Pre-Trip Study
I’ve been reading up on Ecuador before our World View trip. I started with On the Origin of Species, though I’ll admit I’m still wading through carrier pigeons and haven’t yet arrived at the Galapagos. For more contemporary looks at Ecuador and the Islands, I’ve dipped into The Ecuador Reader, published by our friendly rivals up the road, and Galapagos at the Crossroads by Carol Ann Basset.
I’ve been delighted to find so many UNC authors to reference. Science and Conservation in the Galapagos Islands, edited by UNC’s Steve Walsh and USFQ’s Carlos Mena, provides an accessible, interdisciplinary look at the Islands. I've also come across some truly excellent undergraduate work. Students in the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication have an amazing multimedia site, Living Galapagos, that explores a wide variety of social, environmental and economic issues.
Here’s just one great story on Living Galapagos from 2013, featuring farmers Homero and Efigenia Altamirano and their thoughts on agriculture, marriage and life. It’s no wonder why Living Galapagos won a People’s Voice Webby award in 2014.
Shannon Harvey, Global Relations
