Hi my name Kate Taylor. In July 2018 I will be taking part in an expedition to Honduras with Operation Wallacea, a conservation research organisation.

Operation Wallacea is an organisation that runs a series of biological and conservation management research programmes in remote locations across the world. The conservation research is funded by, and relies on teams of students volunteers, like me. These expeditions are designed with specific wildlife conservation aims in mind – from identifying areas needing protection, through to implementing and assessing conservation management programmes. Operation Wallacea research has resulted in 30 vertebrate species new to science being discovered and 4 ‘extinct’ species being re-discovered.

The key aims of the expedition are to give students like myself, the opportunity to work alongside real research scientists, helping with and learning about the collection of data on conservation and biodiversity in the Honduran Cloud Rainforest. We will also be assisting at one of the marine sites at Utila or Roatan which are both beautiful dive sites due to the coral reefs and organisms living there, however, if not carefully managed, tourism will continue to impact on the coral reef ecosystem causing irrevocable damage. I will be completing my PADI Open Water diving certificate (and the Caribbean reef ecology course) and will be assisting in the monitoring of the coral and reef fish communities.

I hope to gain many skills and responsibility while fundraising and all aspects of the expedition will enhance any application for university, college or future employment.
I am very excited and feel very privileged to have been selected to take part in this once in a life time opportunity.

For me to take part in this expedition I need to raise £2500. My plan to raise some of this money is through, race nights, a doughnut sale, carboot sales etc. Any contribution towards this will be much appreciated. Thankyou.