Goodbye Aveiro, Hello Farm Life!

A few highlights of our last couple of days are our visit to CRAM marine life rehabilitation center, time on the beach at Costa Nova learning about dune ecosystems, and our move back to the Lisbon area to stay on a self-sustaining farm.

CRAM Ecomare welcomed us for a few hours on Saturday morning to share information with us about the process of rehabilitating sea life. They help hundreds of injured and stranded sea turtles, sea birds, and marine mammals every year! Students learned what to do if they find a stranded dolphin, and even practiced acting out the scenario in a role play. 

Saturday afternoon, we visited the iconic beach town of Costa Nova. The brightly colored striped houses are recognized worldwide. Once there, students learned all about the important protective role that dunes play and completed a vulnerability assessment of the dune ecosystem.

We said goodbye to Aveiro this morning and headed back to the Lisbon area, where we will stay for the next week. We are fortunate to be staying on a gorgeous self-sustaining farm. On our grand tour of the property we admired the vegetable garden, observed the weather tracking station and bee habitats, met horses, goats, chickens, and dogs, and marveled at their ecological, sustainable swiming pool. Students have already enjoyed hanging out at the pool, which uses the plants and frogs that inhabit it to keep the water clean and oxidized. 

Our first evening at the farm wouldn't be complete without a campfire and, of course, s'mores!

XO,

Libby and Jing