Day 13 - The Cage

Today we woke up to the familiar 6:15 alarm. Although for many of us it was a bit of a struggle to get out of bed today, we all threw on our swimsuits, grabbed our towels and headed out to meet Scotty at the gazebo. Once we were all there we headed towards the beach to play a bit of water polo for our morning workout. It was a very intense game: people splashing other people, people pulling others under water, it can be clearly stated that we were all very into it. After the last goal was scored (by me I might add), we all helped to get the goals out of the water and back onto the beach and than headed back towards the dorms to clean up before breakfast.

For breakfast we had a hearty meal of bagels and granola, very filling. Some of us finished early and walked back to the dorms to chill, while others were on dish crew. At around 9:15 we all met at the octagon to listen to a short presentation on aquaculture. We went over some of the things we had learned before we left Hawken, and learned a little new material, all in prep for our morning activity: the cage. The cage is kind of what it sounds like, a cage filled with cobia (kind of fish) that is submerged into the water (the top is about 20 feet deep, bottom is about 80 feet).  We all hoped onto the boat (ironically named The Cobia) and drove out for about 20 minutes and finally got to the cage.

You cannot really see it from the boat, but soon enough we would be in the water for a swim. Serena (the intern) prepped us on some safety rules and we all chose partners. Once we had our partners we all put on our snorkeling gear and hopped in the water. At first it was terrifying, partially because you could not see the bottom, but than you start to get use to it. You also had to get use to the fact that you were most likely swimming over sharks, even though you could not see them. The cage was huge! You could also see some different fish swimming over it. After swimming for a little bit someone grabs my arm and points down. Deep, deep down in the water I could see the shadow of a shark swimming. Terrified, I grabbed my partner and told her, luckily the waves were a bit choppy and she wanted to get out anyways. Once on the boat I could hear everyone else in the water exclaim how he or she could see all these sharks swimming deep below them. Eventually it was time to go and we all loaded back onto the boat and went back to the docks.

After we got back we went back to the dorms to change for lunch, which was very good. It was pizza and leftover pasta. When we were all done we all met at the bike shed to follow Serena to our secret challenge that we would be doing all afternoon. We rode to a little behind the marina and met Scotty who was waiting for us with two buckets. We were then informed that our challenge would be to split up into two teams and build a shelter. It was very project runway; we had 20 minutes to make a plan and 90 minutes to build. It was pretty difficult in the beginning, but ultimately everyone got into it and both teams built very impressive shelters. We looked and judged each other’s shelters, which were pretty cool if I do say so myself. After we finished looking at the shelters it was finally exploration time.

Some of us went to crack coconuts with Serena and others went back to the dorms to rest. After our nice 2 hour break we circled up before dinner and did happy’s and crappy’s, quote of the day, and the next leader hand-off  When we finished we all rushed over to get in line for dinner. For dinner we had shepherds pie, and a very nice surprise of cake! Both of which were extremely good. Once we had finished all the dishes we went back to the dorms and changed quickly for night snorkeling. We then all headed over to the boathouse. Unfortunately for some, and relieving for others, we did not do what was planned because we saw a shark feeding in the water we were going to snorkel in. So, instead we did snorkeling in much shallower, in a more constricted area.  We also got to see 3 spotted eagle rays cruising around just off of the dock.  Afterwards we all went back to the dorms to shower, journal, and just wind down for the night. Overall it was a very adventurous day full of laughs and smiles. Looking forward to seeing parents when we return in just a few short days! 

Ta-Ta for now!

Liz Riley 

Day 12 - To Waste or Not To Waste...

Today there was another 6:15 wake-up call this morning, courtesy of Wes' and Jenny’s alarms. We all rose from our seemingly more comfortable beds (ever since the camping experience) and began our day. Instead of morning exercise we gathered on the beach early enough to watch the sun rise. We spent a couple silent minutes admiring the crash of the waves as well as the orange sun slowly rising over the blue horizon. One of our guides, Scott, separated us into 2 groups for some fun activities. This included the “Human Knot” activity. Although not always solvable the Human Knot exercise encouraged us to communicate with each other and work as a team to untangle ourselves. After a few more communication activities we sat on the beach to discuss our Down Island Camping experience and talk about our economical and environmental impacts on the local areas we visited.

            After a hearty breakfast of grits, eggs, toast, corn beef, and (in Ben’s case) a lot o grapefruit we started our academic filled day. Sam, a waste expert at the Island School, taught us about human and material waste. We even looked at the Bio-Digester at the Island School to learn how the system creates fertilizer from human waster. In order to get our energy up Sam also worked in an exercise. We all did squats for one minute and calculated how much energy we created. One squats creates roughly 1 watt of energy. Brian, Zack, and Ben created enough joint energy to power a fluorescent light bulb for 8 minutes and 26 seconds. This was the perfect transition into our next class on energy. Matt, an energy expert and engineer at the Island School, taught us about the daily human energy use and also about solar panels.

            The lunch of pasta, peas, and bread kept us full and focused during our next class about transportation. Scott had us think about the different things needed for transportation (materials, energy, etc.) and issues surrounding the topic. We talked about some solutions the Island School has to these problems and were broken into smaller groups to come up with ways Cleveland could gain “green” transportation. The groups were given an hour to go wherever they wanted to read about urban transportation and think of ways Cleveland could have more convenient transportation but in a green way. While recreating our city we saw four bull sharks at the marina! They were huge but very cool (especially because we weren't in the water with them).

            There were a few new activities to explore during free time. Chris Maxi led a group in a Run-Swim. Max Pollock, Jenny, and Lucky the dog all participated in the optional exercise. Some others joined Serena, our other guide, in the orchard to pick plants to make bush tea. Whatever activity was chosen the mosquitoes followed. It’s safe to say that Courtney is the most popular with the mosquitoes.

            After a quick meeting, a cacique hand off to Liz, and a scrumptious mash potatoes and ham dinner we all hurried back to the Octagon classroom for a presentation by a visiting green architect. No surprise that after the mentally exhausting day everyone went straight to bed as soon as possible.

-Rachel 

Day 11 - Back Up Island

            Natural light woke us up in the morning as we rose from our tents situated on the beaches of an old Navy base. The sunlight was inviting, unlike the stench of the vans, and warm. Some of us dove right into the ocean, others welcomed the sunlight’s rays in hopes of achieving a tan. We went right into morning exercise at 7:10 AM.

            We started off our day playing games. The first game was called WAH! Which consisted of us pretended to be growing trees while our neighbors surrounding us in a circle tried to cut us down. Every time there was a movement, we screamed WAH! Needless to say, my reactions were subpar today....I lost. We then moved onto one of Scotty’s games. It did not have a name but it sort of went like this: Stand in a circle close to your buddy. Stare at someone’s feet. Look up. If the person you are looking at you is looking at you too, you scream. The first one to scream wins. Wahla! I’m sure if anyone was looking at us, they would be wondering “hm...why are a bunch of teenagers standing in a circle screaming...” And with the help of Jennie’s knowledge of camp games, we ended our AMX with Bear, Fish, Mosquito. This game is basically rock, paper, scissors, and an elementary version of West Side Story wrapped all into one harmonious and hilarious bundle. Each team would approach each other, finger snapping and all, to the middle designated area. We would scream our animal, and if we lost we would flee in hopes of not being captured by the other team. AMX today reminded me of the days my siblings and I would play on the beach, while trying to hide the fact that we take a simple of beach volleyball and term it into a life or death situation.

            We packed up all of our sandy gear and headed off the Governors Harbor! I think I would have to agree with of one our teachers, Scotty, that this settlement is by far my favorite. The buildings were right on the shore and beautifully painted, plus they had a fabulous bakery. We walked all around this settlement until it was time to head off to the Native Plant Preserve. The sun was out and the air was hot. Our tour guide made the heat seem more enjoyable by making jokes and taking us on tree covered paths that curved throughout the preserve. We climbed up above the tree tops and were taken away by the true beauty of Eleuthera. Brian told us all that the view “was very artsy”. We ended our tour and ate some PB & J’s at the preserve. Some people tried the tea that was made at the preserve, but as one of parents so eloquently pointed out, I have a small palette, so I didn’t try any. We packed up and kept on moving.

            We made one more stop before heading back to the Institute and it was worth it. We stopped halfway through our hour long journey back at the longest Banyan tree in Eleuthera. It was breathtaking. The roots of the tree cascaded down creating a barrier against the sun for us. We all tried climbing the tree and stood back every couple of minutes to realize the complexity of this tree. Needless to say, this tree was hard to climb. I was unsuccessful, but Rachel, Brian, Zack, and Ben did manage to get up pretty high. Once again, we walked through the over grown thorns back to our vans.

            Finally, we arrived at the Institute around 2 PM. We unpacked our bags and started to clean the vans in hopes of getting rid of the stench our wet shoes and clothes created. My van compared the smell to either hockey pads or, for me personally, leaving wet cleats on a hot summer day in the trunk of a car. Some of us cleaned the vans, while others tried to clean tents and put back food. After all this was done we headed off to the Marina to enjoy some ice cream and candy bars.

            We ended our night circling up as always. We went over our schedule for the rest of the week and celebrated the 3rd night of Hanukkah. Jennie and Anna have taught us the first couple lines of the first prayer and we try very hard to sing along in support of the holiday. The quote I chose goes along with the article that Scotty and Serena showed us about the importance of being stupid during research the first couple of days. The quote is “Imagination is just intelligence having fun”. I passed the leadership role off to Rachel. Our night successfully ended with us watching the newest Batman. In case you were wondering, it was fantastic.

