Shageluk High School in South Africa: BIG BLOG TO MAKE UP FOR DAYS

Our GLOBE Research

We have been a GLOBE school since 1998. Different classes of students have set up different study sites over the years but in 2005 our local research on our environment took on a different twist when lightening struck behind our village and burned a 15-acre area of land dangerously close to local homes.

The Alaska State Forestry Department hired the Shageluk Emergency Fire Fighting crew and the EFF crew from Nikolai to assist in putting out the fire. The fire lasted just two weeks but has provided us with long-term data on regrowth in a Boreal forest that has made us think about climate change and how it effects our cultural traditions and survival as the Deg Hitan people!

Monday, June 23, 2008

BIG BLOG TO MAKE UP FOR DAYS

BLOG for FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 2008:
Flying over North America and the Atlantic Ocean

Joyanne Hamilton

The last 5-days has been a blur of activities both at home and now that we are actually traveling. When we were at the Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport at the North Terminal, we had to sit and think about what we had done the past few days.

Mostly this week we rehearsed the Cultural presentation. Previously we had been rehearsing our science investigation presentation (on the Burn Site data) and what climate changes means for Native Alaskan people. The boys were doing very well.

Rudy wanted to focus on cultural aspects so took the boys up in the slough to take pictures, discussed later freeze-up and earlier thawing and show the boys pictures of how sparse the trees were long ago compared to now. The night before we left he brought them up to St. Joe Hill, an example of how much changes has happened in the last 30-years.

I have to say that the boys continue to have a great attitude throughout. What is so great is to see their grasp of the material they have to present and their love of their traditions.

Our afternoon in Anchorage: We had a great time with everyone’s relatives at the Golden Cottage. A lot of people came to see us off. I was glad Shirley, Harriett and the girls made it to see Jack, he was so excited! Jarrett and Marcus came to see Everett. Cooki, Leona, Helen, Gary, Mary, Sunny Dawn, Jessica and Lenny where all there with the little ones, too. It was so nice to have them all there. Martin spent the day with us so that was extra special for Rudy and I. OH, we also saw Harold Dan at the book store. After a day of shopping for this and that, seeing Shawna and Martin, it was great to sit down and have a nice meal.

Since last night’s departure from Anchorage to Salt Lake City, Utah we have had to hurry up and wait more than once! When we landed in Utah this morning, we got to the gate just fine but had only about ½ hour before the next plane boarded and went on to JFK Airport in New York. Rudy talked to the Delta ticket agent to get us all mileage plans. After this Africa trip the boys will have accumulated enough miles to take a trip on Delta and their affiliates just about anywhere!

They started boarding this plane when the boys were still at the stores and using the bathroom. We had to send Jack after Jamie because they were almost ready to close the plane! We all made it on though, passports and all.

When we landed in JFK 4.5 hours later it was so smoggy you could barely see anything. Rudy and I have never been to New York but we recognized the downtown skyline, the Empire State Building (King Kong wasn’t there) and of course, Lady Liberty. The “hurry up and wait” policy applied to us while we were in New York. We had about one hour until our next flight but as we taxied up on the tarmac we were told we would have to wait for a few planes to leave the gates before one opened up. It was about ½ hour before we were finally able to pull into one of the gates and then we had to wait for a “tug” to come pull us in closer! When we finally de-planed, we literally raced to our connecting flight to Dakar, Africa that was two gates away, not too far. We got there just in time, the whole plane was already loaded but they had waited for us.
Right now we are flying over the Atlantic Ocean and over the Atlantic Rift. We are more than halfway to Dakar at this writing. When we get to Dakar we have an hour and a half layover. I’m hoping we get to stretch out and kick back in the airport instead of racing to catch the next plane! It is 4:30 p.m. right now in Alaska, 10:30 p.m. Africa time and dark over the Atlantic. The boys were busy reading books today that we had purchased at Barnes and Noble. In-flight movies are on tonight, “Fools Gold” and “The Bucket List”. They are doing VERY well. Will write more later.

Jack—Internet doesn’t work on the plane so I thought I’d get you kids to type up your day and then I’ll try to post to the Blogger once we reach Dakar. You can read mine up there.

June 20: Everett

Today we just waited for planes and waited to land at Salt Lake City And we were about to jump on the plane but Jamie took forever to by a can of soda so we all waited by the gate and Jack had to run and get Jamie because the plane was ready to go. Once we got New York we went straight to the other plane and ended up barely making it. We are not heading to Dakar.

June 20: Jamie

Yesterday we went from Anchorage to Salt Lake City. When we got to Salt Lake City we only got to stay there for about 20 minutes then we had to board the plane to New York City. We only stayed in New York for about five minutes then we boarded the plane Dakar. And we are currently one the plane to Dakar.

