Dominican Students Set Off on 9th Educational Expedition to Pico Duarte

Dominican Students Set Off on 9th Educational Expedition to Pico Duarte
Santo Domingo, February 6, 2014

The 9th Educational Expedition to Pico Duarte, an initiative of GFDD’s DR Environmental Film Festival and the Siempre Mas Foundation, set off today, this time with 75 students and staff members which will once again endure the four day trek to conquer the tallest peak in the Antilles. The initiative, cultivate during the first DR Environmental Film Festival in 2011, aims to turn youth into protectors of the environment while they learn the value of personal effort, teamwork, companionship and discipline as well as the necessary skills to overcome obstacles and achieve personal goals- now and in the future.

Under the efficient guidance of staff and volunteers from the Siempre Mas Foundation, participants which hail from the St. Jude Foundation in Santo Domingo, the Santa Ana Home in San Pedro de Macoris and from the Ann & Ted Kheel Polytechnic School in Verón, will learn more about their natural heritage and have the opportunity to explore their connection to the environment.

During the four day trek, students will receive 11 educational talks from environmental conservation experts at the Armando Bermudez National Park. Lectures will raise awareness on topics such as the geography of the Cordillera Mountain Range, flora and fauna, climate, environmental conservation, forest fires, and reforestation, among others.

The expedition was made possible thanks to support of the Punta Cana Ecological Foundation and the DR Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) which sponsors a yearly expedition, provides the necessary equipment for realization of additional excursions, and organizes activities throughout the year meant to reunite participants and reinforce the values learned during the during the trip.

The Educational Expeditions to Pico Duarte reflects DREFF’s overall mission to interact with leading figures in the environmental community and, by encouraging the participation of young students, foster change at the grassroots level. Since the 1st Education expedition took place in March of 2012, more than 400 students from around the country have had the opportunity to participate in this life changing adventure.