Mr Thomas Flanagan
Mr. Flanagan's Wiki Page!
Hello everyone, this is the front page to my virtual classroom. Although I will place my general thoughts and biographical information onto this front page, please follow the links below to see assignments, readings, and my photo gallery. Your comments are very welcome.
November 25th, 12:12 AM
Hola from Quito, Ecuador! Our group arrived here in Ecuador's capital city at around 9:00 PM after spending a couple great days in Miami. Saturday served as a get-to-know-you day for all of us teachers, and it was exciting to meet so many accomplished, passionate educators from all over the USA. On Sunday, we traveled to Everglades National Park, where we hiked and spotted herons, cormorants, anhingas (yeah look this one up!), and alligators. Then we went slogging, which is exactly what it sounds like -- wading through waist-high water and trudging through ankle-deep muck. This slogging hike took us to a collection of cypress trees growing within the swamp, called a cyprus dome. We were told that a female alligator sometimes calls the dome home, but fortunately for us, she wasn't there when we visited.
Before flying out on Monday, we listened to a fascinating lecture by our study leader, Dr. Arturo Keller, Professor of Biogeochemistry from the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at University of California, Santa Barbara. He spoke about sustainability issues facing our country and planet -- principally issues involving water as a precious and limited resource. After his lecture, we were off to Miami International Airport and soon in the air on the way to Quito.
Our entire group cannot wait to arrive at the Galapagos Islands tomorrow. We will be flying to San Cristobal Island, where we will be based for a couple of days. So tomorrow I get to step onto the shores of the Galapagos Islands for the first time. I keep thinking about how over 170 years ago Darwin was about my age when he explored the Islands. And although I probably won't come up with a theory that will revolutionize science, I hope that you will continue to follow along with my journey by reading these entries.
Buenas noches, Flan
November 25th, 9:02 A.M.
Hey sports fans, I'm sitting in the airport, eagerly anticipating our flight to the Galapagos. I just wanted to post a link before we take off.
One of our teachers on this trip, Mr. Andy Lombardo from Tennessee, is carrying a GPS device that tracks him (and our group). Check out this link to see where we are at any given time! http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0JXynarAdhs9Whlr5C9eE6NaBqJWzRzSJ
Well, that's all I have time for right now. Take care, and the next time I write, I'll be in the Galapagos!
Adios, Flan
November 26th, 6:44 P.M.
Hello from the Galapagos! I am currently writing this entry from an internet cafe in San Cristobal Island, the eastern-most and oldest of the Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos archipelago is an island chain that formed in a similar fashion to the Hawaiian Islands -- by means of a hot spot. Here is the first extra credit opportunity for my classes: Describe how an archipelago forms as a result of a hot spot.
As opposed to most of the other islands, San Cristobal has a good amount of vegetation. Today we traveled up to the highlands at an elevation of only about 700 ft. We peered into the only freshwater lake on the island and watched as the smoky, white mist swept in, enveloping us and hiding the coastline and other small islands in the distance. This experience demonstrated to me why these islands used to be known as Las Encantadas (the Enchanted Islands). For many years after their discovery by Europeans, the Galapagos Islands were not mapped, and their existence was debated by many who traversed the Pacific west of Ecuador. Many called the islands a myth because they never saw them. Others swore they saw them disappear before their eyes. This latter observation is what I experienced as the shroud of cloud rolled in and made the island vanish.
We also had the opportunity today to visit a finca (farm), where we sampled fresh fruits such as watermelon, bananas, oranges, and tree tomatoes. Tree tomatoes are small fruits about the size of a golf ball that are orange in color, and when sliced open spill out slimy, red seeds which are sweet and tart. The farm also grows coffee, and we learned about the process of producing coffee beans from start to finish. We even had a chance to sample the finished product. And what cup of coffee would be complete without a little milk? The farm also has cows -- some raised for milk and other unluckier ones for beef. I met a milk cow up close and personal, as I had the chance to milk a cow for the first time! All agreed that I was a natural, as I exhibited flawless technique that produced an impressive yield of white slosh in the bucket.
Finally, our group traveled to a Galapagos Tortoise Conservation Center, where we had an opportunity to see the giants up close. This is what I had been waiting for! We saw several of the enormous tortoises and also viewed baby tortoises, which were produced as a result of the captive breeding program. This breeding program has been operating since 2005 on San Cristobal in an effort to restore the wild Galapagos Tortoise population. When the young tortoises are old enough, they will be introduced into the wild. About 30,000 tortoises live throughout the Galapagos Islands. This number is a pittance compared to the 250,000 tortoises, which scientists believe once called the archipelago home. Extra credit opportunity number two: Discuss the reasons from the past that decimated the Galapagos Tortoise population. Also, discuss the current obstacles facing the surviving species today.
