What are Protocols and Why We Need Them

So why make all this fuss about a protocol? And what is a protocol? Protocols are a scientific step by step instruction sheet that you follow in order to gather and share data. In order to compare our data at Waihe'e with the data that will be taken at St. Paul Island, we have to have a set of directions that we both agree to follow.

In order to reach the greatest audience in the future, we decided to try our 'old school' techniques. Sometimes technology doesn't work in the field, and you need to fall back on another way to get the data. So I will post our temperature, pH, and turbidity protocol to a website that Science Club manages for further review. I will also upload the old sand protocol, understanding that we will be replacing it with the new sand protocol when it becomes available.

It is our hope to exchange data between our islands four times a year. We know that our ocean in Hawaii is very different from the ocean 2000 miles north of us, but that's all in the learning for us. We need to start somewhere, and common tests will allow us to compare our ocean and ocean water further north.

So please click on this link to transport you magically to our Science Club page.

May 4- From Mrs. Kushin's Diary-Fire Leaves Us Trapped!

Today Day 6: Tuesday
Started a bit off schedule due to the fact that the road was closed because of the fire that was not yet fully contained. This picture was taken by Kevin Olson and published in the Maui News. It shows just how close the fire came to the road causing lots of smoke and closing the road for 8 hours. During that time, we were supposed to head to the Sanctuary across island for a snorkel, we tried to do it at the beach by the hotel. Unfortunately there was enough wave action to make some very murky water. So we ended up playing in the waves – not sure we’ll ever get the sand out of the kids’ swimsuits. The road opened up in the afternoon, so we drove over to the Maui Tropical Plantation and took the last tour of the day to see pineapples, coffee, bananas, mangos, macadamia nuts, and more growing on the plantation. Another trip to the pool, and the kids are off to bed in hopes of an early morning paddle and snorkel at the sanctuary- if the road is open for us to get through tomorrow (Wednesday).
Here are some pictures and facts we got from the Maui Tropical Plantations. You can read about them online at www.mauitropicalplantation.com

Fast Facts (from Maui Tropical Plantation website):

Sugarcane takes two years to mature. One ton of water is needed to produce a single pound of sugar.

Heliconia range from 3' to 20' and come in nearly every color of the rainbow.

Versatile green ti leaf is a good luck symbol believed to keep evil spirits away and is often found planted by the entrances to homes in Hawaii.

The Malaysian starfruit tree is actually a native of China and India.

Hawaii produces the only commercial coffee crop in the United States.

Kamiya Papaya is a self-pollinating hermaphrodite with both male and female flowers.

Each trunk of our dwarf Brazilian apple bananas bears only one stalk in its lifetime.

Taro (kalo) is valued by Polynesian people as a rich source of carbohydrate and for its medicinal and supernatural powers.

Mango trees take five years to bear fruit but will produce for 100 years.

Guava juice has five times more vitamin C than orange juice.

It takes 300 pounds of pressure per square inch to crack the ¼"-thick shell of the Macadamia nut.

No machine has yet been invented that can husk a coconut, but take our tour and see your driver do it by hand in under 60 seconds!

Pineapples ripen from the bottom up. If your finger can pierce the "eye," don't buy it. Avoid pineapples with wet bottoms and strong smell. They're over-ripe.

Monday May 3-From Mrs. Kushin's Diary

Day 5: Monday

We spent with Mrs. Prevenas and her science club, which included some of our penpals! We worked together in teams –some Hawaii students and some Pribilof students in each team- and did water sampling including pH, temperature -not only did we use thermometers and electronic probes, we used our feet :), turbidity, sand surveys for plastics, and beach surveys for turtle nests. After a lunch packed for us all by their cafeteria, Ms. Denby talked to us about the history of the area and showed us artifacts that had been found on the property.