Jack’s BLOG: Flight over North America and the Atlantic

June 20: Jack
Today I jogged from the Salt Lake City plane to the New York plane air port and I been waiting to get off this plane because I cant sleep my Ipod finely went dead so I’ll see you after.

June 23, Monday BLOG

Everett:

Today we all woke up except for Jack, eh was sleeping for fifteen minutes and we can’t wake him up because his door was locked. He finally woke up and we went to eat breakfast and took a bus to Leslie Hall. We tried to call home but I forgot my Rand and change. We all tried to call home but couldn’t’ figure out how to use the pay phones. We didn’t know how so we called a cab and went to five stores and two of them were Harley Davidson. We had to be back before 1:00 p.m. and on our way back the cab driver went the wrong way and he had to go around Lower Campus again. We got back and ate lunch fast and went to Leslie Hall. We had to go to a Safety meeting. Then we lined up by country to prepare for the opening ceremonies. We were last (United States). We were waiting in line for a long time and we had to sing the national anthem. We had to walk in the building by country and we finally made it and lots of people were taking pictures of us. We sat down while African Natives were dancing and when they were done, lots of other people talked in the microphone for a long time. After that we came back and ate dinner and went back to Leslie Hall for icebreakers in the evening. We were split into lots of groups to get to know each other, lots of kids from other countries. We went back to the dorms at 9:30 and got ready to go to sleep.

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Whirlwind Blogging and Communication Hardships!

We're back in the UNITED STATES and in Alaska right now, July 12. We returned July 2, one day later. To make a long story short it was VERY difficult to connect to the Internet so we have timely blogs up until Tuesday, June 24. Wed and Thurs we had field trips all day and were unable to connect but the boys still blogged in their journals standing in the breakfast line, on the bus and in the airport sitting on their bags. We were also unable to connect at the Cape Town, New York and Seattle Airports so I just decided to upload the kids' blogs when we returned. We have 1500 pictures and some video so stay tuned for those. For now we present, the updated blogs!

Joy: Wednesday Field Day #1

Joy: Wednesday Field Day #1

Today we had to get the kids up early so we could take the bus to the field trip sites. They would be on separate busses based on the plant or animal group they were put in.

The bus ride was beautiful with the sunrise over Cape Towne as we climbed our way up the road of Table Mountain on our way to the Cape.

An ambulance with a complete paramedic crew follow behind each tour group (2 busses). Did I mention there are over 400 people at this conference with about 97 countries in attendance? Anyway, the ride up the mountain was beautiful. When we got to the Cape, we drove by some zebras, borilla (I’m not spelling that right but will look it up later, it’s like a deer with pointy antlers) and some black ostriches that were scattered about. They tell us we’re going to see some baboons today.

Our first stop at the Cape Pointe was the light house, Global Atmospheric Weather Station and going down to the beach. Jamie and Everett are not in my group (they split us all up so kids can meet people from all over). Jamie and Everett are in my same large tour group so I get to pester them now and then with lots of picture taking.

The climb to the lighthouse was long and steep but comfortable and we found several baboon poops on the way. It is amazing how many species of short shrubs live on those rocky, rocky slopes. Many were flowering as well, but because it’s winter, many other varieties have no leaves. The tour guide said that because of the climate, wind and water crres of the ocean that there are several ecosystems at the Pointe ranging from tropical to desert. We are 200 kms here from where the Indian and Atlantic Ocean meet.

We learned that the warm currents of the Indian Ocean mixing with the cold currents of the Atlantic makes some interesting climate patterns. I took a lot of pictures of lizards and birds roosting at the lighthouse. Oh, we were also told that they no longer used that lighthouse because it was too high and when the fog rolled in, the ships could see the light but not see the rocks under the fog so they ended up having more shipwrecks WITH the lighthouse. They made another lighthouse elsewhere.

The GAWS station is a major monitoring station that is tied in with several stations around the globe and shares atmospheric and oceanianic information with other nations. The guide also talked about the carbon cycle, etc.

When we were done with this tour we were told to go in the bus for lunch because the baboons will come out and grab our lunch bags. Sadly, we sweated in the hot bus with our lunches and waited for baboons to come and NONE CAME. We were all disappointed!

Everett, Jamie and Jack’s story will be different than mine (and hopefully with more detail about the things they’ve seen!)

After lunch we walked a billion steps down the side of the cliff to the surf. We saw a seal in the surf. It was beautiful! The pounding waives of the surf with the salty warm air of the open ocean and the brightness of the sun was exquisite. The kids got to do water testing using GLOBE protocols in the Atlantic Ocean at the beachside. We were told not to pick up any shells but to save them for other groups. It amazed me how HIGH up on the cliff we were finding shells and white sand. It made me wonder how fierce the waves get.

