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| In the hot humid tropics, I find myself spending three weeks with teachers from across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. I come from Anchorage, Alaska. I have spent the last 23 years of my life in Alaska. I received my B.A. from the University of Washington, my M.Ed. from Seattle University and received my administration certificate from the University of Alaska, Juneau. My wife, Joanie, and I have two boys, ages 15 and 11. I work at Polaris K-12 School, where I teach high school biology, environmental science, science forum, and sponsor the school store and yearbook. I am the Alaska 1998 and 1999 finalist for the Presidential Award. I was selected the 1999 SEPUP Teacher of the Year at NSTA in Boston and a 1998 awardee of a Toyota Tapestry Grant. The grant was to reestablish a 2.5 acre wetlands adjacent to our school. The restoration began during the spring of 1998 and is nearing completion. We have received over $160,000 in grants and in-kind services. |  |
Projects
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The A,B,C's of La Selva
(Azteca,bugs and Cecropia) Our group studied the relationship of Azteca ants and their need for the consumption of honey dew that is generated from Mealy bugs. The Azteca queen finds a home in the a Cecropia tree and broods her colony there. |
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Reflections:
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I arrived in Costa Rica on June 29th with my family and my mother. We spent our first week in Santa Ana with the English teacher from Ciudad Colon. She was my host family when I brought a group of students here in December and January of 1999. We became tourists and visited the local sites. Our whole family enjoyed the time we spent at Magaly Castro's home. The following week Noel, another teacher from my school, and Noel's host family joined our troop and we rented a bus and driver to take us on a week's journey through the Guanacaste region. We started in Liberia, visited the Santa Rosa National Park, the beaches from Flamingo to Tamarindo. As we headed East, Monteverde was our next stop. I was able to observe the Quetzal, the ultimate prize sought by many ornithologists. Through the backcountry roads, we made our way to Lake Arenal. A boat trip to Cana Negro was a must-see for nature lovers. That evening while soaking in the hot tub, Volcan Arenal gave a brilliant display of red hot lava. Two weeks have passed, and I am to begin my course with The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. We will be traveling and studying in La Selva, Las Cruces, and Palo Verde. I would like to share with you some of my highlights from each location: LaSelva: I have never experienced such a rush as to search the rainforest during the night with my headlamp. At every turn, something was crawling, flying, or slithering by me. Some of my favorite finds were....the Red Eyed Tree Frogs, the Poison Arrow Frogs, the vine snake, and the numerous parrots that would squawk and fly past me. The Red-lored and Mealy Parrots were the most common. Las Cruces: These gardens would rival any other in the world. It was difficult to believe that there were actually over 700 species of palms located here. Our group did a lot of bird watching here. Some of my favorites included the tanagers, flycatchers, conures (Crimson-fronted Parakeet), hummingbirds (I really enjoyed watching the Green Hermit,) and the Collared Aracari. Palo Verde: The wetlands area that adjoins the Tempisque River is an enormous feeding/breediing grounds for waterfoul. The climate is very hot and humid unlike I am used to in Alaska. I saw a number of bird species but was in search of two specific birds. It was an exceptional morning for me where I had the pleasure to observe the Jabiru, Wood Stork and the Roseate Spoonbill. I had a quest to spot the Jabiru and Roseate Spoonbill and was successful in finding both. |
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In Conclusion:
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I would like to thank the Woodrow Wilson Natonal Fellowhip Foundation program for giving me the opportunity to spend three weeks in Costa Rica. I leave Costa Rica with research ideas that I will apply in my classroom this coming school year. If you are interested in a similar experiance, contact WWNFF by the link at the bottom of the page. |
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