Allison Li
CAS ’26
Neuroscience
PGS: Darwin’s Laboratory: History, Philosophy, Evolution and Social Ecology in the Galápagos Archipelago
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Ask Me About…
While we were in the Galapagos, we had no WiFi access nor connection to the outside world. This meant we were fully immersed in getting to know each other and embracing the experience, which made the trip truly transformative! Hiking and snorkeling every day was also outside of my comfort zone, but embracing it was worth every moment. Having trustworthy classmates and trip leaders ultimately made a meaningful difference in creating a supportive, safe environment.
This PGS was unique in that in encourages students to think about conservation, nature, and spirituality, beyond the context of the Galapagos and the class itself. Ask me about how I’m continuing to carry on the lessons of the Galapagos in my daily life!
My Experience Abroad
As a neuroscience major and creative writing/healthcare management minor, I was fascinated with healthcare infrastructure and access in the Galapagos, especially since the islands are so isolated from the outside world. We learned about the underdeveloped water infrastructure on the small island of Floreana, as well as the other costly energy and resource constraints that limited its development.
This course also pushed us to think deeply about the disconnect between governmental conservation efforts and local residents of the Galapagos, since these policies don’t necessarily prioritize quality of life for residents. Exploring these tensions, especially through a creative nonfiction/reporting lens, was an incredibly meaningful and rich opportunity.
Other Highlights
1) Magnificant frigatebirds! As an amateur ornithologist since high school, I wrote in my PGS application that seeing the magnificent frigatebird in-person would be a dream. Hours after landing in the Galapagos, this dream became a reality. Scratch that – reality was even more dazzling than anything I could’ve dreamed up.
During our first hike on North Seymour Island, we saw dozens of proudly perched frigates with their bright scarlet gular pouches on full display. I instantly filed this away as one of my top 3 sightings of the trip. But then, moments after returning to the boat, a female frigate landed on the boat’s top deck. A flock of frigates soon followed, soaring mere feet away from our upturned, awestruck faces. Amidst this clamor of excitement, we (barely) managed to take our first group photo. The birds circled our boat until the sun sank below the horizon.
2) Meeting the locals! We wandered Don Adriano’s light-speckled sugarcane and coffee fields on Santa Cruz, and raced local kids across the playground on Floreana (the least populated island, home to approximately 120 people) until our chests ached with laughter.
3) Learning about the wildlife and the land from our naturalist guide, Ernesto Vaca. Every moment spent here was a gift. Every moment proves Ernesto’s simple words: that conservation is not just a product – it has spirit, and it has soul.
