King Edward's School Expeditions has developed a strong tradition of operating high quality educational adventures to diverse destinations including Borneo, Peru, Honduras, Venezuela and Madagascar. In the summer of 2010 a small but determined group will set off for Sulawesi, perhaps the least explored large island in the Indonesia archipelago.

After exploring Honduras for two summers, Sulawesi will be our third Expedition with Operation Wallacea. This organisation specialises in biodiversity research programmes in some of the most remote, diverse but threatened environments across the world. The aim of these expeditions is to aid the development of effective long term conservation strategies that benefit both wildlife and local communities. Our students get to work alongside university academics who may specialise in fields such as herpetology, ornithology, primatology, marine biology, ethnobotany and sociology. This gives them a remarkable insight through first hand experiences. Furthermore, they have to learn to survive in field camps located in the depths of the rainforest, cooking on open fires and sleeping in hammocks as well as undergoing scuba dive training! By working with local communities there is also plenty of opportunity to learn from other cultures and to get involved in community projects, teaching English, sport, and conservation principles.

We have also run three expeditions with World Challenge, to Borneo, Peru and Venezuela through which the development of personal life skills is encouraged by allowing pupils to run a month long expedition for themselves. This begins eighteen months in advance of departure with fund raising events, research and planning the itinerary, developing expedition skills and fitness training. In country the boys have to organise all accommodation, meals and transport while embarking on the three main phases of acclimatisation, trekking and project work.

These combinations of experiences are perfectly matched to stretching the potential of older students from KES, expanding horizons through direct and relevant experience and offering insight, challenge and adventure. The outcome of our expeditions has always been that the students are empowered with a real appreciation of the value of teamwork, an immense sense of purpose and worth, a greater feeling of independence and self-sufficiency and above all a realisation of just how fortunate they are!