Earthwatch awards 43 educators from 10 states and 10 countries fellowships with funding from multiple donors including National Geographic Education Foundation
Maynard, MA -Teachers from California, Florida, Massachusetts, Maine, Mississippi, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, and Washington, and ten countries will venture to the vast wetlands of Brazil's Pantanal, Kenya's Samburu District, the Washington State's North Cascades, and other points on the globe during July and August to work with leading scientists on Earthwatch conservation research projects.
The U.S. participants, forming teams with colleagues from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Ghana, Japan, Portugal, and Switzerland will map and monitor endangered ecosystems and the impacts of human activities on wildlife habitats. Upon return home the international teams will share lessons learned locally through activities with students and workshops with colleagues.
"Strengthening Geography through Conservation Field Work," now in its third year, is part of a nationwide partnership developed by Earthwatch Institute with a grant from National Geographic Education Foundation (NGEF). Additional fellowship award support comes from the Ford Motor Company Fund, the Geraldine Dodge R. Foundation, the Phil Hardin Foundation, the Maine Community Foundation, and the Rhode Island Foundation. The program promotes collaboration among science and geography educators and provides applied research experience using a variety of research tools including Geographic Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
"This is precisely the academic ‘hands-on' field training that raises the flat map to life," says Stephen Cunha, professor of geography and coordinator of the California Geographic Alliance. "This initiative tackles the dire need to advance standards-based teacher content proficiency in geography and the geosciences."
"National Geographic is proud of its role in helping states and local communities restore geography to the classroom. We believe today's students must have a sound knowledge of geography to prepare for their role as stewards of the planet," says Barbara Chow, vice president for education and children's programs at NGEF. "Our grants help bring geography into kids' daily lives."
Participants, ranging from elementary to secondary level educators, were selected through a competitive application process publicized in collaboration with state geographic alliances, science associations, technology partners, and the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) program.
Paul Ryder from Deland, Florida, a high school social studies teacher for over 20 years and teacher consultant for the Florida Geographic Alliance, says that one of the reasons he applied was to see how scientists use GPS and GIS in "real world" situations. Ryder plans to use his Earthwatch experience as a catalyst in developing local conservation research and mapping activities in which students document their findings as part of an electronic community atlas posted on the Internet.
Suzanne Zilvetti, an 8th grade Earth science teacher from Ridgewood, New Jersey says her Earthwatch expedition will help to empower her students. "I want my students to understand that humans have a tremendous impact on natural resources not only in developing countries, but in densely populated urban areas like Bergen County, and that the Earth's systems are intimately connected."
Ten educator fellows, including Ryder and Zilvetti, will travel to the Samburu District of Kenya. This classic East African landscape contains one of Kenya's highest concentrations of threatened savannah wildlife, as well as supporting a growing human population. The teachers will be helping a group of scientists mapping wildlife, vegetation, and water resources to determine how wildlife populations and local livelihoods can coexist.
While Ryder and Silvetti head to Kenya, Dorothea Murray, a teacher consultant for the Mississippi Geographic Alliance and another teacher team will travel to the Pantanal in southwestern Brazil. The Pantanal is the world's largest wetlands, 24 times the size of the Everglades, with some of the most diverse tropical wildlife in South America.
Murray will conduct studies of bats, frogs, and snakes with scientists, geographers, and educators from Brazil, Belgium, and Australia. Murray says, "We should avail ourselves of every opportunity we can to develop more expertise in understanding persons from diverse cultures and backgrounds. It is of utmost importance if we are to prepare our students for success in today's global workforce."
Cynthia Hannas from Springfield, New Jersey will be wading through streams in the Pacific Northwest to help assess salmon restoration efforts. Hannas hopes to spark her students' curiosity and expand their horizons. "For many of my students, life exists within a 50-mile radius of rural northwest New Jersey."
Sara House, a teacher consultant for the Oregon Geographic Alliance is headed for the Bahamas to map coastal vegetation, comparing satellite data to on-the-ground information.House says, "I am always looking for hands on experiences and ways to integrate field work in my World Studies and freshman geography course, especially first hand knowledge."
"Strengthening Geography in Schools through Conservation Field Work" is based on Earthwatch's 30 years of experience and successful model of experiential education through field science. Earthwatch conservation projects in Brazil, the Pacific Northwest, and Kenya provide ideal settings for teachers to integrate science and geography and learn new technologies to share their findings with the educational community.