            Thank you to everyone that made our Down Island Trip and Intensive possible!

Court.

Day 10 - Starry Starry Night

On Saturday mourning we woke up after our first day of camping. Some of the students have never been camping before and had not enjoyed their first night sleeping in a tent. When we first woke up some people were a little crabby especially because it was still raining, but they quickly cheered up when we started the days activities. The first thing we did was explore Preacher’s Cave. Preacher’s Cave was a huge open cave near the ocean. It was the first place the Spanish explorers known as the Eleuthera Explorers first discovered in the 17^th century. It got its name because there is a natural rock formation in the cave that functions as a preachers pulpit.

After exploring the cave for  a while we packed up the camping gear and loaded up the vans. We traveled to the narrowest point on the island, which is a place called Glass Window Bridge. The bridge is a narrow strip of rocky ground, surrounded by rocky cliffs , that is bordered on one side by the dark blue Atlantic Ocean and by the crystal clear Caribbean on the other side.  It was awe-inspiring to see the power of the waves that were eroding the small strip of land.  Scotty told us that soon the bridge will be completely gone and  Eleuthera will be divided into two different smaller islands.  We explored and took some photos for a while before boarding the vans and travelling to the nearby Queen’s Baths. It was a small inlet in the limestone cliffs that had been dug out by the waves and the wind. There were small tidal pools that were filled with interesting sea life. While we were there we were buffeted with sea spray from the waves crashing into the rocks. We explored for about an hour and then decided it was time for lunch. We then traveled to a nearby settlement and ate lunch there.

Our trip continued down to Hatchet Bay to see a cave. When Scotty told us that their might be bats in the cave. Some of us were a little apprehensive about going into the cave. However he assured us that it would be fine and everyone eventually went into the cave. The cave was one of the coolest things we have seen on the trip, and we waded through freezing waist deep water with only our flashlights for light. At one point Scotty had us turn all the flashlights off and we were in total darkness. You couldn't see your hand in front of your face it was so dark. He then told us a scary story and terrified us.  Once we got to the deepest part of the cave we discovered a small cavern filled with clay. We painted ourselves with Lucian war paint and headed back up to the surface. We climbed out of the cave using a rope ladder, whistling the Indiana Jones theme song. As we exited the cave the sun came out and it stopped raining.

            We then hiked to a nearby salt pond, to clean off our war paint. This took some serious scrubbing but when we were clean we snorkeled in the pond and found some sea horses. We swam around for a while and observed the sea horses for a while and then headed to our campsite for the night.

            We were camping on a beach near an old abandoned US naval base. We set up camp and searched the beach for some firewood. We used this wood to build a campfire and then Kate and Scotty cooked everyone some quesadillas.  After dinner Ben decided that he was unable to endure the tent for another night and built himself a makeshift lean-to to sleep in. It was very impressive and was better than the tents. After he was finished we played a game called mafia until around 9 o’clock. After that most of the class was tired from the busy day that we  had had and went to bed. However the boys walked up and down the beach and looked at the stars.  There was no light pollution and so the stars were the best that we had ever seen.  After that we put out the campfire and went to bed for the night.

 - Brian Drockton

Day 9 - Down Island Trip Begins

On the Road Again!  

            At 6:15 am, on Saturday morning, Jenny’s alarm clock sounded, motivating everyone in the girls’ dorm spring out of their bunk-beds and finish packing for the much anticipated down island trip (DIT)! After packing and completing a deep clean of the dorms and the octagon, we headed off to breakfast where we enjoyed sweet muffins, sugar coated oatmeal (mixed with gorp), tangy grapefruit, orange juice and spoonfuls of sticky, thick, peanut butter.

            Quickly after devouring our breakfast, we boarded two vans which were loaded with camping supplies, fleece blankets, athletic clothes and snorkeling equipment; we were on the road once again. While Wes and Serena’s van suffered an unusual bird attack, Scotty’s van (me, Vanessa, Jenny, Rachel, Zack, Liz and Max) jammed to tropical music (Iron and Wine, OAR and Bob Marley).  Regardless of the vicious bird episode, we continued to happily venture to North Eleuthera. When we got to our camp sight, we set up our tents, put on our bathing suits and hit the road (again) to catch a ferry to Harbor Island.  Upon arriving in Harbor Island, Scotty granted us over four hours of exploration time!  The narrow streets of Harbor Island were filled with colorfully painted houses, friendly Bahamians and greasy, salty, sweet, fishy (yet delicious) smells.  Although the weather was boiling hot, a few of us managed to cool off after finding a small, local ice cream shop.  While Alix, Rachel, Bella, Vanessa, Liz, Courtney, Kate and I savored the last few bites of our creamy pistachio and coconut ice cream, the boys continued to wander through the town and shop for souvenirs.