Well, my hour here at the internet cafe is about to expire. Thank you to all who have read and commented on this page. I hope that you are enjoying the pictures and the updates. If you want to do an extra credit assignment, email me at my new trier email account.
Happy Thanksgiving everybody!
Flan
November 27th, 6:33 P.M.
¡Feliz Dia de Gracias! I want to say a special Happy Thanksgiving to my wife, Erin, and to all of our family. I miss you all a lot and I wish I could be eating turkey with you today. I hope that everyone reading this has enjoyed a special day with their families.
I am excited to report that today was my favorite day of the entire trip so far. We are still on San Cristobal Island and today all of the Toyota teachers visited classrooms at various schools around the island. I visited a school named Instituto de Alejandro Humboldt. Alejandro Humboldt is a secundaria, a high school which teaches what would equate to grades 7-12 in the States. I had the pleasure of visiting and teaching a biology class with Karen Cruse, an AP Biology teacher and Forensic Anthropologist from Cincinatti, Ohio. We introduced ourselves, told the students a little about ourselves and home towns, and we conducted a lab in which we extracted and collected DNA from the students´cheek cells. Karen taught the class in English, and I am proud to say that I was able to translate and teach the entire class in Spanish. I surprised myself, as I was able to speak and teach about a scientific concept for about 70 minutes en Espanol. I used words like lipidas, nucleo, celulas, membrana celular, membrana nuclear, and organelos. To my New Trier students... do you think that you can translate those? Also, DNA doesn´t translate exactly to Spanish. In Spanish it is ADN. Anyway, it was pretty cool to teach a class in Spanish.
I would be lying if I said that I was flawless, because I was anything but perfect. My best line came when I was introducing myself. I wanted to tell them about my home town, so I tried to say ¨Chicago is my birth place¨, which in Spanish would be ¨Chicago es la ciudad de mi nacimiento¨. However, instead I said ¨Chicago es la ciudad de mi nieto¨, which translates into ¨Chicago is the town of my grandson¨. Needless to say, the kids got a kick out of that one!
We had a wonderful time with the students of Alejandro Humboldt and had an opportunity to talk to them after our lab was finished. I think that it is fitting that we spent today with Galapagueno students on Thanksgiving Day. Walking around the campus and in the lab impressed upon me how much I take for granted. The school has few functioning computers (from 1998), no internet, and one dated laboratory with limited supplies and an insufficient number of lab stools for all of the students. I think it is important to realize how good we have it at New Trier. Many of the students also asked about how they could study in the USA...and how they could move there for good. What may be an afterthought for us is on the wish list of others. So, this visit to Alejandro Humboldt reminded me to appreciate all that I have been blessed with, and I think reflecting on this is a healthy exercise for all of us...and not just on Thanksgiving Day.
Once again, I want to send my thanks to all of you who are reading this. I hope that you have/had a wonderful holiday!
Flan
P.S. We have a professional blogger for Treehugger.com traveling with us and documenting all of our experiences. Click on Treehugger.com on the left menu and read about what our entire group does each day.
November 28th, 11:47 P.M.
Greetings everyone! Tonight I am writing to you from the MV Santa Cruz, a cruise ship here in the Galapagos. After yesterday's school visit, a bunch of us went snorkeling with sea turtles and last night we celebrated Thanksgiving Galapagos style...complete with pavo (turkey) and salsa dancing. Last night we met the 9 Galapagueno teachers that will be joining us for the next three days. We'll be working together to create lessons that we can all incorporate into our curricula, and hopefully we can continue to collaborate well after we return to our schools.
We boarded the Santa Cruz this afternoon and after a wonderful lunch and the safety routine, we took pangas (dingy-type boats) to the shore to snorkel. I saw some sting rays, which was the highlight underneath the water. The high point of the day, though, was the trip back to the boat, watching the sun set over Kicker Rock (Check out the pictures in the gallery section!) I just sat there, looking around, thinking, "I can't believe I'm here!".
Tomorrow we're off to do some deep-water snorkeling and supposedly sharks are expected to be part of the itinerary, so check back tomorrow!
