Ms Kathleen Ireland
Reflections from the 2008 Toyota International Teacher Program to the Galápagos Islands
Ireland, left, presents at the Colegio Nacional in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz.
Oh my gosh – is it December 20 already? Where did the time go? I feel like I just got back from Ecuador. In so many ways I am still struggling to transition back to my life before that trip. What did that life entail? I can hardly remember… I was on the sustainability committee, Chairman of the curriculum committee, and Senior Dean. I was teaching AP Biology, Honors Biology, regular biology and oceanography classes. I thought I had a good idea of what it meant to be sustainable, to live so that my impact was minimal and to teach stewardship of the “aina and the kai,” as the land and sea are called in Hawaiian.
And then my life was totally shaken. I discovered that I was one of the lucky few chosen to go to the Galapagos. What an exciting honor! I got all wrapped up in the sea lions, finches, Galapagos sharks, giant tortoises, marine iguanas and lava lizards that I would be seeing. I read as many biological accounts of the flora and fauna of the islands as I could find. I began to incorporate these organisms into my classroom discussions. We started a comparison of the Hawaiian Island chain and the Galapagos in my two senior classes: Oceanography and AP Biology. The geological similarities were startling to the students. Why then did we not have penguins here? Where was the evidence of evolution on our islands? I left for the trip enthused about the biota I would see, promising to send back podcasts of my adventures that might help the students piece together the differences between these two island archipelagos: Their own Hawaiian island chain and the islands of the Galapagos. Little did I realize that this trip would re-ignite and invigorate my efforts to help Maui county residents balance life in paradise with the realities of human existence.
Slightly jet-lagged and more than a little apprehensive to meet those with whom I would be sharing this adventure, I felt a bit like a herded farm animal those first few days. Sit here, listen to these talks, eat here with everyone else and try to get to know them, get on a bus and walk through the Everglades. Admittedly I lost my focus, following along blindly like that farm animal, with more questions in my head than answers. In truth, I was baffled by our initial tour of the Everglades. While there, I thoroughly enjoyed the information we were given about the plans to restore the water flow, and it was great fun to walk through the water to the cypress bowl, but the point to our visit was lost on me. Weren’t we going to see some incredible animals, and weren’t we going to be able to interact with them in a way unparalleled in the rest of the world, Florida Everglades included? Dutifully I took pictures and created my first podcast for my students despite my confusion. (I will attach the link to all of these at the end of this narrative for you. They have already begun to impact my students and the greater community in ways far greater than I intended.) The creation of that podcast allowed me to reflect a bit on the day’s adventures. Did I hear that the National Park Service felt that education was the way to ensure a promising future for the Everglades? Did they honestly say that their restoration plan depends on the consent and understanding of the nearby population? I sat back and wondered, “Can that be achieved, given the mindset of the typical American towards ecological issues?” My inner passion for protecting the environment through mentoring, teaching, and demonstrating began to flicker again. Can I make a difference? I tried in my first podcast to shed a positive light on the troubles of the Everglades, and to relate them to those troubles Maui is experiencing. As we headed into San Cristobal, I was once again swept up in the excitement of the biology of the islands. What changes would that cold water make in the life of these islands as compared to my home? Immediately upon landing, I was engrossed in the flora. It looked like Makena! I felt like I knew what to expect. The evidence of human habitation was a bit more disturbing than what I see on the South shore of Maui, but I passed that off as a difference in culture. Sea lions, Sally Lightfoot crabs, blue footed boobies, frigates, and even a small gray marine iguana greeted us at the shores of the hotel. I found myself turning around often though, to view the streets of the town. It was not affluent by Maui standards, but there was an attitude I had not felt in my home. What was it? Pride. That was it. Pride in what was there, pride in how they were able to live side by side with the National Park, and pride in their innovative sustainable practices. We were told to conserve water during showers. The three types of trash receptacles were explained once, and we were expected to comply. This sustainable living was a matter of course, not a matter of choice. Conserve. Think before using or disposing. Reuse. Recycle. Enjoy the wildlife, but stay within limits. Do no harm.
This undercurrent of sustainable living practices was evident in every port. When visiting the schools in San Cristobal, we saw that ecology and the interdisciplinary nature of life was either taught outright or used as a backdrop for other subjects. The 4th grade students I visited enthusiastically discussed food webs with me, while another class took their “American teacher” on their field trip to the recycling plant with them, showing her how the waste that they personally generated was handled once they disposed of it properly. The adults of the community were divided between those who expressed a passion for limiting their impact, and those for whom the rules of the National Park felt limiting and superfluous. I had my first real awakening to the plight of the Galapaguenos when I talked with the principle of the school I was visiting. He was frustrated with the “ridiculous and limiting laws” governing the use of the land adjacent to his school. This parkland was off limits to building or to dumping of the school’s recent construction refuse. He actually asked me how I thought San Cristobal could become more like Honolulu. I was appalled, and tried to convey to him the complete loss of habitat and natural environment that Oahu has sustained. Unfortunately our language barrier, along with our completely opposing views of acceptable progress, allowed little meaningful exchange of ideas or passions. I left San Cristobal musing on the difference in attitude between the two generations, realizing that the teachers and the curriculum were steering the community toward sustainable practices. In my podcasts from San Cristobal I tried to convey some of the civilian pride as well as the interdisciplinary approach to environmental issues. Visiting the uninhabited islands, and experiencing the wildlife of the Galapagos was unparalleled in my personal sphere. I freely admit that I had tears in my eyes more often than not, witnessing the variety of animal and plant life found on the islands. This was what I originally thought the trip would entail, and I was not disappointed in the least. I sent back podcasts filled with the sights and sounds of these natural areas, and my enthusiasm for what I saw was evident in my voice. On board the ship, I had more than a few uncomfortable moments though, looking at the use of plastics and the generation of so much waste inherent in the cruise amenities. I felt a bit hypocritical and tried not to add unnecessarily to the waste generated by the cruise. On Santa Cruz, I was thoroughly struck by the generational differences in sustainable practices. The streets were not as clean as those of San Cristobal, and the adults we met were more involved in the daily struggles to put food on the table and less interested in how they were affecting their island. School programs reflected the ecological responsibility of humans to the land and the animals, with some obvious successes in the attitude of the students. We saw evidence of this in their artwork, speeches, music and dance. The trash was still sorted, at least that which actually made it to the cans, and the adjacent parklands remained relatively free of excess human influence. The native plant sales at the Darwin Center reminded me that Maui could begin a program like that reaping gains in environmental sustainability with little effort.
Our trip to the recycling center was a perfect culmination to the island trips. Here we saw firsthand the effects of a small group of passionate people, both students and adults. The success of the recycling program is astounding, especially given the lack of public understanding just 10 years ago. Here was proof that a few well-informed passionate individuals could make a huge difference in the health of an island. If it can happen in the Galapagos, it can happen in the Hawaiian Islands. Although I began this trip as a participant in sustainable practices and educational committees devoted to these ideals, I was merely a participant. I knew it to be an important topic, and I wanted to address it but felt that I was relatively impotent. Now that I have seen evidence of the power of action by a passionate few, I am far more vocal and active. This is reflected in my daily teaching, as already some of my freshman students have commented that I have presented a hopeful future for them rather than the depressing discussions they usually hear. Together my students and I have made plans to reuse household plastics and create a sustainable garden on campus. They are excited to learn that they really can make a difference, and had lots of questions for me about the students who started the recycling center on Santa Cruz. I plan to try some video conferencing or some electronic communications with Ulf and my classes so that they can take ownership of a small project on Maui. The adage “think globally, act locally” is now above my door in my classroom. I will do my best to make a difference on this island, beginning with my students and continuing with my own actions. This trip has given me an incredible amount of hope for the future, something I did not expect at all when I initially heard I was one of the “top 3%!” You can view my podcasts at the following link. This is a copy of the email that went out to the Seabury Hall community while I was away:
If you are interested in learning more about the Galapagos Islands, check out Dr. Kate's travelogue.
It is also a good example of using podcasting for sharing an educational experience.
http://web.me.com/iseabury/Seabury_Science/Dr._Kate/Archive.html
Our technology teacher, Roberta Hodara, assisted me in getting the podcasts up and functioning in an easy format. Additionally, I have created a book of my photos and experiences that is currently being shipped. I had it shipped to my home address because I thought it would not make it to you by the December 22 deadline. It now looks like I will have it on Monday, and I am sorry that I didn’t just send it on to you directly! (I could have written less here!) As it stands, I will send you a copy after Christmas. Please consider it part of my reflection, as that was my original intention.