A SUMMER OF LEARNING: BUZZING AROUND THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

I hope everyone is having a great summer. It sure has been a meaningful one for me as I was fortunate enough to go to the Galapagos Islands with a group of friends. It was one of the coolest trips ever and I learned so much...including about rock formations, evolution, biodiversity, and even about the bees! 

Check out this video of me interviewing Christina, a naturalista (park ranger) with Quasar Expeditions who I spent an entire week with going from island to island. She and two other guides showed us the many animal species unique to the Galapagos, including the blue-footed booby and Floreana tortoises. I was even able to swim with sea lions and I also visited the cloud forest in Santa Cruz. 

A highlight of the trip was being able to take a side trip with the Charles Darwin Research Station, which is run by the Charles Darwin Foundation,  to learn about the carpenter bee. I was so impressed with all the work they do and the Foundation’s dedication to studying the Galapagos carpenter bees. I learned they are the only species of bees found in the Galapagos Islands and they are endemic to the Archipelago, making them the most important pollinator there. To help fund their research, I was happy to make a donation to the Charles Darwin Foundation from the Healthy Hive Foundation to support this worthy non-profit and it’s mission is to protect endemic plants and species of the Galapagos.

Please follow me on Instagram and/or Facebook @mikailasbees as that’s where I’ll post another interview with an entomologist with the Charles Darwin Foundation to learn even more about the carpenter bee.