This past weekend I had a great opportunity to travel to a beach south of Dakar named Samone. A group of 10 PCVs and I were guided by a local eco-guard to look for sea turtle tracks in the sand. The purpose is to monitor and protect these animals so that their populations can be prolonged and the Reserve can lobby against further development of the land. Unsurprisingly we didn't see anything but a few possible tracks on the morning watch. Despite that dissappointment though, it was a great experience and the true definition of an eco-tourism weekend. Low negative impact, locally empowering, and even damage reversing, this trip showed me how possible and positive an excursion like his can have on an area. I encourage all who are planning vacations to take some time and seek out at least a day for garbage collection, nature monitoring, or education. I assure you it will deepen your relationship with and weirdly enhance the relaxation at your favorite spot. Plus you could have great moments like the ones highlighted by the photos below.
Getting stung by a jellyfish!
A really nasty jelly fish...
Soothing pregnant dogs!
And "sleeping" outside to the sound of the tide coming in.
I hope you're all getting out to some sunny destinations this month and resetting your brains, responsibly of course. Happy vacationing!
No comments:
Post a Comment