            Eventually, we all ran into each other on the streets and decided to grab a cheeseburger/ conch fritter/ french fry dinner.  After eating our dinner on the dock, Alix and I got caught up in a Junkanoo (a traditional parade with loud drums and whistles), Max, Ben, Zack and Brian branched off from the group to share a (second) lobster dinner. The rest of the night was spent exploring Harbor Island and bonding with each other. When we returned to our camp sight, after a fun night out in the town, Jenny, Ben, Max and I taught the rest of the group about Chanukah and the holiday’s significance. Together, we chanted the blessings and the shehechianu (the blessing for the very first night of Chanukah) and lit Max’s handmade menorah, which was made from recycled beach plastic.  The Chanukah celebration was a great way to wrap up a fun filled day spent in the car and exploring Harbor Island.

We can’t wait to see you soon!

Anna Lowenstein

Day 8 - Where is "Away"?

The Story of Stuff

            With the morning air smelling of wet clothing, ocean spray, and dew, the Island School crew rolled out of bunk-beds with apprehension: would today be the day we went on our down island trip? Promises of tents, misquotes, cultural immersion and, not to be forgotten, Scotty’s cooking could be hampered only by the prospect of day three of Eleuthera’s newly capricious rainstorms. So at 7:05am, with our fingers crossed and our shoes sopping, we hustled to the Octagon to meet only to discover that the downpours of yesterday would carry into the day’s activities. The news was met with sighs, both of relief and of disappointment as we realized that the camping trip was postponed to tomorrow. So, while the day was still young, we took out bikes from our old sleeping quarters, the bike shed (no longer dubbed a hotel), and scooted on down to the marina to play SPUD: a game that brought back many a memory from schoolyard and neighborhood play.

            We could smell breakfast as we pedaled back to home base, the wind carrying the sweet scent of cinnamon. French toast was a favorite amongst the crew, and many found comfort in the fact that, while we didn’t have syrup, we did have honey. With our plates cleaned, we hopped back over to the Octagon to immerse ourselves in the study of plastics and how they affect the oceans. Swirling around what are known as the five gyres, plastics wash up on beaches all over the world and can be carried from just as far. Their effects are detrimental to both the environment and the wildlife. We saw heartbreaking images of seals with six-pack plastic wrapped around their necks and the pre-industrialized form of plastic known as nurdles floating in the water only to be mistaken as fish eggs and gobbled up by unsuspecting sea life.

            Breaking for lunch - a hearty serving of buckwheat, chicken, and fried rice (salad optional) - we returned to find Max snoozing on the porch of the Octagon in the sun. Something tells me he’ll be smelling fingernail polish for quite some time…

            Looking to apply our studies of plastic to a more personal front, the crew bumbled by van to a gated community known as Cotton Bay where we passed pastel villas overlooking the ocean on the other side of the island. The beaches there were gorgeous - stretches of dark reef hidden by cusping waves that, when caught just right by the light, looked like finely crafted glass. Carried by the surf are plastics, ropes, Kate found some sort of soap dispenser, Rachel a fully intact lightbulb, Ben a tuna hook, and a plethora of other useless tidbits tosses thoughtlessly, lost, or otherwise discarded into this beautiful ocean.

            With our findings, we returned to campus and began upcycling: creating something new using only the recycled material found. Ben, Zack, Brian, and Max quickly squared away a driftwood menorah, Kate and I created little ocean terrariums out of glass bottles, Liz built a glass-piece fish, Rachel and Anna worked on jewelry, Vanessa learned the ropes of weaving, Isabella and Court wove, Wes worked on a picture frame, and Jenny created a pretty neat basket.

            Downtime followed and the crew split, some finding solace in a book, others biking down to the marina to sit on the docks. Ben, being the fisherman he is, dusted off the rod and hooked a barracuda and a jack which he released back into the water (don’t worry parents, he’s got pictures on his phone).

            But even our lasagna dinner couldn’t sate the hunger for home many of us were, and continue, to feel. With talk of warm beds, milkshakes, Chipotle, mom’s cooking, long showers, family, friends, dogs, cats, and yes, even classes, we’re missing everyone back in Cleveland (although it seems we’ve brought the weather with us). Tomorrow we will head out for a three day hiking trip, so you won’t hear too much while we’re trekking through the bush, but don’t be discouraged: when we get back, there will be a handful of posts highlighting our expedition.

            Until then, much love from the Bahamas! One more week!

            Alix Prybyla

Day 7 - It's raining, it's pouring... Brian is snoring.

Today it rained. A lot. It was one of the first days of downpour in the last few months on Eleuthera. However, this rain brought lots of fun!

