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When Giovanna Holbrook took on the challenge of leading two University of Florida science professors and a group of naturalists to the Galápagos Islands in 1971, she had no way of knowing the lasting impact that experience would have on her life and on the lives of those traveling with her. Foregoing some creature comforts, the group journeyed throughout the archipelago aboard a retired navy vessel, propelled by their spirit of adventure and thirst for knowledge. At that time, the Galápagos was just celebrating its twelfth year as a national park, conservation work at the Charles Darwin Research Station was still in its infancy, and tourism in the islands was virtually non-existent.

Spurred by memories of her pioneering voyage to the Galapagos, a lifelong love of travel, and close ties to the local academic community, Giovanna embarked on a mission to design travel programs that were both educational and affordable. Her tireless efforts led to the birth of Holbrook Travel a few years later in 1974. Taking its first baby steps, Holbrook Travel focused on creating and running natural history programs for professors and students from the University of Florida and Santa Fé Community College in Gainesville, Florida. The company continued to grow and mature throughout the ensuing y ears, building relationships with a variety of organizations throughout the U.S. and overseas, and increasing its selection of travel destinations and program offerings.