Penguin Park: Our next stop

Although the park utilized a natural African Penguin rookery, it was disturbing to see boardwalks running to and fro, here and there crossing over the nesting area. Tourists were hanging off the railings taking pictures (including me!) Supposedly it doesn’t disturb the nesting but it just looked weird. They were located along the rocky beaches of the Cape. The penguins had fuzzy gray babies and many were still in their nests. Every now and then we saw a discarded egg As with any bird, sometimes the eggs don’t’ hatch and are rolled away from the nest. I have to say it was fun to see them wander around, fat round tummies jutting out. Our tour there didn’t last long and we went back to the busses. Many local market vendors lined the street we walked on as we went to the Penguin Park. We saw a dancing quartet of African dancers. There were lots of carvings, African beadwork and other cloth items and woven baskets.

That was a very interesting day with lots of heat and exercise. After getting back to the dorms they boys were whisked away in the shuttle to Jameson Hall for a DANCE planned by the GLOBE Alumni. I don’t know what happened at the dance, THEY HAVE TO WRITE ABOUT IT because adults weren’t allowed!

JOY: Tuesday’s Presentations

JOY: Tuesday’s Presentations

This morning the boys woke up and were excited about their presentations. We had one practice Monday evening in our room just to refresh our memories on the science presentation (I had added one extra page of Jamie’s home pictures that were added to the cultural presentation). In the morning, we got the boys up early for breakfast. African cafeteria breakfasts are different somewhat than we have in the USA. For instance, what we call “cream of wheat” they call “Mealie Meal”. I my opinion this is the BEST I ever ate, just better than cream of wheat. I see on the menu for the next couple of days there is another hot cereal called “Malta Bella” which I’m told is porridge. They have served “flapjacks” (pancakes) and don’t serve it with syrup, they use honey. Plenty of scrambled eggs and they are the real deal, not egg mix, real eggs. Also, in USA in most places white eggs are used and the brown-shelled eggs are used in dry egg mixes. (I never was sure why on that. No difference in taste between a brown-shelled and a white-shelled egg). That’s all they used here. We had boiled brown eggs one day that were very good. For cold cereal they serve the same cereals that we have and they keep a tray of warmed milk ready for you to ladle on your bowl. Rudy likes tea in the morning and the brand they have here is “5-Roses Rooibois”. He says it’s a reddish colored tea. Different than black tea.

Plenary Session: 8:30-11:30
These sessions occur after breakfast and are basically speeches or lectures on things like ecosystem health, climate change and the latest terms that we keep hearing about: “Sustainability.” Sustainability is the ability to keep something going, basically like bringing an endangered species back from the possibility of extinction. For example, bringing back Bald Eagles from extinction and off the endangered species list. Sustainability also pertains to just keeping something going, protecting and conserving it and keeping it the same. As an example, national forests Sustainability and keeping it in a natural state, keeping it from being developed and exploited for commercial use. During the Plenary sessions they talked a lot about that.

Before our Science presentation we had an open window where we could practice our presentation. We found a spare room to practice in.

After lunch was our time to shine. Our presentations were at 1:30 pm in an amphitheatre type of lecture room normally found in any college campuses anywhere. The boys did GREAT. When we got started someone from the audience yelled, “GO JACK!” The place was packed. Jamie said he noticed this was the most people he’d seen at any of the sessions yet. We were so proud of the boys. Lots of GLOBE dignitaries were there SPECIFICALLY to see the boy’s project. They received lots of compliments after their project.

Other projects from other countries have been about air and water quality, watersheds, and subsistence fish (like we have but Native to other countries like Safi from Bahrain) that are suffering loss and endangered. There have been some interesting projects from Finland on birch trees and from Lebanon on the “hot field” effect. All very interesting. During the afternoons we attended more of the cultural sessions that shared their presentations.

Evening came along and we waited to give our cultural presentation. Norway was ahead of ours, which I got a personal kick out of. They gave kind of a text booky presentation of the history of their country (my genetic birthplace), which basically anybody could read in an encyclopedia. The word “cultural traditions” after living in Shageluk means more than that to me, more than an encyclopedia definition. The Norwegians wore some traditional clothing and did some traditional dancing which was fun to see. My favorite was watching them do the polka, which is the music I grew up hearing at home, not that that’s important.

It is disturbing that so many European countries use textbook descriptions as their cultural presentations. Funny, I don’t even know MOST of my own cultural traditions, although I identify strongly with Trolls.

Tuesday was a full day and we all enjoyed meeting other people and seeing how they lived.