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Can You Spot the Mutton Snapper?

[slideshow]Here’s another installment of “spot the mutton” sent to us by an IS Alum:

Brandon Gell (Island School Fall 2010) recently climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, with his sister and father. Brandon brought Island School stickers to place along the climb. The first picture is a sticker on a rescue hut at about 15,000 feet; the second picture is of Brandon with an Island School sticker in the background at Uhuru peak, 19,340 feet, the highest point in Africa!

For more information about Brandon’s experience, visit this site.

Congratulations Brandon!

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Lionfish, Lionfish, Ra-ra-ra!…Lionfish, Lionfish, Ha-ha-ha!

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Have you ever been face to face with one of the ocean’s top predators? They lie in wait, camouflaged spines from head to tail, eyeing  any oblivious fish that swims by so they can extend their protrusible jaws and feast. This striking fish has been spotted several times this week by the lionfish research group. Fortunately for us, these lionfish hover harmlessly over the patch reefs as we conduct our research.

Our project explores how currents affect the distribution of lionfish on the patch reefs in Rock Sound. Earlier this week, we took a boat out to a high-current location. The water was too strong for our flippered feet, and we had to bail, go back to campus, and practice using transects near the docks. Transects are like tape measures that we will be using to find the dimensions of patch reefs in Rock Sound.

The next few days were much more successful. In mid-strength current, it was much more enjoyable to snorkel and free dive around patch reefs. We measured seven randomly selected reefs and returned to the middle-sized reef on Thursday for more research.

CEI 83, the lucky patch reef, was invaded by divers, snorkelers, and forty-eight clod cards. Cinder blocks with the clod cards attached were placed around the reef to measure the speed of the current. After all our hard work, we surveyed the location for lionfish. After coming to a consensus of eight lionfish, our research group headed back to campus. There, we cleaned up our SCUBA gear and began preparing for tomorrow’s exciting day of research!

Best “fishes”!

The Lionfish Team:

Denali, Corey, Kate, Taylor, and Mackenzie

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Godspeed K1!

[slideshow]Kayak and Down Island Trip rotations are in full-swing this week at The Island School. On Monday morning the first group of kayakers left Cow Pointe on their three-day paddling excursion, while the rest of the summer term students piled into two vans to head down island. Each group will be out until Wednesday and on Thursday they’ll swap paddles for vans and vice-versa.

 

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Cacique Update: July 6th

[slideshow]The following is a Cacique update written by Maggie and Bazl from Wednesday, July 6th. 

7:30 in the morning, the girls woke up and looked out the window to an unusual sight, especially for a Wednesday sleep in day. All the girls swarmed to the deck to cheer on (and laugh at) the boys as they pushed a 12-passenger van through the parking lot. This van wasn’t broken; this was just a small part of the intense disciplinary workout that had been taking place for the last half hour. This workout included running in the woods, climbing a sandy mountain, giving 100-200 pound guys piggy back rides, doing overhead lifts with 40 pound rock, and lots of other ‘fun’ stuff. As tough as this workout was, it left the guys full of energy and ready to face another day at the Island School.

After breakfast, we went on an exciting dive to Cathedral for Human Ecology class. Cathedral is a beautiful maze of reefs 55 feet below the water, with an incredible variety of gorgeous sea life. Swimming through and around these incredible sights was humbling. As we floated weightlessly through the water, we saw stingrays, heard Stoplight Parrotfish munching on coral, and watched Queen Angelfish swam majestically around us. As we ascended, flying fish greeted us at the surface, and everyone agreed that the dive ended all too soon.

After an awesome lunch, we headed out to our research groups for an equally enjoyable time. Though classes taking place in the water were ended early, due to a lightning storm, it was still an exciting time. Everyone cheered as the refreshing rain hit their faces; the perfect way to end a day.

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Cacique Update, July 7th

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[slideshow]The following is the Cacique Updated for the 7th of July, written by your water-conscious caciques, Mackenzie and Tiffani.

Water. We all need it, yet some people have to walk an average of four miles each day just to get this for their families. This fact was brought to The Island School students’ attention this morning during exercise. As a group, we had to carry a five-gallon bottle of water around a four-mile loop.

Water was definitely an important topic of discussion today, especially during human ecology. Students learned about where the freshwater we use on campus comes from (rain), and we were encouraged to think about where we get our water at home. Also, the Marina, usually popular for its air conditioning and expensive junk food, was explored in a new way as students spoke with the reverse osmosis operations manager, Dan, about how freshwater is provided for the resort.

We also had the chance to speak to our Sustainability and Systems Director, Geoff.  He explained to eager students the complexities of how the school uses energy on campus. Our solar panels and wind generator supply the main sources of energy. Excess energy can be sold to residents of Eleuthera as an alternative to diesel based electricity that is common on the island.

