Naturalist visits Ecuador, Peru through Meador Grant
The Helen Meador Summer International Fellowship funded a summer of professional development in South America for Lower School Naturalist Carrie Riley.
By Kalen Russell, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications
Funded by the Helen Meador Summer International Travel Fellowship, Lower School Naturalist Carrie Riley traveled for 22 days, visiting Quito, Otavalo, the Galápagos Islands, Lima, Cusco, and Machu Picchu.
Funded by the Helen Meador Summer International Travel Fellowship, Lower School Naturalist Carrie Riley traveled for 22 days, visiting Quito, Otavalo, the Galápagos Islands, Lima, Cusco, and Machu Picchu.
Through this profound experience, she said she plans to bring these lessons into her teaching, grounding her voice in wonder, joy, and a commitment to protecting the natural world, which she loves.
“I planned to use this trip as time to ground my voice. What are the most important messages I want to be living in and out of the classroom? What sparks my own joy? I wanted to find some corners of the earth that make me take pause, breathe in, and let wonderment wash over me,” Riley said. “‘[USN] gave me the means. I gave myself the time, and I am walking as a more inspired human filled with love, joy, and peace, carrying the motivation to protect what I love.”
Her trip started 3,000 meters above sea level in Ecuador’s capital, Quito. She traveled to volcano complexes, visited Guinea Pig Lake, toured the countryside, and shopped at a traditional market, but her favorite site was the National Cathedral, Basílica del Voto Nacional, which highlights Ecuador's biology, with gargoyles depicting animals and stained glass windows highlighting local flora and fauna.
“The stained glass windows were so intricate and had so many native species. It was really cool to see biodiversity celebrated in that way. Biodiversity is a point of national pride,” said Riley.
“The stained glass windows were so intricate and had so many native species. It was really cool to see biodiversity celebrated in that way. Biodiversity is a point of national pride,” said Riley.
Riley chose Ecuador because of the studies of Charles Darwin, evolution, and the role the Galápagos Islands played in Darwin's life. Only 4% of the Galápagos Islands are populated; the remaining 96% is reserved for Parque Nacional Galápagos, a highly protected national park. Right outside the park is the Charles Darwin Research Station, where the Introduced Species Dashboard is maintained. The interactive dashboard provides real-time data on how many species have been introduced, their introduction pathways, and the potential harm introduced species can cause to the fragile ecosystem.
The research happening at the Charles Darwin Research Center is accessible and intended to empower visitors to participate in conservation efforts. Many students from Ecuador are educated through a curriculum focused on why the islands are important, why they need protection, and why they need to travel to the islands to learn.
Riley noted the community's role in conservation. “It has to be an 'all parties involved' process for efforts to truly work. Education about conservation starts early on the islands, and the native islanders take protecting their natural resources very seriously. It really solidified how important the young naturalists program is at USN, and how our program is setting kids up the same way: this is their home, their environment, and they are taking care of it,” said Riley.
The research happening at the Charles Darwin Research Center is accessible and intended to empower visitors to participate in conservation efforts. Many students from Ecuador are educated through a curriculum focused on why the islands are important, why they need protection, and why they need to travel to the islands to learn.
Riley noted the community's role in conservation. “It has to be an 'all parties involved' process for efforts to truly work. Education about conservation starts early on the islands, and the native islanders take protecting their natural resources very seriously. It really solidified how important the young naturalists program is at USN, and how our program is setting kids up the same way: this is their home, their environment, and they are taking care of it,” said Riley.
Baltra Island is the central island of the Galápagos. It is an agricultural area, but it is also heavily protected. Visitors must be accompanied by a certified national park ranger to protect resources. Only people born on the islands can compete to become a national park ranger, as they have an ingrained sense of why the area is so special, Riley explained to colleagues.
Over the summer, after four years of serving as a High School Science Teacher, Riley stepped into the role of Lower School Naturalist. This trip gave Riley space to reflect on her career shift.
“Peru provided space for introspection and presence. It allowed me to step back to remind myself what my priorities are as a teacher, person, and mom,” Riley said.
Over the summer, after four years of serving as a High School Science Teacher, Riley stepped into the role of Lower School Naturalist. This trip gave Riley space to reflect on her career shift.
“Peru provided space for introspection and presence. It allowed me to step back to remind myself what my priorities are as a teacher, person, and mom,” Riley said.
Riley notes the connection between understanding the natural environment and caring for it: “The way of life of the Indigenous people in the Andes and how much nature is just a part of their lifestyle and reality. It’s unlike anywhere else I’ve been on Earth,” Riley said.
“You’re more likely to care for the things you understand. Fostering that love [for nature] in the Lower Schoolers reminds me of that love and understanding that’s already present in me,” said Riley.
The Meador Summer International Travel Fellowship was established in honor of longtime educator and USN parent Helen Meador. The Fellowship funds travel beyond North America and professional development projects that enrich teaching, foster global perspectives, and benefit the full school community. What began as a single travel award has grown to support two faculty members each year, drawing applications from all school divisions.
Previous Helen Meador Summer International Travel Fellowship recipients include:
- 2026: Seventh Grade English Teacher Syd Lindblom hiked The Herriot Way, a 52-mile loop through Yorkshire Dales, England, and returned to the classroom to infuse students with a passion for writing. Lower School Naturalist Carrie Riley traveled for 22 days through the Galápagos Islands and South America to ground her voice in wonder, joy, and a commitment to protecting the natural world.
- 2025: Second Grade Teacher Caleb Franklin traveled to Germany and Poland to trace the history of the Holocaust and study how identity is shaped, and First Grade Teacher Latasha Smith traveled to Phuket, Thailand, to connect with her roots and explore identity.
- 2024: Middle School Learning Coordinator Anna Claire McKay traveled to England and Spain to study how the brain learns, and High School Science Department Chair Anne Dervan traveled to Australia to learn about the environmental science and evolutionary history of organisms throughout the area.
- 2022: Fifth Grade Science Teacher Tobey Balzer traveled to Iceland.
- 2021: No grant due to COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions.
- 2020: No grant due to COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions.
- 2019: Third Grade Teacher Sarah Wiley traveled to Spain.
- 2018: Eighth Grade Teacher Pamela Malinowski traveled to Italy and Switzerland.
- 2017: High School Art Teacher Delia Seigenthaler traveled to Ghana.
- 2016: Lower School Teacher Betsy Hoffman traveled to Italy to attend the Creativity Workshop and to visit Reggio Emilia.
- 2015: Middle and High School Art Teacher Emily Holt traveled to northern and central Italy to study puppetmaking.
- 2014: High School English Teacher Freya Sachs traveled to Dublin, Paris, and London.
- 2013: Lower School Teacher Melissa Sherman traveled to France, and Lower School Teacher Victoria Roca traveled to Scotland and Sweden to study forest schools.
- 2012: Fifth Grade English Teacher Susan Godwin traveled to England.
- 2011: High School Science Teacher George Flatau traveled to Italy, France, and England to study the history of science.
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