“The Island Community”

September 28, 2010

A Poem Update by Caciques George Giannos and Meagan Kachadoorian

Community meeting brought us all together
To discuss leadership and escape the rainy weather
We were all ecstatic to enjoy each other’s thoughts
And listened while we gave appreciations for the good deeds they had brought

As homework built up, so did a tad bit of stress
Our “Older Leaders” were there to help us through the mess
With our community growing stronger and though it was sappy
We ended dinner circle with our quote, “don’t worry, be happy.”

Originally from Port-de-Paix, Haiti, Joseph is a skilled stone mason, farmer, and landscaper. Joseph was introduced to the school as a stone mason contracted to build artisan walls from limestone rocks at the school’s entrance. His work was so beautiful and strong, we had to ask Joseph to stay and find other ways to utilize his skills. Joseph now manages our farm, maintaining the nursery and orchard on campus, tends to the pigs, goats and ducks, and continues to beautify the campus with his stonework and landscaping expertise. Joseph is also an avid crabber, known across the island for his uncanny ability to navigate the bush at night and catch more crabs than anyone else. He is always willing to share his interests with others, often taking students out crabbing at night, helping them with their human ecology projects, teaching creole to community members, or simply sharing stories of his life and journey from Haiti.

by: Team Acult Research: Lea Luniewicz, Nate Smith-Ide, Gian Paul Graziosi, Catharine Pirie and Augi Cummings

This was serious. This was by no means meant to be a fun dive. Dropping underneath ol’ blue, we were there for a purpose. We had one goal and one goal only…to catch some Gobies. Diving down like navy seals, we hunted around Cathedral Rock for our prize. For thirty minutes we searched high and low for those pesky fish. Hiding within the brainy coral, we scavenged like dogs the underwater realm. Spotlight gobies, commonly confused for Continue reading →

“A Relaxing Day on the Cape”

by Caciques Clay Bales and Allegra Rumbough

Today we had the entire day to explore the Cape. Many of us took advantage of our sleep in, and then were off on adventure. Some of us found ourselves exploring the old abandoned clubhouse in the innerloop, but many of us headed down to the coffee shop. The coffee shop is only open to the Island School students on Sundays, so everyone is always looking forward to the weekend. The coffee shop has the same buzz as any other coffee shop in the States. There is always a nice waft of coffee beans and cinnamon in the air. Not to mention the air conditioning! Some people enjoy quality time for themselves while others chat and Continue reading →

“The Portal”

September 23, 2010

By Caciques Augie Cummings and Marianne Foss-Skiftesvik

As we scrambled to get our scuba gear together we were both optimistic and pessimistic about our journey into the abyss. We were hoping for a good time and a new understanding of aquaculture. As the french toast and granola settled in our stomachs we secured our life within our BCD’s. The hissing of tanks and the clanging of metal echoed throughout the boat house. Like a machine, we transport the equipment from the boat house on to the boats in a smooth and precise manner. The scuba gear seemed more anxious to get in the water than we were. As the Kenny T and the Red Rising destroyed the waves with their massive hulls, we peered on like Continue reading →

By Ellen, Heather, Chris D., Noah, Hannah, CJ

This semester the Flats Ecology research team will be exploring the impacts of climate change on the tropical flats near by our campus. More specifically, we are studying the metabolic rates of fish and their reaction to changes in temperature and pH. Bonefish, schoolmaster snappers and checkered puffer fish are among the major species we are examining. To identify the amount of stress put on fish due to changes in water temperature, we are using device called a respirometer. This highly specialized tool has Continue reading →

Read all about CEI’s Shark Research and Conservation team and their new study on deep-water sharks here!

After a long week of settling into our new routine, we were all in desperate need of a sleep in. This rare treat sent us revived and ready to work straight to Celestial Navigation. Because today is the equinox, meaning that the sun moves directly over the equator, we learned how many years ago, scientists measured their locations in latitude and the circumference of the Earth.

After a quick lunch, half of us rushed over for our weekly scuba expedition while the other half had the opportunity to chat with a nice native fisherman and policeman named Niemiaha. He explained to us how much fishing is a part of the Bahamian culture, and how the government is trying to protect the waters from illegal fishing and overfishing.  In order for us to understand more about the daily life of a fisherman Continue reading →

“Run Like a Fish”

September 21, 2010

Caciques: Ellen Doughty and Liam Donovan

We began our morning with the sunrise and slowly made our way to circle. After circle, we had our first official Run or Swim Track practice of the semester. A mix of emotions began this challenging day and we set our minds to a new goal. While students were nervous and excited, we did what we had to do regardless. The feeling of pure accomplishment filled us when we reached the end.

The swimmers embarked on their journey right from the boathouse. With our goggles in place, we set our watches and swam for fifteen minutes, setting our own paces. Challenged by the waves, current and wind, the twenty-six young leaders slowly, with the Continue reading →