Excitement

My video!

I could actualy make a difference!

If you’ve been following my blog you should know my research project is going to be a compare and contrast between how/what Costa Rica and New Hampshire, do and feel about trees. When I'm in Costa Rica I’m going to do a zip line canopy tour. It’s the best way to traverse the treetops. And in Costa Rica they really think about the well being of the anchor tree, the anchor tree being the trees that the lines and platforms are attached to. But from minimal research on local canopy tours I've found that they do not have the same eco-friendly consciousness. I’ve seen pictures of plat forms bolted directly to the anchor tree; witch clearly is detrimental to the trees healthy longevity. This is something I could actually change in the world! I feel like in America we are less concerned about our forested resources, I think mainly because there is always a state right next door who has forest too. And clearly in Costa Rica they would be more aware of their forested resources, simply because they only have theirs, where as we have our allied states to lean on. Canopy tours are a fantastic way to get to know your local forest in depth. I know that having them is a good thing, but we must be conscious of our impact. Bolting platforms to a tree after cutting all the branches off will kill the tree. It’s not sustainable or eco-friendly. This is a major issue to me, and I intend to try my hardest to change it.

My Take-away From The Book.

Within reach!

Last Friday we reached thirteen thousand six hundred and fifty dollars towards our fifteen thousand dollar goal! We are within reach... forty gifts of forty dollars will get us there! 2011 is going to be a big year for me. Shortly after I turn 18 in March we are going to Costa Rica! Going to such a beautiful country will open up doors in my mind and life that otherwise would have most likely been kept shut. You can help by going here!

https://sites.google.com/site/listeracademycostaricaclass/donate

Great job guys!

We did it! About twenty five yards, twenty days, ten students and two teachers. My peers and I worked so hard and it paid off, in an approximate sum of thirty eight hundred dollars. The learning that came with raking is unmatched, in its speed and in its value, to most other forms of fundraising. Not only was raking unmatched in fundraising, but also in most forms of learning. The month we spent raking and the amount we learned couldn’t easily be matched by a month of regular classes. I learned so much about the step above listing to direction and applying criticism, so much above working well with a group. I learned about taking control in a passive enough way as to not upset my peers. I was able to show up to a yard and help delegate "forces" to certain spots, reassess location upon completion of tasks and basically help keep the train a-Rollin. This was a monumental, galvanizing experience, for me, my peers and our teachers.

The sacrifice made by the rest of our school cannot go unappreciated. They went without a science teacher for far more days than they would have liked. We are so grateful for everything that has happened. Our peers and staff's sacrifices. The community involvement and support, all of it is so amazing to see. Thank you to everyone! No matter how small your part was it was still a part, and it takes parts to make anything!

Are you up to date?

In walking with wolf we read about a man named Wilford Guindon. He goes to a Quaker boarding school in Ohio called Olney. At his school he discovers a love of hiking, which aids him forever! He meets his lifelong partner lucky on a return trip to Olney from Illinois. The political climate of the United States during this time period drives wolf and lucky to seek a new place to live. Their friends also see the need to leave the United States of America. They find what they are looking for in a small, military-less Central American country, Costa Rica!

Once they arrive in Costa Rica they search and search for a good location to start their new community. They find exactly what they are looking for in a big green mountain, that they so appropriately name "Monteverde". They spend years making connections and solidifying friendships, establishing a dairy, and clearing pastures and home lots for their community. The real goal of the Quakers was to settle the green mountain, and such was their focus for around twenty years.

Then the pace changed drastically. They started to realize that the area around them was being adversely affected by their actions, the birds loosing homes, etc. All very slowly but the effect was still there, and noticeable. So now they knew that they had to do something to help save and preserve the gorgeous land that was all around them. With a little elbow grease, some mind juice, and a whole lot of help, they founded the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. This was the beginning of conservation projects in Costa Rica. In retrospect I’m sure wolf would consider this one of his biggest achievements.

Conservation is a huge topic of my focus. I have always believed in conserving natural resources. Be it beautiful land, animals, culture or things like water and diamonds. Keeping the world around you healthy keeps you healthy. Why cut down one of the primary sources of oxygen. I of course am talking about trees. They bring in air filled with co2 and "eat the co2" then give back the oxygen. Who in their right mind would cut that down!? Conservation is something that is absolutely necessary for the survival of the human race, as well as the entire world! This will most definitely be a huge part of my research project.

If you have been keeping up with our class you would know that we are reading this book to eventually travel to Costa Rica and conduct a comparative research project on our area and Costa Rica. This will take a good amount of money and a boat load of responsibility. But I believe in mine and my peer’s ability to use the tools our teachers have given us to do a fantastic job! We are going to Costa Rica, and we are going to have a great time, do lots of research and make lots of connections. This is the most amazing opportunity my peers and I have ever had. We are so excited and so ready for this!

In our class we have been doing some major fundraising. Over the summer we did a car wash, we worked a booth for four days at a fair. Going to Costa Rica is not cheap, and we are dedicated to go. We have to raise around fifteen thousand dollars for us to go. There are a few different ways for you to help us. There is a donate button on our website, also if you live near us we are doing a raking fundraiser. The raking fundraiser consist of you paying us one hundred dollars per acre to rake your lawn and dispose of the leafs. All the information can be found on our website. DONATE!

You can keep up with us and our ventures on seacoast online. Here is our latest article!