We started off the day with a sleep in, which entails us skipping morning exercise and waking up at 8:15 am for breakfast. When I woke up around 7 am, I stepped outside to see a double rainbow! I quickly ran inside to get Alix, another early riser, and we stood in awe, admiring the beauty around us.

With the Island School students gone the campus is empty and quiet. However this means there is more delicious food for us to eat and less dishes to clean afterwards.

Next we had one of our first real days of class as we went to the Octagon to learn about Human Ecology. We watched a film entitled “Power of Community: How Cuba survived the oil crisis” which talked about the Cuba Peak Oil problem and the new sustainable ways they have, that changed their lifestyle. Next we gathered outside during one of the few dry periods of the day to discuss what we learned and how Cleveland could have a more sustainable future.

Some insane statistics:

-          Cuba uses only 1/8 the energy that the United States uses however they have the same Life Span and Infant mortality as we do

-          Cuba has fewer cases of diabetes and cancer

-          The ratio between the amount of oil used compared to the amount of oil being discovered (in barrels) is 5:1

-          Due to the Peak Oil crisis, the average Cuban lost 20 pounds over the first few years of the Special period

Next the group took an Eco-footprint Quiz to learn how many hectares (2 ½ football fields) each person uses in a day. The average American footprint is around 24 hectares while the global average is only 4.5. This quiz assigns points to the 7 categories of Water, Food, Shelter, Transportation, Energy, Clothing and Stuff. My footprint was 21 hectares. The largest footprints came from Brian, with a shocking 41 hectares – mostly due to the amount of food that he consumes on a daily basis. The lowest footprint came from Alix, whose footprint was 16. She found that her footprint was low, due to her being a vegetarian. Wes had a footprint of 18 the second lowest.

After lunch, we learned about the old Cape Eleuthera Resort and Marina built in the 1970s. This resort went bankrupt in the late 1970s leaving behind the ruins of the many buildings for us to explore. We ventured outside with a partly sunny sky. However, as we walked further and further into the jungles of the resort it began to rain. Serena, one of the many interns working with us, took us to a great Banyan tree in the middle of the forest. As we started to walk there, it began to downpour and many of us did not bring a rain jacket, so we became quickly soaked. However our trek towards the tree brought out the most wonderful scents in the leaves and bushes around us, making the trip worth it. The Banyan tree was one of the most magnificent things I have seen, and the warm rain just made it more spectacular. A Banyan tree expands by the roots growing down from the branches into the ground. As we all huddled around the tree, people began to drink the water spilling off of these roots. One of the many jokes on this trip has been that Max has yet to take a shower. However, he believes that the rain counts as a shower, and that he now no longer needs to shower the rest of the trip.

Venturing back out from under the Banyan tree to return to campus caused everyone to get wetter, taking away any hopes of being dry. As we returned to campus we shed all of our wet clothes, hoping they’d dry in time for tomorrow.

Leaving for dinner was an interesting task as it was extremely dark and wet. However, the trip was well worth it because dinner was excellent. We had homemade pizza that tops any pizza I’ve ever had.

So, our crazy adventurous day ends in the rain. However, as we went around the circle sharing our “happys and crappys” for the day, everyone remarked that the rain made the whole day better.

Tomorrow’s plan is still iffy. If the rain decides to stop, we will be going on a 3-day Down Island Trip. If not, we will stay on campus for another day, and take off on Saturday.

The next leader will be Alix.
-Kate

Day 6 - Psychos and Ooids and Holes... OH MY!

            The Alarms went off again at 6:15 this morning, but waking up is never a challenge. We roll over in our bunks and look out the sliding glass doors of our dorm to see the sun rising over the ocean. This morning as the rosey rays sun and wafts of salty air drifted through the screen door, we were pulling on running shorts and t-shirts, preparing ourselves for the workout that we had been told the night before was called The Psycho (dun da dun daaa). We all made it through the super challenging and even psychotic workout. I know that I have been sore all day, but it was a really rewarding exercise.

            After an especially yummy breakfast, we learned about the formation of the Bahamas hundreds of millions of years ago. As it turns out, the entire system of islands is made of ooids, tiny particles of calcium carbonate and other mineral compounds. So, in the spirit of experiential learning we boarded a boat and rode out to a sandbar that is made entirely of these ooids which feel like extra-grainy sand. We snorkeled around the sandbar and saw rays, starfish, and lots of other really interesting marine life. The Island School dog, Lucky, even made the trip with us!

            Delving into the geology of the islands even further, we explored an ocean hole and a blue hole after lunch. An ocean hole is a land-locked, very deep depression in the earth that holds brackish water and many different species of fish. We got to explore a six hundred foot ocean hole and we even got to jump from the rock faces that encircled it. Next, we went to the blue hole, a chasm on the ocean floor that extends down for hundreds of feet, but is surrounded by relatively shallow water. Here, we saw a yellow ray, a grouper, and several jack.

