Spanish and biology teachers take students to Peru
Students take a break for a photo with their guide in Peru.
Ten Spanish students and two teachers took an educational vacation to Peru to explore the world’s largest rainforest: the Amazon Rainforest. The trip was focused on learning about the environment and culture of the Peruvian villages in the Western part of Peru.
Biology teacher, D.C. Randle has been going to Peru for the last 17 years to do environmental expeditions, but this was Spanish teacher, Lydia Scheiber’s first time going to Peru.
“The trip was amazing, especially the “night-hike” that our guide took us on,” said Scheiber.
During the night-hike, the guide took students and teachers on a trail and had them stop and look up at the sky for ten seconds before having them look down on the ground to see some of the leaves glowing in the dark, because of bioluminescence.
“The “night-hike” was kind of scary because we only had flashlights,” said senior Lindsey Rhoden.
The leaves glowed in the dark, because of a type of fungus that grows on the ground in the rain forest. By looking into the sky, students eyes adjusted to the starlight, so when they looked back at the dark ground it was easier to see the illuminated fungus.
“We had to help Randle too,” said Rhoden.
While on the hike, fire ants swarmed Randle’s ankles and bit him severely. According to local.garden.com, fire ants can range in size from an eighth to a third of an inch, but their bite feels like they’re much bigger in Peru.
“The fire ants scared me when they were crawling across my ankles,” said Randle.
The group also did a service project one day where they poured cement, painted houses and planted trees at a new, developing Peruvian village.
“It was so different compared to our world,” said Senior Molly Mattson.
They hope to be able to spread the word about the trip and go again in the Summer of 2013 so that it’s not on the same year as the Spanish trip, when Spanish teacher Jyl Dieckhaus takes students to Guatemala for three weeks in the summer.
“Knowing a different language offers so many cultural opportunities and places to go,” said Rhoden.
