Monthly Archives: October 2010
WATER
Moesha Leary – Student – Deep Creek Middle School
I think water is a powerful substance. It can relax a mind, help a thirst, and it helps things grow. Living in an archipelago makes it even more important to me because it’s what surrounds me. I can never escape it. It makes me want to know what is in it and how I can protect it. I am very afraid to lose it because if it is lost, my family may not make any money. Both of my parents work for jobs that must include it. If I lose the pure drinking water I will die and so will everyone else around me. It makes me want to save it and find out ways to keep it forever.
WATER
Geoff Walton – Director of Facilities – The Cape Eleuthera Foundation
I would not exist without water. All the water that I use to drink, wash, cook and flush my toilet with comes from the sky which is collected off of the roof of the building I live in and stored in a subterranean cistern (or more like an underground bunker for my water). I take water storage seriously.
The cistern where my water is stored consists of a concrete box, 2 feet thick on all side to make sure it does not crack and resides underneath my apartment building to keep the light out and to help it stay at a stable temperature to make sure algae does not grow in it. It is fed by four downspouts that are connected to the roof on my building and has an overflow pipe should it ever rain enough to completely fill the cistern so that water does not overflow into the living room. The living room (or more accurately my downstairs neighbors living room as I live in the upstairs apartment) has an inspection hatch that I can open to check the level of the water, or more often is the case, the of lack of water. I try to use a maximum of 10 gallons of water every day. There are nine of us living in our apartment building in four different units, collectively we use about 90 gallons of water used each day for the whole building. The average American uses between 75-100 gallons of water per person per day! Continue reading
WATER
Brady Wheatley – Teacher – The Island School
“Si claro gringita quiero ir a la escuela, pero mi trabajo en la casa es traer el agua.” Of course gringita I want to go to school, but it is my job in the house to bring the water. My world stood still in this second as I saw the expression of confusion on the five-year-old boy’s face. I had grown up in a world of plenty. There was always water when I turned on the tap, and on top of that- clean water. Researching the water wars in Bolivia I expected to encounter personally challenging moments in which my interviews didn’t go as planned, or maybe the roads would be blockaded and I couldn’t get through. What I never realized was that in my work examining the “culture of protest” related to the water wars I would have my world flipped upside down. Every day people told me their stories of water struggles- walking 2 hours to get dirty water, filling up buckets on the days the city turned on the water, or worse stories of burying their children for lack of access to clean water. I was naïve, I was spoiled and I was enraged. Continue reading
WATER
Sarah Sasek – Student – The Island School
Water—most of us take it for granted on a daily basis, while others cannot find any to drink or bathe in. It goes unnoticed when we leave the water running while brushing our teeth, wash our cars, and run the washing machine and dishwasher. Our busy lives do not have time to appreciate the nature around us; the elements that make the circle of life continue. We do not cherish the cooling sensation as water runs down our throats. Although we immerse ourselves in water in showers, and on hot days in the swimming pool, we ironically run for shelter whenever water rains from the sky.
Living the last month at The Island School, I have become conscious of the water surrounding me. Its value has increased as my perspective has changed towards recognizing it and appreciating it. Free diving in the Atlantic has awakened me to reconsider my perspective on water Continue reading
Calling all our WFR/WFA Certified Friends!
The Bronx Lab School is looking for some short-term help…
POSITION: WFR/WFA Trip Assistants, Bronx Lab School, Bronx, NY
EMPLOYER: Bronx Lab SchoolBronx Lab School is a small public high school in the Williams Bridge area of the North Bronx. We serve students from diverse ethic, social and economic backgrounds.
POSITION DESCRIPTION:We will be taking two groups of our 10th graders on a 3 day 2 night trip to the Mohican Outdoor Center in the Delaware Water Gap in New Jersey. We are currently looking for WFR/WFA certified people to support these trips. Applicants must be prepared to be fully integrated into the leadership of the trip.
RESPONSIBILITES:
- Provide on site first aid treatment (med kit not supplied)
- Lead low ropes activites for 4 groups of 10 – 15 students for about an hour
- Lead a two mile round trip hike (route provided)
- Model and teach leadership skills
- Assist in debrief of daily activities
DATES: Wednesday 10/27/10 – Friday 10/29/10 There will be 4 groups attending Wednesday – Thursday and 4 other groups attending on Thursday – Friday
RENUMERATION: Payment for this trip is $250. You will camp on site at Mohican. Breakfasts and lunches will be provided from Wed lunch to Fri breakfast. Dinner is a potluck by the students, you should plan on bringing a dish to share for the two nights. You will need to meet the group at Mohican by 11:00 on Wednesday and will be done at 12:00 on Friday. If you are local to NYC you are welcome to ride the bus to and from (we’ll leave from the school 800 E Gun Hill Road 9:30ish on Wednesday and return by 2:00 on Friday).
CONTACT: John McCrann at john.mccrann@bronxlabschool.org <http://john.mccrann@bronxlabschool.org> <http://john.mccrann@bronxlabschool.org> or (919) 564-6235
Cacique Update October 14, 2010
October 14, 2010
“Crazy Currents, Sailboats, and Composting Songs”
By Caciques Heather and Jackson
This morning we awoke to “extended morning exercise.” For Swim Track, Jackson, being cacique, designed a workout that took us farther than we had ever gone before. The swim out to the “pole” was relatively smooth, as the current was pushing us along. At the turnaround point, however, we realized that the swim back to campus against the current would be a bit more challenging. I had countless moments of frustration when I plunged my head into the water, kicking and pulling my hardest, only to realize that I was barely moving. Continue reading
Cacique Update October 13, 2010
“Bee-ing at Island School”
October 13, 2010
By Caciques Charlie Fichtner and Ellen Doughty
This morning we were treated to an eight o’clock sleep-in, followed by an energetic rush to the granola and yogurt. We began our day with an hour long class, prior to our two-hour class followed by lunch. After lunch, we continued with the remainder of our classes and a bit of exploration time, leading up to dinner.
For many, today was the beginning of our Human Ecology electives, marking a substantial milestone in our semester. Following four weeks of normal Human Ecology classes where we learned about our ecological footprints, environmental ideologies, food processing and consumption and consumerism, we began a new unit. Each one of us had the opportunity to choose our top two elective preferences from the following: Bees, Biodiesel, Compost, Conscious Consumerism or Water, and from there, were placed in a group. Within each elective, we will be able to benefit the future and present state of The Island School. For example, I was lucky enough to receive my first choice of Bees! Continue reading
Blog Action Day 2010
WATER: We are surrounded by it. We all are. We need it.
Join us as we address the global issue of WATER. Tomorrow is Blog Action Day 2010 and our blog will be considering WATER alongside thousands of blogs across the world. Members of The Island School, Deep Creek Middle School and The Cape Eleuthera Institute will be offering different perspectives on what water means to us. http://blogactionday.change.org/
Come see what water looks like through our goggles.
Cacique Update-October 12, 2010
“Come Together As One”
October 13, 2010
By Caciques Daisy Spencer and Noah Boskey
The day started with our intention to change things up and that became our theme for the day. Since the community is soon departing for our kayak trips we only have a few days left to enjoy each others company before we are split into smaller groups. Our goal for the day was to have the whole Island School community come together as one and what a great way for us to use our community meeting time for. This was the first time caciques got to lead an activity Continue reading