For more information on how you or your school can be involved, contact Meg Warren, Project Director, at 1-800-776-0188 x117. The complete list of fellowship winners and their destinations include:
CALIFORNIA
Laura Grenholm (Conserving the Pantanal, July 19-30, 2005)
Eco Academy HS, Los Angeles, CA
Saturnina Siggins (Salmon of the Pacific, NW, Aug 13-19, 2005)
El Serno Middle School, Los Angeles, CA
Carrie Vanderzwaag (Salmon of the Pacific, NW, Aug 13-19, 2005)
Valley Christian Middle School, Cerritos, CA
FLORIDA
Greer Harvell (Coastal Ecology of the Bahamas, July 5-15, 2005)
Elliott Point Elem. Sch, Fort Walton Beach, FL
Barbara Muren (Salmon of the Pacific, NW, July 2-8, 2005)
Polk Ave. Elem, Lake Wales, FL
Paul Ryder (Samburu Wildlife & Communities, July 5-18, 2005)
Deland HS, Deland, FL
MAINE
Jerri Brandt (Wild Dolphin Societies, Apr 3-16, 2005)
Pemetic Elem. School. Southwest Harbor, ME
Maureen Fox (Samburu Wildlife & Communities, July 5-18, 2005)
Deering HS, Portland, ME
Barbara Swisher (Jaguars & Wolves of Brazil's Grasslands, July 11-22, 2005)
Mt. Ararat Middle School, Topsham, ME
MASSACHUSETTS
Randall Hoover (Samburu Wildlife & Communities, July 5-18)
Dover-Sherborn Middle, Dover, MA
Karen Lynds (Wild Dolphin Societies, Apr 3-16, 2005)
Leeds Elem. School, Leeds, MA
MISSISSIPPI
Sherri Buchanan (Samburu Wildlife & Communities, July 5-18)
Kosciusko Sch. District, Kosciusko, MS
Dorothea Murray (Conserving the Pantanal, July 19-30, 2005)
Columbia Primary Sch, Columbia, MS
Rose Pouriraji (Coastal Ecology of the Bahamas, July 5-15, 2005)
Gulfport Central Middle School, Gulfport, MS
OREGON
Sarah Durfee (Salmon of the Pacific, NW, Aug 13-19, 2005)
Lincoln Community Sch, Accra, Ghana
Sara House (Coastal Ecology of the Bahamas, July 5-15, 2005)
Willamette HS, Eugene, OR
Jennifer Tinker (Conserving the Pantanal, July 19-30, 2005)
Wilsonville HS, Wilsonville, OR
RHODE ISLAND
Mary Barden (Conserving the Pantanal, Mar 30-Apr 10, 2005)
Davisville Middle School, North Kingston, RI
Sarah Rich (Salmon of the Pacific, NW, July 2-8, 2005)
Paul Cuffee School, Providence, RI
Cindy Ripley (Salmon of the Pacific, NW, July 2-8, 2005)
Gallagher Middle Sch, Smithfield, RI
NEW JERSEY
Daniel Federici (Salmon of the Pacific, NW, July 2-8, 2005)
Newton High School, Newton, NJ
Cynthia Hannas (Salmon of the Pacific, NW, July 2-8, 2005)
West Morris Central HS, Chester, NJ
Abby Malwitz (Samburu Wildlife & Communities, July 5-18, 205)
Green Brook Middle School, Green Brook, NJ
Susan Morton (Conserving the Pantanal, July 19-30, 2005)
Teaneck HS, Teaneck, NJ
Noel Smith (Conserving the Pantanal, July 19-30, 2005)
Lower Alloways Creek, Salem, NJ
Dianne Tassey (Salmon of the Pacific, NW, July 2-8, 2005)
Rolling Hills School, Vernon, NJ
Christine Zelenka (Samburu Wildlife & Communities, July 5-18
Memorial HS, West New York, NJ
Suzanne Zilvetti (Samburu Wildlife & Communities, July 5-18, 2005)
Geo Washington Middle, Ridgewood, NJ
UTAH
Eileen Taylor (Conserving the Pantanal, July 19-30, 2005)
West HS, Grantsville, UT
VERMONT
Jennifer Stainton (Salmon of the Pacific, NW, Aug 13-19, 2005)
The Sharon Academy, Sharon, VT
WASHINGTON
Suzanne Avery (Samburu Wildlife & Communities, July 5-18, 2005)
Westhill Elem, Bothell, WA
Jacqueline DeLazzari (Conserving the Pantanal, July 19-30, 2005)
10th St School, Marysville, WA
Nancy Webster (Wild Dolphin Societies, Apr 3-16, 2005)
Martha Lake Elementary School, Lynnwood, WA
INTERNATIONAL
Ernest Asante (Samburu Wildlife & Communities, July 5-18, 2005)
SOS-Hermann Gmeiner Intl College, Ghana
David Barrett (Conserving the Pantanal, July 19-30, 2005)
Intl Sch. of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
Mats Borgmastars (Conserving the Pantanal, July 19-30, 2005)
Scandinavian School of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
William Cordner (Samburu Wildlife & Communities, July 5-18, 2005)
Scotch College, Woodvale, Australia
Julie Hendren (Coastal Ecology of the Bahamas, July 5-15, 2005)
I.E. Weldon Sec. School, Lindsay, Ontario, Canada
Makoto Honjyo (Salmon of the Pacific, NW, Aug 13-19, 2005)
Nabari City, Japan
Sylvia Hutchison (Salmon of the Pacific, NW, Aug 13-19, 2005)
St. Johns Intl. Sch, Waterloo, Belgium
Khadijah Mumtaz (Salmon of the Pacific, NW, Aug 13-19, 2005)
Carlucci Interenational School, Lisbon, Portugal
Eleanor Richards (Conserving the Pantanal, July 19-30, 2005)
The Kilmore Intl School, Kilmore, Australia
Masayo Uchiyama (Salmon of the Pacific, NW, Aug 13-19, 2005)
Kamagaya City, Japan
Earthwatch Institute is an international nonprofit organization that supports scientific field research worldwide by offering members of the public unique opportunities to work alongside leading field scientists and researchers. Earthwatch's mission is to engage people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment.