I have Not written anything for a long time but my friend Mary has inspired me to write something.
We are now one and a half semester into our graduate program here at UNH. It has been semi-tough, mostly exhausting, and long nights of reading. I think it is just amount of work that I get, plus soccer, plus the New England Aquarium, plus babysitting here and there!
Yep. That is right. The NEAQ...another place where I volunteer my time. That is right. NO MONEY! And I commute from Dover to Boston twice a week. It is worth it! I am enjoying myself when I am there. And the alligator presentation I gave Sunday made me happy! I love the 'wow' that the visitors get...especially with George the ocotopus!
All and all things are on the up and up...
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Sunday, July 29, 2007
The Last Week is Approaching
Hello all.
So, the last week is here. It went by so fast. A little too fast but I have learned a lot so far!
Group Vernal is doing great and I am excited to see our finishing project this week. We are doing our lesson plan out on the Tamposi Wednesday and Thursday is the last day when we present everything! I am currently working on a website that we can have out there for the general public that has little bit about vernal pools in general and a little bit about our project. Wednesday we did vegetation plots. Two on what we have deemed the vernal pool interior and one right on the border. In these plots we determined which was the dominate trees, shrubs/saplings, and herbaceous species. The information we found supported that we in fact were in a pretty large vernal pool. Very exciting! Here are some of the vegetation that we saw and if you like you can research what is and isn't a wetland species!
Black Huckleberry
Royal Fern
Common Highbush Blueberry
Until later...
So, the last week is here. It went by so fast. A little too fast but I have learned a lot so far!
Group Vernal is doing great and I am excited to see our finishing project this week. We are doing our lesson plan out on the Tamposi Wednesday and Thursday is the last day when we present everything! I am currently working on a website that we can have out there for the general public that has little bit about vernal pools in general and a little bit about our project. Wednesday we did vegetation plots. Two on what we have deemed the vernal pool interior and one right on the border. In these plots we determined which was the dominate trees, shrubs/saplings, and herbaceous species. The information we found supported that we in fact were in a pretty large vernal pool. Very exciting! Here are some of the vegetation that we saw and if you like you can research what is and isn't a wetland species!
Black Huckleberry
Royal Fern
Common Highbush Blueberry
Until later...
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
The Future
Day 10
Last night I attended a portfolio presentation and it gave me a better idea of what the next year will hold for me! It was quite exciting. And I must say that I really enjoyed to presentations last night. One presentation had us competing in a pseudo Iron Chef and another had as building a Gundalow. It was a lot of fun and I truly believe that the New Group ruled the Iron Chef with our awesome salsa on a baguette with mozzarella cheese. Mmmm, mmmm, good.
Today is almost over but not for me because I have to go home and deal with my computer's wireless not working. Oy vey...
Last night I attended a portfolio presentation and it gave me a better idea of what the next year will hold for me! It was quite exciting. And I must say that I really enjoyed to presentations last night. One presentation had us competing in a pseudo Iron Chef and another had as building a Gundalow. It was a lot of fun and I truly believe that the New Group ruled the Iron Chef with our awesome salsa on a baguette with mozzarella cheese. Mmmm, mmmm, good.
Today is almost over but not for me because I have to go home and deal with my computer's wireless not working. Oy vey...
Monday, July 23, 2007
Monday Gloom
Day 9
This weekend we spent time writing the first draft of our Pedagogy, my "I believe" statement related to environmental education. The beginning of a paper is what I spend most of my time concentrating on. Which doesn't mean to say that the rest won't be great! I just feel a strong introduction really attracts the reader. All together it was a great weekend because I was able to explore Southern New Hampshire too. I spent some time at the Bellamy Reservoir and Pawtuckaway! Oh and Harry Potter 7 was thrown into the mix!
This day is dedicated to our projects so Team Vern went out into the field. Our initial consensus was that there would be no water in Laverne and Shirley. We even made a friendly wager with Eleanor. We were wrong! Dead wrong. Barrington and it's surrounding towns had some severe rain storms Thursday (Team Vernal was privy to the beginning of the storm!), which we are assuming filled up Laverne and Shirley. However, living in the area I was able to partake in the beautiful sunny days we had this weekend and I would have bet there would be no water. It was amazing to see so much water and Shirley's area was higher than it had been last week. It was very cool to see!
This was Thursday, July 19th:
This was Monday, July 23rd:
This weekend we spent time writing the first draft of our Pedagogy, my "I believe" statement related to environmental education. The beginning of a paper is what I spend most of my time concentrating on. Which doesn't mean to say that the rest won't be great! I just feel a strong introduction really attracts the reader. All together it was a great weekend because I was able to explore Southern New Hampshire too. I spent some time at the Bellamy Reservoir and Pawtuckaway! Oh and Harry Potter 7 was thrown into the mix!
This day is dedicated to our projects so Team Vern went out into the field. Our initial consensus was that there would be no water in Laverne and Shirley. We even made a friendly wager with Eleanor. We were wrong! Dead wrong. Barrington and it's surrounding towns had some severe rain storms Thursday (Team Vernal was privy to the beginning of the storm!), which we are assuming filled up Laverne and Shirley. However, living in the area I was able to partake in the beautiful sunny days we had this weekend and I would have bet there would be no water. It was amazing to see so much water and Shirley's area was higher than it had been last week. It was very cool to see!
This was Thursday, July 19th:
This was Monday, July 23rd:
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Nervous to Calm to Mosquitoes!
Day 8
The day began with my facilitation on our previous night readings, Caring for the Planet and The Land Ethic. I guess you can say I played to our class strength and we had a discussion mainly on manifestos. It was quite interesting and in the end we came up with our own class manifesto that incorporated everyone's beliefs.