After lunch, students refocused on the water during their respective research. The excited sharks team went back to work as they visited a new environment. Beginning the day’s research at Poison Flats, the team trod cautiously on what we like to call “death rock.” Remaining true to its name, the eroded limestone shore created a brittle and jagged surface that made carrying equipment a dangerous activity. Our efforts were rewarded as we successfully caught a healthy juvenile lemon shark.

The lionfish research group, toting bricks and SCUBA tanks, headed out to patch reef CEI 83 to set out clod cards. These devices are vital for measuring current speeds around the reef. Three people tied the plaster clod cards securely to the bricks. Teams of divers lugged the bricks out to the patch reef and arranged the clods at predetermined locations to measure the current most effectively. Our hard work was rewarded by a relaxing dive spent surveying CEI 83 for lionfish; eight were spotted floating calmly above the coral.

Research groups returned to campus just in time to sign out and explore the Island. Some students biked out to High Rock to snorkel around the caves and others enjoyed a nice jog around the Loop. Those content with the day’s work spent the afternoon relaxing in the common room or catching up on homework.

As an end to the productive day, students were treated to chocolate cake, courtesy of Molly’s parents. Thanks for giving us energy for tomorrow’s possibilities!

Cacique Update

Cacique Update, July 5th

The following is a Cacique update written by Blake and Joe from Tuesday, July 5th:

Although our day began with an exhausting run-swim, the greatest challenged we faced today was learning the harsh reality of how our food is processed in the United States. At The Island School, the core question that has defined our summer term is “How do we live well in a place?” Throughout the summer, our daily experiences have helped to shape our answers to that question. Today was no exception.

For those of us who had Human Ecology in the morning, we began our informative class by visiting the Island School farm. Our challenge of the day was to clip the wings off of the ducks to prevent them from flying away from the farm. I admit that this task was not an easy one. As students entered the squalid pen, ducks became alarmed by our intrusion into their home, scrambling to break away. One by one, we clipped their feathers, while leaving the first two feathers on each side. As I cut the feathers off of each of the ducks, I began to question my sense of morality.

During the afternoon, the second group of human ecology got the chance to have a very similar experience in the aquaponics lab. As I stared into the murky brown water of the tank, I could see nothing, yet was still being urged on to catch these fish that were apparently in there. As I put my net down and pulled it up, sure enough there was a thrashing tilapia in my net and I very quickly put in the bucket. As we progressed to the lab, we experienced the cleaning of the fish, which was needless to say fascinating to see how we get our food. I was eating an animal that was alive a mere 30 minutes ago. Fresh, to say the least. The experience of seeing my food before my eyes be cut up into a meal, made me appreciate The Island School’s approach of locally and sustainably having food at our fingertips. However, I would learn later in the day that not all our food was like this. I realized that the handling of animals at The Island School was far more ethical than that on big American corporal farms. Our exposure to the local farm led us into watching the informative documentary of Food, Inc.

I couldn’t believe what I was watching on the screen. Only minutes ago, I was on the local Island School farm where animals had enough space to roam, could eat food that was free of chemicals and hormones, and could gaze towards the beaming sun. In the farms, animals were fed chemicals that allowed them to grow twice as big as their usual size. The animals were packed into dark, cramped rooms so they would be able to lay more eggs. The humanness of The Island School farm was no reality for the majority of the animals harvested in our country’s commercial farms that we consume in our daily diet. A few huge companies have monopolized the food industries, affecting the lives of poorer families. Minorities are more likely to contract diabetes because they cannot afford to buy healthy food and instead have resorted to fast food. Only a day ago, I was celebrating the birth of a country that represented the land of the free, yet many citizens struggle from the injustices of the food industry. As I watched the movie, my mind turned the question “How do we live well?”

Living well is questioning where our food comes from. Living well is conserving our intake of animals, so we can receive only enough to satiate our needs. Living well is respecting the animals in our surrounding environment. Living well is eating locally. I hope that humans, as we are at The Island School, can learn to live sustainably in a world of balance and respect.

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Cacique Update, July 4th

Stars & Stripes
The Stars & Stripes flying atop the flagpole for one day only.

The following is the Cacique Update for Monday, July 4, as written by Ary and Sam.

Sometime during David Miller’s interpretive dance of Don’t Stop Believing I realized that this place really was unlike any other school. Unlike schools back home, the Island School is a place that encourages individuality, sustainability and independence. In order to do this, students are taken on field trips around the community where they are encouraged to talk to locals and pay attention to how the community works together so the individuals can survive. Today we went and toured a local farm in order to see where all our food comes from. This was part of our Human Ecology study of systems. Seeing how hard these farmers have to work in order to feed a small portion of the local community helped us realize that in order for a community to be sustainable, all of the citizens have to work together. Observing how he cared for his animals and realizing that this potentially feeds us at Island School made all of the students stop and realize how challenging the food industry truly is.

