The Galápagos Islands is a volcanic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Ecuador and bordering the Equator. Jean Miller and Margaret Nelsen, St. Barnabas parishioners, spoke about their last November trip at the Feb. 20 OPALS meeting.
The islands are considered one of the world's foremost destinations for wildlife-viewing. A province of Ecuador, it lies about 621 miles off its coast. Its isolated terrain shelters a diversity of plant and animal species, many found nowhere else. Charles Darwin visited in 1835, and his observation of Galápagos' species later inspired his theory of evolution.
Jean and Margaret spoke to the group along with a slide show of the unusual indigenous flora and fauna population. The blue footed booby was very popular. OPALS meets once a month, usually with a trip to somewhere informative followed by lunch at a nearby restaurant. If you are interested in attending, call Dale or Barb Lawrence.