That same afternoon, we headed up to Iao Valley Nature Center and went on a great hike led by Miss. Rochelle and learned about the plants as we went.We even saw bananas growing! We all felt pretty lucky that the mosquitoes weren’t biting too badly. We hiked up to see the stream that is the main water source for Maui –looking upstream, you see a large healthy stream then suddenly a grate about 20 foot long, and after that nothing but a few large puddles and a bed that used to contain a stream. That was super interesting because when we were developing questions to ask about Maui; how people get water and power was one area we wanted to investigate. However we then discussed the pros and cons of the diversion, and it seems to us that this is another example of nature is losing out to man. We were happy to learn that some people including Mr. Skippy – who had been with us at the beach discussing sea turtles that morning - are working to preserve the fish etc. that are being impacted by the water’s diversion. It was time to head back to our side of the island.

With about 15 of the miles left to go we suddenly started to see smoke, it was a forest fire! (Although with all the volcano studying we’ve done lately, lava was the first thought from some of the kids) It was still light enough to see the helicopters flying from the fire site down to the ocean to get huge dangling buckets filled up with water which were then dropped on the fire area. We made it back to the hotel after “chowing down” at Pizza Hut in time to cool off from the day in the pool.

May 3-Students Building Bridges Across Cultures

Before I get all carried away with all the learning that occured. I think it is important for you to get a snapshot of all the learning that occurred that you cannot plan for. It just happens.

A Kalama student helps her Alaskan friend learn how to use a GPS.

The Alaskan students are delighted to find that the water is WARM (and so is the sand).



This might look like wading, but it's scientific sampling. A St. Paul student tows for plankton in the nearshore water of Waihe'e.

May 3- Let the Learning Begin

There was a lot of preparation I needed to do if the field trip was going to be successful. I needed to gather my scientists and support group from the island. I needed cultural educators, and scientists.
My cultural educators came from the Waihe'e Land Trust itself, Denby Freeland-Cole. Denby has taught small armies of students and adults of all ages about the land that is Waihe'e and was an important part of the Hawai'i of old. May 3 was open and she granted me and my visitors the time needed to learn about that sacred place.

Next I needed scientists to share the knowledge of the environment. Skippy Hau is the absolute best environmental scientist our island has to offer. He not only knows about the science of Maui's fragile ecosystems, he is an environmental hero for helping preserve the fragile fauna that tries to maintain a presence in Maui's few remaining streams. Although he was born on Oahu, he quickly became an important scientist working on Maui for the state of Hawaii. He educates young and old alike about the treasures we have and urges all to get involved to save our unique and changing island/ocean ecosystems.
I also needed support people to help my students with digital technology, like GPS, and Vernier Probes. And although we were aiming for old school protocols, we wanted to include the new technology as an eventual goal for us both. Maui Digital Bus was being refitted for a new home on Molokai, and the new bus was not yet ready for use, so two fabulous Staffers (Ellen and John) came to help my students learn the various protocols that would allow us to compare Maui data with that of St. Paul in the Pribilofs.

With all that in order, next came the red tape of taking a field trip with the DOE. There were forms to fill out, permission slips to collect, a big white van to lease, lunches to order, equipment to secure, protocols to teach and establish. A huge helping hand came to me with Davilla Riddle, my friend and 8th grade teacher, who selected a small group of students to help with new protocols and provide another pair of adult eyes for the trip. Davilla is Yang to my Ying and vice versa. I love it that she can see what needs be done, and just says, I'll do it. She can see how she is needed and then follows through. For Davilla I will always be grateful :)

So with my little Mazda parked unhappily in the airport parking lot, and me large behind the wheel of a 12 person white whale, I bid my rental agency goodbye and pointed the van upcountry to where the adventure for the day had yet to begin. 5:30 am. This just might be a long day. But with the adrenalin pumping through my veins, three years of planning to get to this place, I was ready. I pushed my right foot to the gas pedal, and smiled. Giddy-up!

