Indonesia Expedition

Week 1 - Group Photo

After 18 months of fund raising events, such as parties, cake stalls and supermarket bag packing, and training to get camp fit in events such as the Yorkshire 3 peaks challenge, the group of 28 sixth formers and three staff finally departed on the C.R.G.S. Indonesia Expedition in July this year.

The expedition aim was to participate in Operation Wallacea's Sulawesi Biodiversity and Conservation Research projects in two sites. Week one was spent in the Lambusango rainforest on Buton Island, and week two was spent diving the coral reefs of the Wakatobi Marine Reserve.

During week one the students surveyed the forest, collecting data for scientists investigating the effects of illegal logging and rattan harvesting on species diversity. Students also joined scientists on smaller projects, tracking jungle mammals such as civet cats, tarsiers and macaques, and monitoring herpetefauna, such as tree frogs and snakes

Students stayed in the homes of local villagers, gaining a valuable insight of the life in a small rural Indonesian community. A night was spent in (self erected!) hammocks in the forest during a jungle trekking and train exercise in which students learnt survival skills such as setting traps, cooking on an open fire, and accessing water from flora such as rattan. Students were also trained and participated in accessing the rainforest canopy with ropes at dawn or dust.

Week 2 - Scuba Diving

Week two was spent on Hoga Island, learning to scuba dive, and attending lectures on marine ecology. Students were encouraged to identify the coral, sponge and fish life whilst diving and snorkelling, and learning about research projects looking at the effects of overfishing and climate change on the reef. Amongst the wealth of animal life seen by students were sea snakes, turtles, puffer fish, giant clams and jelly fish, living amongst the most diverse coral in the world.

The four day journey home did emphasise just how remote and special these sites were, and an amazing time was had by students and staff alike. Operation Wallacea staff were extremely impressed with the attitute, fitness and enthusiasm of C.R.G.S. students.

Miss Holdsworth would like to thank the students, Mr Carson and Miss Burke for making the trip so successful and memorable, and thank the Head and Governors for supporting such great opportunities for students. It is hoped that the ongoing relationship C.R.G.S. have with Operation Wallacea will continue, and that future expeditions at conservation sites around the world will take place.