When I first found out I was selected for this trip I immediately started looking up the Cook Islands’ biodiversity.  I found bird checklists and I found that my favorite species of crab, the fiddler crab, could be found in the Cooks.  I also found that two species of albatross frequent the islands.  I cannot wait to find bird and invertebrate species I have never seen before on those islands.  I am looking forward to running CI’s sandy beach protocol on the beaches of Aitutaki and finding what kind of diversity lies on the coast. I look forward to learning about the country’s agricultural methods and land management, especially in relation to the conservation and maintenance of the islands’ ecological health.
I am also fond of experiencing new cultures and I love listening to world music when performed by natives of that culture.  I am therefore eager to experience the celebrations of the Cook Islands’ independence.