I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Brazil as part of an honors seminar this past spring break. The class itself was an environmental studies course that looked at the Amazonas region of Brazil. We looked at the environmental impacts different industries were having on this region and the importance of these impacts by learning about the political history of Brazil, the groups of people that live in Brazil, different companies utilizing the rainforest, the flora and fauna of the Amazon, the geological history, and more.

I learned a lot about the complexity of problems facing the Amazon rainforest and the potential solutions that are in the works before traveling. While I was there I got to experience the Brazilian culture through food, music, language, and soccer. We spent a lot of time with the crew of the tour company, exploring the rainforest as well as the river. It was incredible to see first hand the diversity of life in areas by the Rio Solimões and Rio Negro. Once we returned, we worked on individual projects to showcase what we learned and what interested us the most (below, you can find my research and presentation about color with respect to survival and diversity in the Amazon, as well as my reflection on this experience).

I am grateful for this experience because it developed a base of knowledge to help me think critically about solutions to the significant issues we face regarding the environment. Besides that, I gained some friends along with awesome memories.