Class 1. I came in not really having expectations - I wasn't sure what we'd do. I felt that today was a good starting point for the trip because it got me thinking, which was the goal. Though I'm often quiet during the discussions, it's because I like to take everything in before I say anything. It's also difficult sometimes to throw my opinions into public scrutiny. I do think what we discussed was valuable. I agree that there is often a feeling that science is cold, hard, and logical - without any room for emotion. It seems to be sort of detached from reality sometimes, just plugging and chugging numbers. I think that's why people often feel that they don't need science or won't ever use it. If people realized that emotion can be involved in science, I think that would make it more interesting. Part of what made Sylvia Earle's book interesting was the passion she had for her work. Without that, it's just another dry biology book. The discussion of ecotourism was also valuable because despite our research, it's still difficult to define the term. It helped to clear things up. It also made me realize that our trip will have a negative impact - something I didn't really want to think about. I agree that the important this for us to do is make sure the positive effects we have outweigh the negative.

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