Flan
November 30, 5:33 A.M.
¡Buenos Dias! Right now the sun is just about to come up as our ship is passing between the islands of Isabella and Fernandina. But before I start thinking about what today will hold, allow me to update you on what´s happened since I last wrote.
First of all, sea lions have occupied every beach that we have visited in the Galapagos so far. And they are awesome! It is surreal to walk down a beach and have to slalom through the sea lions, as they readjust to find more comfortable sun bathing positions. It is hilarious to listen to them communicate with each other as they heave gutteral expletives, which grace the ears much like the bellowing of a seasick tourist (something my roommate has had to endure, unfortunately). And the baby sea lion pups are adorable. They flop around and playfully bite each other, just like puppies do. When they´ve had enough or want to go see mom, they emit squeeks and buzzes, which are much cuter than the language used by their older relatives. The mannerisms of sea lions and dogs are amazingly similar, evidenced by the way they contort themselves to scratch themselves with their hind flippers to relieve an itch. Whenever I watch them, I can´t stop thinking about my puppy, Maddie. Thankfully, our dog smells better than the sea lions. If dogs had the opportunity to roll in whatever they liked and if they ate nothing but fish, then you´d know the aroma...
Yesterday was an incredible day for wildlife. I have never observed so many animals up close; it was as if we were in a zoo without railings or cages. In the morning we disembarked on Española, the oldest of the major islands. There, we came face to face with blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, mockingbirds, albatrosses, lava lizards, and marine iguanas galore. Seeing the prehistoric-looking marine iguanas sunbathing on the rocks was a thrill only exceeded by watching them swim in the open ocean. These are the only marine lizards on the planet and it was exciting to see them navigate the sea. Another highlight on our Española hike was witnessing the mating dance of two albatrosses. Their routine appeared to be thoroughly rehearsed as their heads bobbed, feet kicked, and beaks clacked in unison. Not far away could be seen albatross chicks, which were as big as the adults, but with an 18th-century wig of curly gray feathers adorning their heads. Española is the only place in the world where albatrosses nest, so this was a special sight.
In the afternoon came the deepwater snorkeling adventure. Unfortunately, I didn´t see any sharks, but I did swim with sea lions and swam alongside a spotted-eagle ray. Witnessing the sea lions effortlessly propel themselves through the water and admiring the eagle ray´s fluid grace were awe-inspiring.
After snorkeling, we set off for Floreana Island, the southernmost major island, which has no freshwater reserves and only brackish ponds. However, on these brackish ponds were some of the Galapagos´most intriguing creatures -- pink flamingos. We watched as they cautiously waded through the water, their knees bending backwards to allow easier passage and a sturdier foundation. As we were observing them, a larger flock of flamingos flew in for a slick water landing. We were told that it is very rare to see flamingos in flight, so we were lucky with that one. Finally, we made our way to a beach where we witnessed the landfall of a female green sea turtle. She lay on the damp sand for minutes, eyeing us with apprehension before she returned to the sea. In addition to the sea turtle, the surf brought several sting rays to shore. Many of us stepped into the ocean, the water merely touching our mid-calves, as the rays drifted at the surf´s discretion past our tingling toes. As we left the island of Floreana, two spectacular sunsets bid us farewell -- one on the horizon, the other burning on the ripples of the flamingo pond.
Needless to say, it was a mesmerizing day. I took over 400 pictures yesterday alone. Hopefully I will have a chance to post a few today. Enjoy the last day of Thanksgiving break, everybody!
Flan
December 5th, 2:41 A.M.
Hello again from Ecuador! I want to begin by apologizing for not writing the last few days, but I have not had internet access until this evening. Our group disembarked from the cruise ship for good on Monday, and we spent the last three nights on the island of Santa Cruz, the most populated of all the Galapagos Islands. On Monday, all of the American and Galapagueno teachers presented ways in which we can continue our collaboration at an event at a Santa Cruz School. Once again, I did my best to translate our presentation into Spanish. If you want to check out a picture of our group delivering our presentation, check out Blog #14 on the Treehugger.com blog on the left menu.
A few other cool things that we did over the last few days:
1) Visited a foundation in the highlands of Santa Cruz, where whe planted endemic Scalesia trees as a part of a reforestation project.
2) Toured the Charles Darwin Research Center, where we saw several huge Galapagos Tortoises, including Lonseome George, who is the last of his species (from Pinta Island). We also saw the beautiful yellow-orange land iguanas there.
