of over medium eggs, toast, jams, fruit salad, and fresh orange juice. Then, we left home base shortly after and hopped into the bus to the Permaculture farm. Once we arrived into this farmland we were surrounded by canopies and many cows. There, we learned about sustainable farming and got introduced to permaculture. Then we helped Antu and Orquidea, the owners of the land, build their mud house. Orquidea’s group got really messy as we had to make lots of mud and squish it with our feet and lather it around bamboo scaffolding. Antu’s group was hard at work with planting saplings around a fish pond and making a stream down to their garden full of lots of native trees. Lunchtime came around and we had a combination of rice, beans, chicken, pork ribs, and macaroni salad.
After lunch the groups switched and got to work with the opposite leaders. Once we finished everything up they were super grateful for all of the hard work we put in. We all felt fulfilled with our service for the day and the bus ride back was messy. Once we returned to home base we had a quick shower time and some of us decided to go to the pool. After pool time we did our usual group circle where we discuss what we enjoyed about the day and some shout-outs to our peers. For dinner we had pork, chicken, Mac and cheese, and salad with the usual rice and beans. After dinner we all just got some free time and enjoyed our company for the night.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 22
Written by Peter, Gabriele, Liam
Buenos Noches!
Our day started late because we got to sleep in and had a later breakfast of empinadas, toast, and fresh fruit. After that we took a beautiful morning trip to the beach and got to see the green mountains and crystal clear water. We had a blast swimming and hanging out in the refreshing water and had tons of fun.
After the beach, we showered at home base then hopped on the bus to El Limón. Next, we had lunch at a restaurant where we ate chicken, white and brown rice, fresh fruits, and fried yuka before going on the hike. Then we started our long, hot hike to the waterfall and it took us about an hour to get there.
The waterfall was beautiful, the water was crystal clear and cool.
During this time we also put clay on our face to make a face mask.
We stayed there for about an hour then we started our hike back to the restaurant.
The trail was hot and rugged and took about an hour and a half.
When arriving at the restaurant we immediately went on the bus to go back to home base.
After arriving there we eat dinner and had a night activity about fish identification.
Peter, Gabriele, Liam
BLOG POST FOR JULY 23
Written by Nour, Alma, Yasmine
Buenas Noches,
We left home base at 8 am. We had a couple of stops before we got to La Boca del Diablo, a very beautifully diverse cliff area, and went on a hike that lasted for about three and a half miles. We would stop to take photos of magnificent new plants on our phones, using the iNaturalist app.The hike was really brutal in the sun and through the jungle. Soon after, we arrived at the gorgeous, crystal clear Fronton beach to have lunch. After lunch, we took a boat to Madama beach and got our swim gear and got ready to go snorkel. We all had a blast seeing the different types of fish and coral we had looked at the night before on the flash cards. We also saw CEBSE members diving under us and planting coral. Then, we returned to the beach on the boat and took the bus back to home base. We were given two hours to shower and pack our suitcases for tomorrow. Then, we had the chow circle, where everyone was very optimistic! After that, we had dinner.
Nour, Alma, Yasmine
BLOG POST FOR JULY 24
Written by Maddy, Mikaelle and Brigida
Buenos Noches!
Our morning started with a early breakfast at 6:30 before leaving Las Galeras for the last time, and embarking on a long journey to Sabana de la mar. We loaded the busses to the Samaná docks where we boarded a ferry and travelled across the bay. Once we arrived in Sabana we hopped on another bus and arrived at Ranchos Don Rey, a ranch/resort with a beautiful pool and air-conditioned rooms. We were shown into our rooms and were given some free time to settle in before lunch. Lunch was a delicious selection of fried chicken, vegetables, and fruits with passion fruit juice and iced tea. After that, we got back on the bus and went to on a boat tour. The tour took us through a river with lots of mangroves and islands. We got off the boat and explored caves that have ancient drawings/symbols from hundreds of years ago. After the tour, we went back to the ranch and had a choice of swimming in the pool or having some free time before dinner. Dinner was pizza and strawberry juice. Later, we watched the movie Seaspiracy a documentary about commercial fishing and the truth behind “dolphin safe” labels. Once the movie ended we we got ready for bed and went to sleep.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 25
The next day we woke up to have a delicious breakfast and we worked on our OMG (one meaningful goal), we engaged in some important conversations about how our actions effect the world around us and what we could do to make our surrounding and world a better place. We did manage ti get some pool time before leaving to the final hotel. When we arrived at the hotel we dropped off our luggage and went to walk around the historical centre of Santo Domingo and had opportunity to get some souvenirs. The last dinner was a fancy set up and little did we know about the surprise performance of marengue dance that turned into a little party. To wrap up we had an activity called appreciation circle where we got to appreciate others in our group and share some warm and fuzzies before saying goodbyes.
The last day in DR was a huge success and I’m pretty sure everyone is going to look back to this trip with a little nostalgia of the tropical paradise we were privileged to share together for 12 days!
Safe travels,
Mag, International Director