May 2 -Maui Bound

May third was a very important day for us all. That was the day that Mrs. Kushin's students and my students would meet and seek to build bridges that would span the 2000 miles of Pacific Ocean that separated us. I had two major goals for this day. The first goal was to introduce and become friends with another group of students that lived on an isolated island in the middle of an ocean. The second goal was to share and teach protocols that we both could use as a way to share scientific information that we would gather from our island shores ideally 4 times each year.
There were hurdles that we had to overcome. However, for me the biggest hurdle was to get Tonia's students and my students on the same island. Tonia and her students had overcome the hugest hurdle of all, fundraising and physically planning the trip that would take them from there to here. I had the easy stuff. Creating an educational and cultural exchange. Shouldn't be too hard!
First choose a day that they would be on Maui. Since they were flying over from Oahu Sunday night, May 2, around 8pm. May third was my choice. I didn't want to waste one minute of time once they got to my island.
I needed to greet them at the airport on Sunday night, with leis! Lucky for me, my kumu, Hokulani Padilla Holt, teaches her students not just the hula, but the culture that supports the hula. I had bare bones knowledge of how to make Ti leis and my property provided the many leaves needed the braid and twist the garlands. 15 Ti leaf leis coming up! I also believed they needed to have flowers available for their hotel rooms, and cut down armfuls of flowers from my gardens, so that they would see the bounty of our island.
I waited for them with my cooler of Leis, not wanting the puakenikeni or gardenias to wilt, and soon they were HERE! THEY WERE ACTUALLY ON MAUI!
I cannot begin to tell you how when I first saw them, my eyes teared. These wonderful people had worked so hard to come and visit me and my students!
Some of them I met three years ago, when they were in second grade. I recognized their sweet faces that had gotten slightly older. It was wonderful to see them all and I hugged their teacher with such happiness that I have never known before. In this picture I see two of the students who would be visiting us. Can you see them too?
A dream I once had, for my students and Alaskan students to share their culture and their natural history of their islands was about to become reality.
So after a quick introduction to Mr. Kushin, Miss Edna, their Aleut Kumu, the 8 children, and Henry and Ashley, the Kushin's children, the step by step detailing of a successful visit soon got underway. Picking up rental vans, loading suitcases and bodies, and hugs goodbye. I realized I wanted our guests to drive across the island by 9 that next morning, so tried to cushion the mandate, by offering them a cooler of breakfast drinks, and foods so they could eat en route. All these details are so important to acknowledge and plan for, if a Field trip is to run successfully. Of course there are always those details one overlooks, but then it's all a part of learning, ya?

Volcanos Hawaiian Style

by Tonia Kushin, lead teacher from St. Paul Island School, Pribilof Islands Alaska

Well, we got some more flying in today. We did an Island hop over to the Big Island getting a great view of the chain of Hawaiian Islands along
with some culture and lore about each from the live tour guide as well as our own personal iPod tour guide!

As we walked from the plane toward the bus to get up close and personal with a volcano, there was a face from home, St. Paul Islander - Jay Stepetin and his wife, Brandy with daughter
Hannah! They had found out we were coming and drove over to the Hilo side to spend the day with us on a bus tour up to see Kilauea.

We stopped at a few sights along the way (I think the chocolate shop was the kids' favorite) and then made it up to the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.


We were able to see the Kilauea caldera with a huge plume of steam coming from it rising gracefully into the air as well as Mauna Loa nearby and Mauna Kea in the distance.




The Rangers explained to us about VOG - the
toxic gases rising up - and explained to us about the dome or shield volcanoes.

Although we'd studied the different types of volcanoes and seen pictures in our science books and the Internet, it was interesting to hear the students discuss where the volcanoes actually were. I think they were still expecting to see the more composite type with steep slopes and peaks like we have back home. Speaking of home, you'll notice in a couple of the

pictures that the volcanic rock we're near looks just like the picture could have been taken on St. Paul or St. George. We also walked through the Thurston Lava Tube and likened that to the one at Bogoslof Hill on the St. Paul.


The day ended back on Oahu with an evening trip to the Waikiki Beach to
play "Chicken" with the waves. The kids loved that - though they got quite
a bit wetter than they do at home when playing the same game with ice cold
water, but naturally we'd forgotten to bring the camera!