3) Learned about the recycling project on the Galapagos Islands. It's amazing that a developing region like the Galapagos can be ahead of the USA when it comes to recycling, but it's the truth.
4) Went sea-kayaking in Tortuaga Bay, where we came within inches of sea turtles, sting rays, and white-tipped reef sharks.
Thursday, December 4th was basically a travel day in which we said goodbye to the Enchanted Islands and made our way to Ecuador. We arrived this evening, and I am now fighting off sleep as I finish this blog entry. Tomorrow is our final day, in which I will be traveling to a cloud rainforest to hike and witness more amazing wildlife, but in a totally different habitat from what we experienced in the Galapagos.
I want to take a moment to thank all of you who have been reading this blog. I have loved reading your comments, and I will answer your questions when I return. I was really hoping that this site would allow me to share my experiences with you, and I am so happy that many of you took me up on it. In a couple days, I will be back with you, enduring the snow and cold of Chicago winter, and I so look forward to seeing you again and sharing more wonderful stories, pictures, and information.
Buenas noches, Flan
P.S. One more extra credit opportunity: Answer and explain the following questions in a paragraph: 1) What is the difference between endemic and native species? 2) What is the difference between non-native and invasive species? 3) What are five examples of invasive species found in the Galapagos Islands? 4) What are five examples of invasive species found in Illinois? 5) What actions are being taken in Galapagos and Illinios to control invasive species?
December 7th, 11:06 P.M.
I sit here at my computer at home in chilly Chicago writing this final entry. I arrived back in Chicago last night after a full day of travel that spanned a few thousand miles. As our plane was landing, I looked out of the window and saw white snow instead of white sand. It will take me a few days to get used to this winter thing...
The last couple days of our trip were spent in Ecuador's capital city: Quito. This is the city where we began the South American leg of our journey, and I'm very happy that we had a chance to experience some nature and culture on Ecuador's mainland, in addition to that which we saw on the Galapagos Islands. On Friday, I visited the Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve. What a gorgeous place! At an altitude of about 7,000 feet, this forest is covered by clouds much of the time...hence the name. While we were there, there was either a light drizzle or a fine mist that followed us through the dense vegetation. Although it possessed many of the same species of plants that are found in traditional rain forests, the cloud forest is different in that the temperature is in the 60's instead of 80's. The high elevation causes this, and due to the high rate of precipitation, plants grow furiously. Bromeliads, mosses, and epiphytes abound with plants growing on the branches of other plants. In addition to the flora, we witnessed an impressive number of rare bird species. Dozens of hummingbirds buzzed past our heads and several other colorful species were visible, including a "Cock of the Rock" and a Toucan.
After our visit to the cloud forest, our entire group shared a farewell dinner in Quito's historic Old Town. We dined in the courtyard of an old convent, which was the site at which Ecuador's Declaration of Independence was first signed. To have a private dinner in such a historically relevant place was surreal. After dinner, we walked through the Old Town's plaza, which was beautifully illuminated. The white, colonial facades of the buildings glowed above swaying, green palm trees. We continued walking down Quito's cobbled streets until we came upon our ride home -- a rickety, open air truck complete with vibrant decor, benches, a band riding on the roof, but no doors to be found. This past week Quito celebrated the founding of the city by the Spanish, and the largest fiestas of Quito's year occur during this time. The party bus that we boarded is called a chiva. Chivas are trucks that are usually used to transport chickens, goats, or vegetables in smaller Ecuadorian towns outside of Quito, but during the fiesta week, these chivas migrate to Quito, where they are adorned with festive decorations and outfitted with bands that play Quito's anthem continuously. Our group of teachers had a blast riding the chiva all around Quito before it dropped us off at our hotel.
The chiva ride marked a marvelous end to an unforgettable trip. The past two weeks surpassed every expectation that I had going into the trip. What I learned while visiting the Galapagos Islands is irreplaceable, and I cannot wait to share it with my students, fellow teachers, and whoever else will listen. And just as special as the exotic places I visited were the people I traveled with. To spend time with so many accomplished, dynamic educators was energizing and inspiring. I look forward to learning and sharing more with all of these great teachers in the future.
I want to thank all of you who have taken the time to follow along with my updates. I hope that the excitement, intrigue, and fascination that I experienced during this trip were made palpable in the words of this blog. If not, I have a few thousand photos that will!
Adios, Flan