Field Trip To WHEA

The brown anole

While I was growing up in Florida, my school would make an annual trip to the Environmental center. There we would learn about the ecosystems, animal and marine life that make up the Southern Florida coastline. It was extremely educational and supremely fun. It was always the best field trip of the year, and something I looked forward to. I even got to go while I was student teaching with my 4th grade class. As a kid, and even now as an adult I am fascinated by nature. My best friend and I in grade school used to catch tree-crabs in the intra-coastal waterway to put them on our fingers and boldly declare we were going to marry marine biologists. In college, I would sit out on the front porch of the dorm in the evenings with my future husband and be entranced by the dance of the brown anole lizard and most parts of their very public lifestyle (they have no shame in reproducing with or eating each other). I do, I'll repeat,  I DO brake for birds. I'm fascinated by them, and yes I have imagined what life might be like as a bird. Just don't ask me what their names are. I. don't. know....

The Mangrove Tree Crab

Since beginning my teaching position in Hawaii, I've wondered if there is a program like the Environmental Center here. This is such a unique place with its own marine life and ecosystems, and I know that educating the keiki (children, pronounced "cakey")of Hawaii on their environment has to be a huge priority for the powers that be. So then, my co-teachers told me about this place called WHEA (West Hawaii Exploration Academy), and tried to explain it to me, but still it didn't make sense. Anyhow, we made plans to go on a field trip with our little kinder-keikis and I figured I'd trust the instincts and wisdom of the teachers with more knowledge and wisdom than I in these areas.

Today I embarked on the bold adventure to take 21 children whom have never been on a field trip to a place I have never been. I was blown away.

WHEA is a high school where motivated, independent thinking and working high school kids design projects, grow things, and raise marine life on their own. In the process they train the next years class as they go on to graduate. They run a program that invites local elementary schools and groups to come see the projects the high school students foster. The high school students themselves completely ran the show from the moment we arrived. There were about ten different stations the high school students shared with each group of kinders. There were things to see, smell, taste, touch, and hear. My students were spell bound. To say I was thrilled is an understatement. It was incredible!

Here are some pictures from the day :)

Touching a sea urchin
(wana, pronounced "vana")

Checking out the deep sea fish exhibit.
This included an anglerfish, like the lantern fish from "Finding Nemo"

An oil fish found at 3000 ft below 

This student designed his own 3D printer and made a cell phone case with it.

Holding the Pincushion Starfish at the touch tank

Manmade Coral Reef

Windows into the reef

Students talking about the Pincushion Starfish

The Shark Tank

The Black Tip Shark munching on its lunch

Baby Clown Fish. They breed, incubate, and sell these guys
there to bring a business aspect into their education.

Aquaponics. Where fish poop and make food. The kinders even got to taste the mint and basil!

A real robot that can lift itself up and throw frizbees!

We ended the day with a puppet show about
caring for our world and putting trash in the rubbish bin, NOT the ocean :)