Tomorrow we are headed to the Polynesian Cultural Center and underwater on
a submarine excursion. We will hopefully get to wrap our brains better
around what Ms. Ridgeway has been describing and teaching us through
pictures and stories of her deep sea work in the Zemchug and Pribilof
canyons.

Thanks for sharing our adventures,

Ms. Kushin, Ms. Edna & the 5th graders: Andronika, Ermogen, Linnae, Maria,
Savannah, Teresa, Will, and Wynn (plus John, Henry, and Ashley)

Fish Market and Coconut Island

From Tonia Kushin, Lead Teacher, St. Paul Island School
Thursday April 29, 2010
Today was an eye opener day to marine science Hawaii style. We started the day off bright and early (5AM) with a trip to the Fish Auction. We could not believe the size of some of the fish that were on display (many like the Tuna, heavier yet smaller than the average students) , and the amount of work that goes into displaying the fish so they are ready for buyers to choose from. One surprising aspect there was the number of different
species being sold off of one boat. We are more used to just one species (halibut) being sold off of each boat. As it was explained it made great sense and reduced wasteful bycatch since there is a market for the multiple species.

We then headed across the island via the Likelike highway (which we later figured out was not called the Like like). It has been interesting to struggle over many of the Hawaiian names, yet to listen to some of the people we've introduced Aleut words to struggle over the pronunciation of our words. The students decided that maybe there are different mouth muscles used for the different sounds.


Just in the nick of time, we arrived at the dock and met Auntie Barbara, Sal, Katie, and Captain Fritz who took us out on a boat to Coconut Island,
Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology. Along the way, we saw a few sea turtles, did a plankton tow and took a look at that through magnifiers,
When we landed, we were able to hike around the facility and Auntie Barbara gave us some great information on many subjects from satellite
tracking sharks to eradicating introduced algae species. Many of the students had their first up close and personal view of sharks (and a
puffer fish), we discussed the white sand and did an experiment showing harmful effects of ocean acidification, got caught in a cool rain squall,
discussed the harmful effects of marine debris (which we had just discussed with Tribal Eco folks during Bering Sea Days), investigated live
animals in a touch tank, and got to see coconuts! It was disturbingly similar types of marine debris found both at Hawaii and at home in the
Pribilofs.

Next was a trip to the Waikiki Aquarium where we met back up with Ms.Wende Goo who was instrumental in setting up many of the details/
reservations for the day for us. We chatted for awhile with Bud Antonelis (who some of you may know from his years on the Pribilofs doing fur seal
work) about the Hawaiian Monk Seal, looked through the various exhibit tanks, and were awed by many of the beautiful marine animals. We are really looking forward to our snorkeling outing(s).

Then if all that wasn't enough, we hit the pool at the end of the day. That was extremely refreshing all around. A bit of Pizza later, and the kids fell exhausted into dreamland. Thanks to everyone who made today possible and quite successful.

Tomorrow we change from life science to earth science and are headed to
the Big Island to check out the volcano and the National Park.

Pribilof Islanders Meet Hawaiian Islands!

From Mrs. Tonia Kushin, lead teacher from St. Paul Island School in Alaska

We are now in Honolulu (city), Oahu (island), Hawaii (state). As we neared landing we were all leaning toward the airplane windows hoping the flightattendant wouldn't notice and watched the Islands come into view. SoCool! Some seemed similar to home, but a few features stood out: Many,many more buildings on the island, one island we flew over even had buildings built inside a volcanic crater. Lots of large ships were seen too, that was impressive. Once we touched down and deplaned, the first impressions from the kids were so cute!
OMG, it's hot, I'm getting sweaty, It's so green, That's the tower from the internet! (airport
control tower).
After getting the van rentals, we made it to the hotel with only minor directional issues. There are SO many people, there must have been more people walking through the streets than even live in Anchorage!
By the time we were all checked in, the pool was closed for the night, so we headed to the hotel's restaurant: Jimmy Buffet's and got to hear some live music. Some of the girls finally even got up the nerve to head up to the dance floor!

