by meganwestervelt | Jul 30, 2014 | Uncategorized
I guess I should have seen it coming. I have, after all, been in training all my life. Having grown up with two phenomenal teachers as parents, workbooks were my siblings and stuffed animals my students from before I completely understood the concept of teaching. Now,...
by meganwestervelt | Jun 13, 2014 | Uncategorized
Close your eyes for a moment and dream with me. Feel the cool rain hit your face as the heavens open up above you with a downpour that soaks through to your very core. Listen to the orchestra of monkeys, owls, parrots, insects, and frogs as they speak, sing, search,...
by meganwestervelt | Jul 20, 2013 | Uncategorized
Captions: Ceibo de Miguel at sunrise. With the help of the Healthy Living Initiative at Ohio University, a group of eight women learned to make handmade jewelry three years ago in the nearby community of Chaquizcha. The group is now based in Bella Maria, and the...
by meganwestervelt | Jul 13, 2013 | Uncategorized
Captions: Sofia Ocana, a researcher with the Tropical Disease Research Program, carefully holds a container of chinchurros (the vector for Chagas Disease) that will be studied and analyzed in the field lab in Cariamanga to determine if they carry the parasite T....
by meganwestervelt | Jul 7, 2013 | Uncategorized
Captions: Cariamanga, Ecuador, operated as the home base for the Tropical Disease Research Program this summer. The students and staff involved in the program traveled by banana (15-person van) to Bella Maria, Chaquizcha, and Guara each day to carry out field research...
by meganwestervelt | Jun 17, 2013 | Uncategorized
Chagas disease is something that very few people outside of Central and South America know exists, yet it currently affects over 11 million people and has become one of the major health problems in South America. Of those who are not treated, 30% will develop chronic...
by meganwestervelt | Mar 13, 2012 | Uncategorized
Emma is a 13-year-old spider monkey who lives at Bethsaida Farms in Vinton County, Ohio. Her owner, Cy Vierstra, cares for a menagerie of native and exotic animals on his land, where he has constructed specialized housing for each critter and offers educational visits...
