PYP5/6 Excursion to Bukit Lawang

Written By: The students 

Most of the sixth graders went on a two night excursion to Bukit Lawang from March 5th through 7th.  This was in connection with our study of biodiversity.  We first stopped at an EcoFarm outside of Bukit Lawang and met with Ms. Mira, who taught us about the biodiversity of the area and what they do at their farm to work with local places of tourism.  They are preparing bamboo for construction, composting for farming, and growing many fruits and vegetables for local hotels and restaurants.  

Afterwards, we went to the EcoLodge in Bukit Lawang and walked to nearby Landak River.  Students cooled down in the water, built pools and explored the riverbed.  At night, we wrote in journals, ate Indonesian food, and relaxed in bean bags upstairs.

The next day, we woke up early to go trekking in the rainforest.  We encountered orangutans, short tail and longtail Makaks, Thomas Leaf monkeys, and heard hornbills in the distance.  We became nature detectives and learned about the strangler fig tree, completed sensory writing pieces, and created drawings of epiphytes (plants growing on other plants) we saw in the forest.  We rafted down the river in innertubes to cool off after the long walk.  

That evening we enjoyed another dinner together and had smores after roasting marshmallows over a fire.  The next morning, we woke to a troop of monkeys around our hotel.  We enjoyed watching them travel through the hotel grounds.