            We returned exhausted with a very full day behind us. We had some time before dinner to do as we chose and some of us walked down to the marina store for a fix of junk food while others explored the campus or worked on tidying the dorms. We had another great dinner and now we are enjoying a night off that will be followed by a “sleep-in” tomorrow morning. We might watch a movie or just hang out and look at some of video that Ben and Max have been taking (thanks guys!)

            A big shout-out to Wes, Jenny, Serena, Scott, and everyone else who is making this trip a reality. We are all having an amazing time: over-coming challenges, experiencing new things, taking in the beauty of the place, and learning a ton about living sustainably and the Bahamian ecosystem.  Jimmy Buffet sings, “Wrinkles only go where the smiles have been” and we can only become wise through living life to its fullest, taking advantage of all opportunities, and smiling. We closed with this quote today because on this trip it has been amazing to gain appreciation and insight through having a simply amazing time. Say “hi” to everyone at home! We appreciate that you all sent us here and we miss you. Comments are super-dee-duper, so go ahead and leave those if you are so inclined. I hope that everyone’s holiday season is off to a good start. Save some snow for us!

Bella 

Day 5 - Sharks?

Max was the day's leader - he wrote the following for the day's blog...

Today was a long day without a dull moment. As usual the day started with a workout at 6:45. Today we were lucky, since the camp founder/principal, Chris Maxi, led us on a run swim. This workout consisted of short swims followed by various activities ranging from pushups to lifting rocks and then a mild run to the next swim. The two highlights of this run swim were climbing over a seawall and jumping off triangle cut. The sea wall was about five feet high, but the bottom foot was still underwater. Since it was underwater most of the wall was covered in a slippery moss plant. This made the wall very difficult to climb over.  To make it even harder before attempting the climb, Chris had us pass a rock back and forth while doing wall sits. Zack was the first one over the wall. He set the standard high getting over the wall perfectly. Surprisingly to all of us, everybody made it over the wall without a problem. Only a few people suffered cuts from the rough edge. After a short run we arrived at triangle cut and we got to jump off the cliff. Same as yesterday it was a fun jump. The highlight was being able to see Wes and Jenny jump off the eight-foot cliff. Then run swim concluded in everybody touching the flagpole in the middle of camp. By the end everybody was exhausted and looking forward to breakfast.

            The rest of the day consisted of shark fishing. Everybody had been looking forward to seeing sharks in the wild for the first time. The group was split into two groups. I was on the smaller boat with Wes, Zack, Bella, Alix, Serena and Vanessa. Every else went on a larger boat with Jenny. The smaller boat went drum lining while the larger boat went long lining. Unfortunately nether boats were able to catch any sharks. Most frustrating for my boat was that multiple times the bait had been taken off the hook by a shark. It seems like the other boat had a similar encounter, with a shark swimming under one of their hooks while they were approaching it. Even though my boat did not see any sharks we still had a great time on the water. We leant a lot from Ian, the shark researcher who we were helping with his PhD work. Also between setting the hooks and checking them we were able to snorkel on a patch reef. It was very interesting being able to see just one section of reef sounded by white sand. It is amazing to see how something so small could support so much life. During this swim we got to see our first jellyfish. The jellyfish seemed to be glowing a purplish hue; it was cool to look at. At the same time the other boat was also snorkeling at a different reef. From what Ben has showed us in his videos, it looked like a fun time. There seemed to be tons of fish located there. Their supervisor Brendan is a very good free diver. He was able to swim down about 60 feet to the bottom of the reef and stay down there for about a minuet. He took Ben’s GoPro down to the bottom with him and got some amazing video, showing all the different kinds of fish. At the end of their swim, Brian saw a shark swim around the edge of the reef. They identified the shark as a Reef Shark and that was between six and seven feet. Upon retuning to the Island School, the big boat went for another swim by the harbor. They were able to pick up a sea sponge and dissect it on the docks. When I returned this is what they were doing. It was amazing the about of small animals that were living inside of the sponge. The coolest thing to me was the sea cucumber. After unloading to boats and cleaning off the dock we had free time until dinner.

            After spending almost seven hours out on the water we were all hungry and tired. We all journeyed over to the marina store to refuel on food. The store was full of tempting choices, but the main choices were chocolate cookies, ice cream, and candy bars. It was the best pre-dinner snack ever. Brian was the stand out having his own carton of ice cream with two candy bars and a Gatorade. Brian’s “snack” consisted of over 1,000 calories.  On the walk back to the island school Zack, Brian and myself were able to knock down two coconuts from a tree. Brian proved useful in cracking them open on the road then ripping them open. If you have never tasted fresh coconut before you are missing out. It was great. Mostly everybody tried it, Anna, Rachel, Liz, Alix and all of they guys indulged in the coconuts. Upon returning to the school we headed of to dinner and then a movie presentation.