The festivities for Fourth of July started with Coffee House, a talent show where students, mentors and teachers are encouraged to share any talents they have with the rest of the community. There were many talented acts ranging from sonnet recitation to standup comedy, and everywhere in between. The festivities continued after Coffee House when everybody went to the dining hall to get brownies before proceeding down to the beach to watch the fireworks.

As the wind blew the sparks across the sky, we all huddled tightly together on the beach enjoying the show. Staring up at the lit up night sky, surrounded by our new friends, we couldn’t help but feel the essence of family. Although, we might not have been with our real families celebrating our Independence Day traditions, the Island School started to feel like home.

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Introducing: Summer Term Alumni Mentors!

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Greetings from Eleuthera! For the Summer Term 2011, we have seven Alumni Mentors on staff!  Alumni mentors are Island School alumni who want to come back to the Cape, gain teaching experience, and support high school students through this intense summer journey. Examples of responsibilities include serving as a student advisor, where the alumni provide mentoring to make each student successful in the program and liaise with parents as necessary. Mentors also assistant teach human ecology classes, stand duty on campus, support kayak trips, and lead and support student activities such as morning exercise, evening events, and community events. Our seven Alumni Mentors are thrilled to be back at The Island School and support the students on this incredible journey! A short introduction about each Alumni Mentor can be found below.

Jenny Donnelly is entering her junior year at Yale University and attended The Island School in the spring semester of 2008. She is an environmental studies major and a member of the Varsity Cross Country and Track teams at Yale. Jenny is also an Early Education Childhood Fellow, which involves working alongside teachers at local schools and attending seminars on various topics in education. In her free time Jenny can be found running, aqua jogging in the ocean, eating passion-fruit off of the trees on campus, and working with the Flats Research group. She is particularly interested in The Island School’s focus on renewable energy and sustainable agriculture, and is super excited to guide students in learning more about their everyday choices!

Kelsey Muller is going to be a junior at Wesleyan University and attended The Island School in the fall semester of 2006. She is a biology major fulfilling the requirements for pre-med and an environmental studies certificate. Kelsey is a member of the Varsity Women’s Ice Hockey team and works as a residential advisor at Wesleyan where she gets the chance to help students in various ways and plan fun programs. Kelsey is from New Hampshire and grew up in an active, outdoorsy atmosphere where she regularly skis, runs, swims, and hikes. She is very excited to be back at The Island School as a mentor and member of the Shark Research team where her previous experiences and knowledge can help the students of this year’s summer term!

Julie Thomsen is entering her junior year at Bates College. She is an Environmental Studies – Ecology major. Julie enjoys spending her free time teaching fish Identification, directing games and working on the Conch Research project. She is looking forward to spear-fishing Lionfish and SCUBA diving the reefs she learned to dive on as a student at The Island School in the Fall of 2007. She is excited to be back in The Island School community sharing her love for the Island and the program with new students.

Lexie Marino is a senior at the University of Michigan where she will be graduating next semester with a BA in English and environmental studies. Lexie spent the last five months studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina and gained an appreciation for the people and place of South America, similar to her love for Eleuthera. In her free time she enjoys reading Omeros, swimming with sharks and helping students write blog entries for The Island School Blog. She made her Island School debut in the fall of 2006 and served as an alumni mentor for the pioneer summer term last summer. Lexie is excited to take on more responsibility inside and outside the classroom, be a co-advisor of the Lemon Shark Research Project, and support the student journey throughout the term.

Dominique Keefe is from Ellsworth, Maine, and is entering her senior year as a biology major at Barnard College.   She is a member of the Barnard EcoReps, an environmental education group, and conducts research on the microbiology of green roofs in New York City.  She attended the Island School in the spring of 2007, and since then just can’t stop coming back. In her free time, Dominique loves picking tamarinds and being on and in the water.  She is so excited to work with new Island Schoolers and hopes that Eleuthera will come to mean as much to them as it does to her.

Kit Norris is entering his junior year at Colgate University. At Colgate Kit plays on the squash team, sings acapella with the Colgate 13, and is double majoring in Environmental Biology and Economics. Kit enjoys the finer things in life: black coffee, live music, sailing, and almost anything that is related to the ocean. Kit attended The Island School in the Spring of 2008 and is excited to be able to give back to the community he believes in so completely. Kit is interested in both sustainable business and finance, though what Kit will do next is open to conjecture.