Tomorrows activities include: the Fish Market/ Auction, visits to the Hawaiian Islands Marine Biology Institute and Waikiki Aquarium, and some swimming time before bed.

It's all about dreaming.

This all began three years ago. This new mission in education. This new mission in Life. I was selected to be a NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmosperic Association) teacher at sea and Polar TREC (Polar Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating) on the USCG Ice Breaker Healy during April and May 2007. It was the spring seasonal ice breakup, melt, and algal bloom in the Bering Sea. We could say Global Climate Change out loud. We could learn and observe what was happening in chilly Arctic. We could do science. It was the BEST (Bering Ecosystem STudy)! I was the luckiest teacher alive!

See, my students had begun to ask hard questions. They wondered about global climate change and how it would affect them. They lived on an island in the middle of the ocean. What would happen to the island? What would happen to them? I could not even begin to answer. There was little research done by US scientists on global climate change at that time. I needed to find out.

My school is in upcountry Maui. I teach a delightful blend of students, about 150 in all, hui po'okela. Although their ancestors came from a hundred different places, all have Hawaii in common. Kalama Intermediate School has a majority of students from Asian and Pacific Islander heritage. We are Hawaii. My students are proud of their cultures.

And my students learn in many ways. They are artists, they are engineers, they sing, they wiggle. My students learn science through multiple intelligences. Science class needs to educate all students so that they will be aware and engaged of the environmental problems that will face them as adults.

It seemed a natural to pair me with a teacher from the isolated Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea, Tonia Kushin. My mission included a visit to the schools of St. Paul and St. George. I wrote to Tonia, and began a relationship that would lead to her island, teaching a library full of St. Paul School students on a stormy late April day.

And as I talked to the students of St. Paul, and urged them through the learning stations, I began to notice a similarity between her students and mine. Their Aleut roots were strong and proud, just like my students. I knew each would find a great deal of interest in each other.

We flew off St. Paul, AK that late April afternoon in 2007 with the wind pushing the helicopter around like a paper airplane. Inside my brain, this idea had taken root. This cultural exchange. Tonia and I wanted to have our students share in the culture of another island people. So began the Pribilof Penpal Club.

My students were fascinated with the Aleutian culture. We would exchange boxes of crafts and letters about once every few months. School year 2007-08 was the first year. Then 2008-2009, still going strong. However, 2009-10 was setback when furlough days took the spirit out of any extra activity. It became difficult to do even the mandated labwork.

Up in the Pribilofs, it was a totally different story. Tonia wrote to me to let me know that her students were coming to visit us. I was delighted, but so nervous. This was a dream come true. BUT! Would we be able to get it together to host these wonderful students and their teachers? How much time could we share? And what about Furlough Fridays; how would they impact the visit?

This week they arrive in Hawaii, and they are ready for a once in a lifetime learning extravaganza. Honolulu and Maui have opened their arms wide to share our beautiful islands, and our cultures. On Oahu, they have visits to the Polynesian Cultural Center and Fish Market planned, along with Reef Restoration with NOAA and Navigating Change. See the water is warm here.

And on Maui, they have a field trip with my science club to Waihe'e Land Trust and Iao Valley (May 3) , where they will learn the protocols to test water, and use a new remote controlled water robot, buildt by the club for just this purpose. We have a Cultural Share-A-Thon scheduled for the Kalama library (May 6) to compare and contrast the two native cultures of our islands. They will visit Makawao School Library to share their culture with 5^th grade students too. And to top it all off, they will attend May Day at Kamehameha School Maui Campus.

The Pribilof Kids are coming here, to MAUI! And what a fabulous time they will have. They learned a long time ago, that there is but one ocean on this earth that connects us all.

Websites: www.polartrec.com,

www.oneoceanonearth.blogspot.com

http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/foci/ice07/index.html

Contact: Maggie Prevenas, Seventh Grade Science Teacher, Kalama Intermediate School, Makawao, HI phone: 808...