Summer Institute Manifesto:
The day began with my facilitation on our previous night readings, Caring for the Planet and The Land Ethic. I guess you can say I played to our class strength and we had a discussion mainly on manifestos. It was quite interesting and in the end we came up with our own class manifesto that incorporated everyone's beliefs.
Summer Institute Manifesto:
- Educational Approach/Mindset-integrate teaching with world views
- Want vs. Need
- Involved in community
- Just a citizen-responsibility and reaching
- Respect-bottom up effect
- Leading by example
- Checks & Balances
- Spirituality/Religious values
The Tree that had a House
She existed as one.
Standing firm against the strong winds from the west,
Contesting the shake from below the surface,
Thriving even if the year brought no solace,
Defying the dryness in the air.
She existed as one, but not alone.
A friend to us and a refuge for others,
Situated in the heart of a city,
With the feeling of detachment from the echo of I-10.
She existed as one.
As one with age shown in her side,
And the scars of childhood memories.
With a constant sticky reminder,
Like cotton candy on a hot day.
She existed as one.
Her house a platform of wood to the naked eye,
But in the eyes of her friends a whole new world,
A world where Rainbow Brite was nurtured,
And pirates were being thwarted from coming aboard.
She existed as one.
A love that was shared.
A place that was home.
A haven for all.
She was one.
The end of the day found us with the mosquitoes at our site. Laverne and Shirley were significantly smaller, even with the overnight rain! It will be interesting to see what Monday will bring us, if anything? We started mapping the perimeter of the vernal pool. It is a lot larger than I imagined. Oh and guess what? Our moose were back again!
Here is cool picture of fungus we found along the way:
Here is cool picture of fungus we found along the way:
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Laverne and Shirley
Day 6 and 7
Yes I know what you may be thinking but I am not talking about these gal's:
The real Laverne and Shirley are on the Tamposi:
This is where a majority of our project will be done. We are Group Vernal and it just seemed to be appropriate for our two pools to be named Laverne and Shirley.
These last two days we have had some really great facilitations. We got to sculpt stumps out of clay, take a tree tour of UNH, and meditate out on the Tamposi at the Beaver Pond (with lots of mosquitoes too). We also have gotten a lot accomplished with our pedagogies and I am really pleased with the direction my belief went. I do have to admit that my outline took a few more hours then I had expected but I am still alive.
It was really great to go to our vernal pool site on Wednesday to take all our pool measurements and note what is living in the pools. We saw some green frogs, a few tow biters (yuck), water scorpions, and much more. It was very cool. Also, it seems the area is a sort of moose highway since the last two days we have had fresh tracks! Very exciting and hope we get to see him or her...from a distance!
Mr. Tow Biter (Giant Water Bug) and a Green Frog!
Yes I know what you may be thinking but I am not talking about these gal's:
The real Laverne and Shirley are on the Tamposi:
This is where a majority of our project will be done. We are Group Vernal and it just seemed to be appropriate for our two pools to be named Laverne and Shirley.These last two days we have had some really great facilitations. We got to sculpt stumps out of clay, take a tree tour of UNH, and meditate out on the Tamposi at the Beaver Pond (with lots of mosquitoes too). We also have gotten a lot accomplished with our pedagogies and I am really pleased with the direction my belief went. I do have to admit that my outline took a few more hours then I had expected but I am still alive.
It was really great to go to our vernal pool site on Wednesday to take all our pool measurements and note what is living in the pools. We saw some green frogs, a few tow biters (yuck), water scorpions, and much more. It was very cool. Also, it seems the area is a sort of moose highway since the last two days we have had fresh tracks! Very exciting and hope we get to see him or her...from a distance!
Mr. Tow Biter (Giant Water Bug) and a Green Frog!
Monday, July 16, 2007
The Big Day!
Day 5
Today we chose our projects! I am very excited to be part of Group Vernal! We will be studying one particular vernal pool that is right off the Tibbets trail and taking what we find and looking for other vernal pools in the area.
We began this morning with three really great facilitations! We started out using our creative side to describe a special place that is dear to our heart and makes us feel like we have a sense of place. I really enjoyed listening and seeing other people's places. For me it was hard to describe but I did my best. In the end it actually made me kind of homesick. Below is the poem I wrote about my place:
Today we chose our projects! I am very excited to be part of Group Vernal! We will be studying one particular vernal pool that is right off the Tibbets trail and taking what we find and looking for other vernal pools in the area.
We began this morning with three really great facilitations! We started out using our creative side to describe a special place that is dear to our heart and makes us feel like we have a sense of place. I really enjoyed listening and seeing other people's places. For me it was hard to describe but I did my best. In the end it actually made me kind of homesick. Below is the poem I wrote about my place:
Paradise Cove
There is a spot we cherish,
Tucked away by Point Dume.
Where if by land or by sea,
I feel like I'm home.
The smell of salt is in the air,
And the kelp beds are quite abundant.
Just below the surface you enter another world,
A world not belonging to us,
but a world where tranquility resides.
A place I call home where I may not rest my head,
A place that reminds me of my life as a child,
A place so beautiful it will take your breath away.
There is a spot we cherish,
Tucked away by Point Dume.
Where if by land or by sea,
I feel like I'm home.
The smell of salt is in the air,
And the kelp beds are quite abundant.
Just below the surface you enter another world,
A world not belonging to us,
but a world where tranquility resides.
A place I call home where I may not rest my head,
A place that reminds me of my life as a child,
A place so beautiful it will take your breath away.
The great aspect of this class is that you are allowed to be you. Your thoughts and ideas are never wrong or dumb, and I love that. We are connecting physically and emotionally with our surroundings and what I am learning in this class I want to take with me in my next journey.
Quote of the day:
-Wendell Berry
Quote of the day:
If you don't know where you are, you don't know who you are.
-Wendell Berry
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