Matt Vetter is entering his sophomore year at Dartmouth College. He is an Economics major and Sustainability minor. He is also a member of the Dartmouth Rugby Football Club, the Dartmouth Outing Club and The Dartmouth Review. In his free time Matt enjoys SCUBA diving, fishing, leading optional free time activities, and working with the Lionfish Research group. He is particularly interested in the community spirit of The Island School, as well as the focus on rainwater usage. He attended The Island School in the Spring of 2009, and is excited to have a chance to work on the faculty for the summer.

Cacique Update

Cacique Update: July 3, 2011

The following cacique update was written by Adam and Miya describing their day as caciques, Sunday, July 3.

For the first time in a week the sun was up before us. A good nights rest, attending church with the locals and extended exploration boundaries were the things that our first Sunday off held in store. The 10 o’clock morning circle allowed us a few extra hours of precious sleep before we jumped in the vans and headed to church. We split up into two groups that attended two different churches that members of our school regularly attended. At one church, half of us sang songs from the hymnal, after which the pastor gave an energetic sermon. At the other, the pastor began the service with a quick but inspirational introduction on the powers of patience and believing in God. This preceded soulful singing by members of the church, into which we joined when we felt comfortable.

After we returned from our church visit, we were almost completely let off of our leashes. Many of our boundaries were lifted and we were free to roam over the bridges in the Marina (normally off limits during schooldays) and enter the inner loop. The inner loop is where the remains of an old resort lay, and if you don’t pay attention it is easy to get turned around in the labyrinth of paths from the old golf course. Many of us opted to cross the bridges into the Marina. There, a big group of us stopped by the Marina Coffee shop where we drank delicious smoothies and enjoyed the gentle rays of the sun.  After the refreshments our group split up, with some going to sunset beach, some going to play basketball, and the rest watching the sharks that frequent the marina.

As we were biking to the basketball court, some of us noticed fishermen filleting their catches, and a large crowd of sharks gathered. Filled with primarily Nurse sharks, the feeding frenzy entertained a few of us for 45 minutes as we watched the beasts devour every scrap that was tossed to them, with the occasional bird stealing a small scrap or two. The highlight of this time was when a few massive bull sharks joined the mob, and added some violent thrashing to the show. The dominating nine-foot Bull shark can be seen devouring a fish skeleton with this post.

Those who went to sunset beach had a very relaxing swim followed by some tanning. It was a classical day on the beach for them while they tried to get rid of bad tan lines or gain some color.

The group of students who went to play basketball had a very competitive game, which ended with a minor toe injury. The basketball courts were newly discovered turf for many of the players, adding to the multitude of activities that we can enjoy in our free time. Though the game ended in a minor injury everybody had great fun!

Today was one of the most important, because we were able to catch up on sleep and better acquaint ourselves with the island, which we look forward to doing more of in the next few weeks!

Cacique Update

Cacique Update: July 2, 2011

The following cacique update was written by Arielle and Mackenzie describing their day as caciques, Saturday, July 2:

New beginnings are a huge part of life at the Island School, and today was no exception. But, the day began just like any other, with vigorous exercise that students used as a way to escape the swarming flies. After an energizing breakfast, the lionfish, conch, sharks, bonefish, and aquaculture research groups headed out for their first day of field work.

The lionfish team went out on a boat to measure patch reefs. The current was too strong though, and the troop of exhausted snorkelers returned to the boathouse to practice identifying fish along transect lines while SCUBA diving.

Those in the conch research group headed out to their first site after a quick review on transects and juvenile conch. They paired up and began surveying conch.

Groups of students also had the opportunity to chat with a local conch fisherman, Niamiah. “At one time,” Niamiah said, “I could freedive over sixty feet.” No student doubted this impressive claim as our masked eyes ogled him from the surface as Niamiah easily retrieved several huge conch from the ocean floor.  He proceeded to awe students even more as he skillfully speared a couple of triggerfish. Back at the boathouse, Niamiah taught us the secrets of preparing conch. We were able to “enjoy” raw conch and watch him skin several conch and fish.

Island School students topped of the day with an awesome Saturday night. We waited for the sun to set while playing the Lizz game, which is similar to Charades. We then hit the road for our next activity. After walking down the road to the cut lit only by stars, we went on a nighttime snorkel. Quickly, before chickening out, pairs of students jumped off the low bridge into the water. The current and our adrenaline propelled us towards the next bridge and, for some lucky students, nurse sharks. After a few screams and mild hysteria, everyone climbed out of the water in one piece.

Dripping water and thrilled by the snorkel, we made our way back to campus for a late night treat. Everyone swore they had never eaten brownies with ice cream so fast in their lives! With the sweet, chocolaty taste lingering on our tongues, we drifted off to our beds in search of some much-needed sleep and a great week ahead.

Happy Snorkeling!