11 of our current yr 12 and 13  are travelling to Honduras to take part in a 2 week Biological Research expedition. This is a new opportunity to sixth formers that we are aiming to offer on a 2 yearly cycle.

Whilst based in a mountain village community the group will be learn some basic jungle survival skills and how to carry out the various surveys.  They will then trek into one of the remoter camps where they will be living in hammocks and help with forest and habitat surveys.  The group will have the chance to join biodiversity teams working on dung beetles, butterflies, moths, jewel scarab beetles, amphibians, reptiles, birds, small mammals and bats. 

The expedition is being run in conjunction with Operation Wallacea and will be a mixed expedition with university academics and students also participating. 

The objective of the visit is to help with a major biodiversity survey of a cloud forest National Park.  Previous survey teams have discovered 9 vertebrate species new to science from this Park.  In addition they can opt to do a short course on how to access the canopy with a training team that does much of the BBC filming work in forest canopies.

For the second week the group would go to the coast and complete a PADI Open Water dive-training course, which is included in the costs of the expedition.  If they are already qualified divers then they can participate in the Caribbean reef ecology course where they will be diving twice a day and learning how to identify the corals, invertebrates and fish.  They have the choice of going to the Cayos Cochinos Islands or Utila Island for the marine part of their expedition.

The costs of the expedition will be £975 to Operation Wallacea, and a further £950 for flights , insurance and transfers.
The group are running weekly cake sales, monthly car washing for staff, selling raffle tickets and are planning a series of fundraising events such as the sponsored row to Honduras (5000 miles between us on a rowing machine), a wine tasting evening and a music evening showcasing the rock bands and performers we have in school.