            The next leader will be Bella.

Day 4 - Another Busy Day

Another busy day at the Island School!

           

            First night in the dorms was a success! Everyone woke refreshed from a good night’s sleep in our new beds - a much appreciated transition from the bike shed cots. Morning exercise was yoga, led by Serena.

            Following breakfast, we had a short intro class on costal habitats, specifically mangroves, from the Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI) Flats team. First, we had a mock debate to learn the environmental and economical impact of development on the islands. Keeping with our theme of mangroves, we then moved over to the wet lab, where we spent majority of the day. Everyone rolled up their sleeves to dissect bonefish, a silvery fish species that thrives in the mangroves.

            Following lunch, we had another afternoon class taught by the Shark Team where we watched a short film on sharks created by one of the CEI interns. Hopefully, we’ll get a copy of the movie to show everyone, (it was stop motion and incredibly well done!) Then, we headed straight back to the labs to dissect an seven foot, Black Tip Shark. There had only been two other shark dissections this semester so we are extremely fortune to have had the opportunity. This occasion was even more special because this particular specimen was a rather large, female shark who we discovered had been pregnant with six pups. Dissecting the mother and extracting her pups was especially rare. Both dissections were extremely hands on. We were able to handle all of the major organs and really explore the anatomy of each animal. We were even able to take the lenses out of the eyeballs!

            Overall, everyone seemed to consider the dissections a highlight of the trip and actively participated. Brian, Zack, Ben and Kate especially jumped in and and handled all kinds of tissue and organs. Even Rachel managed to get a good look!

            To end the day, Scott took us on a short walk to Triangle Cut, to jump off a 10 foot cliff! 

            As usual, Serena, Jennie, Scott, and Wes have been patient and enthusiastic. Today was a little chilly with some rain so hopefully the weather will pick up tomorrow. All around, no complaints. We ended today with a quote my mother told me, “Often one’s greatest transformations come from their greatest transgressions.” At the Island School this quote holds true. I think I can speak for the group when i say this trip provides challenge in all aspects. Please comment - we all miss you and want to hear from you. Hope everyone’s well back in Cleveland!

Vanessa 

Day 3: Finding Dory

After an exhausting two nights sleeping in the bike shed, we have now moved into the CEI houses. The cots that we slept on created a few disturbances for the guys as a result of the cots being pulled incredibly tight. Imagine sleeping on a drum and whenever you move an inch, the cot creaks very loudly. Every time one of us moved, everyone else would wake up. Wes had a particularly tough time because he was in the corner and there was some banging on the walls to accompany the creaking.

We've met lots of really cool people here at the Island School. Our "teachers" are Scotty and Serena. Scotty is a recent graduate of UVA and has been working here for over a year. Everyone says that he is an amazing water polo player, and we will be testing his skill in an upcoming game. Serena is a graduate student finishing up her internship. She is one of the most upbeat and fun people on the island - I don't think I've been with her when she wasn't singing. When we snorkeled, she showed us tons of marine life, including a grouper and sting ray. The students that we have met here have all welcomed us with open arms. It's ironic because us Clevelanders are now the exotic, new, and interesting people. Students will come up to us and chat and during meals some of us try to mingle and get to know these other kids. We even met a girl from HB, Caroline, and another girl from Laurel, Lilly.

This morning started out with an intense game of soccer. We only suffered one injury; as Brian and I fought for a loose ball, Brian slipped on some loose rocks and cut his leg. Ben Bornstein recorded two goals and an assist, I also had two goals and a few assists, Alix was defensive player of the match, and Rachel scored her first career goal. It should also be said that Brian was held goalless, but did kick the ball into the brush a few times. Afterwards, Ben and I went for a morning swim near the marina and had the luck of seeing a Spotted Eagle Ray, whose wing span was about 6 feet.

Today's lesson was related to sustainability. Scotty gave us a lecture on conservation, which lead to an activity in which we thought about environmental problems facing Cleveland and created our own islands. Afterwards, we went on a scavenger hunt around campus. We visited the gardens, saw some sharks, and ate a papaya.

The highlight of the day consisted of a trip to Fourth hole to snorkel. We ventured out over 100 yards to discover the reef. The reef was beautiful and we saw an abundance of fish, from Blue tang to a French Grunt. It was incredible to swim among the corals, but disappointing not to see our first shark.

Our next student leader and blog poster will be Vanessa Bajko. Happy early Hanukkah to all and please post some comments! Also a note to Pete (Whiting), please limit your comments to once every few days. You have lots of other work to do.

Zack Whiting

Day 1 (Travel) and Day 2 (Research Symposium)

It’s been a long couple of days for the Hawken Envi Sci Team, but we are all holding strong and very excited about the opportunity ahead of us.  We started yesterday morning early in the morning (4am) when we met for the bus to leave for the airport.  There was only one late wake-up, but Courtney made it to the airport in time and all went well.  We made our way to Akron-Canton airport, checked in and made our way through security.  At the gate, we had some time to grab a bite to eat and relax before the flight.  I am not sure how… but the guys found a way to get Cinnabons and Arby’s Curly Fries before 6am.  Flight #1 to Atlanta was smooth… Atlanta airport was a nice little break where, once again, the guys found foods I wouldn’t expect to see in the morning, but I suppose Fried Chicken Biscuits are a common item in the South.  I feel like after these first two ‘meals’ the girls were all a little disturbed.  Flight #2 to Nassau was fine – once there, we navigated our way through customs and over to the ‘Domestic Flights’ section of the airport.  Another 2+ hour layover was a great opportunity for some of the guys to get burgers from Wendy’s where they could get Chicken Nuggets as their side instead of fries.  Wow.  Rest assured, parents, that the string of poor dietary decisions quickly halted once we got to Eleuthera.

We arrived in Eleuthera safely with all 12 students, but unfortunately only 11 bags made it… Rachel’s bag was missing along with the luggage of about 4 other passengers.  She filled out some brief paper work and was assured that they would deliver it to us when it came in.  We hopped on the two vans that awaited us and drove 40 minutes south to the Cape.  The kids were all so excited and exhausted at the same time.  We finally arrived at the school by 530pm, which was about 14 hours after most of us had left our homes to begin the journey.  When we arrived at the school, we briefly unpacked and made our way over to dinner.  It was a great experience at dinner to join up with the Island School students who have been on campus since the end of August.  They were all very welcoming and helped our students navigate their way through the dining hall.

After dinner, I was very impressed and proud of our students.  There is a group of students who help clean up after each meal (dishes, pots & pans, sweep, mop, etc) and our students jumped in and started helping them with their chores without even being asked to do so.  I received many compliments from many of the faculty down here for their small, yet large, gesture in helping out. 

Post-dinner, we watched a brief and informative talk about conch and their importance to the Bahamas. After this we talked about some basic rules and expectations of the next couple weeks and then hit the hay for the night.

This morning, we started our day with a nice swim/snorkel as our morning exercise.  All of the students jumped right in the water and we so excited to finally get going!  For the next half hour, Jennie and I heard so many ‘Ooohs’ & ‘Aaaahs’ as the kids got to swim around and navigate the waters.  We saw starfish, grouper, sting rays… All of the different tropical colors and fishes were very exciting for us to see!

After our swim, we got a chance to clean up and head to breakfast.  I have never had grits and fish stew for breakfast, but I wouldn’t be opposed to having it again!  It was more of a gravy-like consistency, but the flavors were good and it was a good meal to jump-start the day!  The rest of our day consisted of watching presentations put on by the Island School students about their research projects that they have been working on over the past 14 weeks.  It was a great chance to expose our students to different environmental issues that are being researched here along with showing them how students can do some great and impactful research.  Some of the topics included… “Physiological and behavioural response of nurse sharks to longline capture”

“Effects of predator and prey densities on lemon shark growth rates in mangrove creeks of South Eleuthera”

And

“Assessment of queen conch population density in Cape Eleuthera Sound”

The presentations were very well done and the research that the students did was very impressive.  We got to hear a keynote address after the presentations from the Minister of the Environment in The Bahamas.  The Ambassador to The Bahamas was also on campus along with many other researchers and professors from different universities.  It was a great day of introduction to research for the students and a good way to prepare us for the research we will be doing this upcoming week with some of the different groups.

After the symposium ended, we all took a bike ride down to Sunset Beach and got to relax, swim and catch some rays.  It was a nice way to wind down and rest before our evening festivities.  When we got back from Sunset, Rachel’s bag was waiting for her as it had finally arrived from Nassau!

The evening festivities included a slide show put on by a student camp that was on campus all week sponsored by National Geographic.  The students, a group of about 20 Bahamian teens, got to work with photographers from NatGeo and take pictures of The Bahamas and express what The Bahamas means to them.  It was a powerful experience for the students who got to get a real sense of how delicate and precious their homeland is.  The pictures were beautiful and impactful.  After the slide show, we went to the local park in the town we were visiting and watched the end of an inter-town basketball game and once it concluded broke into an impromptu Junkanoo.  Music, Dancing, Costumes, Lots of Drums and Whistles…  Good times.

I will post pictures and hopefully some videos if I get a chance.  Keep looking back for more updates!  The next blog will be posted by Zack Whiting who is our first student leader!  Congrats to Zack and also to the whole group for doing a great job of mingling, trying new things and absorbing so much information each moment that we are here!

Thanks for reading – please post comments!  =W=