Best and Worst

So I need to finish up with two more "best and worst" columns. I think it is great that most of the  students have a really hard time pinning down their favorite part of the trip, and even have a difficult time coming up with a worst part too.

Week two (marine week)

Best:

The Wall (Charlotte & Sam)

The Sea Turtle (Kyle)

Getting PADI certified (Alex)

Swimming with the Squid (mine)

The Barracuda (Dean)

Worst:

The Hill (Charlotte & mine)

Dean's toenail almost falling off (Dean)

Foggy Goggles (Sam)

Small Beds (Kyle)

Drinking too much salt water (Alex)

Best and worst overall:

Best:

Wildlife we worked with/saw (Charlotte)

People we met (Charlotte)

Nighttime shenanigans (Alex)

Seeing the turtles on the boat to Cabrits (Dean)

Walking through the jungle (Sam)

Being outside in Springfield and being in the water in Cabrits (Kyle)

Getting to show the group how exciting and fun science can be and having them actually excited and having fun (mine)

Worst:

Having to say goodbye after getting used to being around everyone (Charlotte)

Airport in general (Alex) 

San Juan (Sam)

San Juan airport (Dean)

The small bed in Cabrits (Kyle)

Losing Alex's luggage (mine)

Overall, this was a great trip with great students. I am sure that with different personalities it could have gone wrong quickly (like in the San Juan airport or at the first sight of a cockroach)! This blog is definitely an incomplete story, there are so many things I have left out like:

* The incessant singing of Margaritaville (only the chorus because that's all they knew) and something about Paramore?

* The strange and sometimes wonderful food we ate

* The Opwall people we met: Jacquie, Cormac, Melissa, Sam, Olga, Marc, Tina, Rob, Sarah, Matthew,         George, and Martin

* All of the lectures these students attended on ecology and conservation (about 18 hours in a classroom)

* The Vermonters we met from Burr and Burton Academy: Miss Allen, Liam, Sarah, Meg, Nico, Eric, Sam, Chris, and Devon (who is NOT from Scotland)

* I am sure some of it I don't know - like the "night time shenanigans"??? 

So be sure to ask a Nipmuc Opwall student about it when you see one!

Thanks for reading this blog!

-Jen Field

Traveling Again

Another travel adventure began early this morning with one last visit to the wall. The wind was blowing a gale but the view was still beautiful at dawn. We all got organized for our trek to the airport. It turns put that the Vermonters were on the same flight. Not as coincidental as it sounds because it is one of a couple of flights that go to anywhere other than another island! Of course the LIAT flight was late (one of the locals said LIAT stands for Leaves Islands Any Time).  

We left 40 minutes late. This does not seem too bad, but it cut down our transfer time to 50 minutes. Had we known this was impossible at the outset, we probably would not have run through the airport! After de-planing, we were made to wait in a long line with a leader from the airport who led us to customs; we all almost cried when we got there. The line was longer than the ropes; winding its way up to 6 or 7 officials who were busy processing people. It was going to take an hour to get through. How come the visitor line is always so short? An older man in front of us told me I should go explain that I had a school group and we were going to miss our flight and ask an official to go around but after asking two officials, I had to go back to the end of the line with the kids. The man was so nice, he asked all the people ahead of us if we could move up in line and they all agreed to let us go. We moved up three bends in the line just because this man explained our plight. It was so generous of everyone! Everyone just kept saying you can pass you can pass. Then a new customs official agreed to let us through as a school group and expedited our passage. I am so pleasantly surprised with that whole experience; it is good to know there are so many nice people out there. 

We knew we were running late but really did not want to stay in San Juan (been there, done that) so we ran to get our luggage, then we ran around in circles trying to find American Airlines. We had to exit the secure area to do so. Sweating profusely, we found the counter at 2:41. One minute past our departure time. 

We were then told to go to the USDA screening area where they X-rayed our luggage for aphis...good thing too because I bet we could have picked up cockroaches in Dominica....

We rebooked flights (for a fee) and got through TSA again. The lines were unending and we were all hungry and tired! Again, there was no complaining from the kids, only laughter and jokes. It is funny how the first time we all went through TSA in Boston, I was sure to keep everyone together and made sure they all got through ahead of me and were together. I have to say that these kids can now navigate TSA and customs with the best of them! 

In hind sight, I don't think we could have made it even with the 1 1/2 hours we started with anyway given that we had to get our luggage, go outside twice and then navigate USDA, computer check in, and TSA! The run did get us to stretch our legs between flights...

Everyone at San Juan airport has been very friendly and helpful, but I can honestly say that I have no desire to return anytime soon.

We were much happier upon our return to Miami (see above). We saw fireworks over the city as we took off, happy Fourth of July! The rest of the trip went smoothly and we even arrived early into Logan.

Last Day

Today was the last full day on Dominica (we hope). We are understandably a little nervous about the length of our up coming journey. Scuba students went for a dive this morning and snorkelers went for their lasts real snorkel. Snorkelers got a rare treat and saw a juvenile hawksbill sea turtle, which is a critically endangered species that lives around Dominica! 

After lunch, We all walked to Douglas Bay again and spent some time at the beach (and did some trash clean up too). Some people snorkelers, but Nipmuc students mainly enjoyed being able to play in the water. Kyle found a coconut and began to toss it around and there was soon a game going.

I took some time thins morning to label a map of Dominica every place that we have been, either as a group, or on special trips:

I am sure we passed through other places, but with the roads so twisting and turning, it was hard to tell where we were!

We all went for a hike up the West Cabrit before dinner this evening to try to watch the sun set. It was not really visible throught the hazeon the horizon, but it was a nice hike anyway.

 

Students are sitting out under the moon and stars this evening, as they have been each evening, getting their last of the Dominica night air (wind). I am sure they are continuing their cannon take overs which I am told has been termed "Columbus-ing" another noun verbed... Last night was pretty exciting, there was a canon "race" (see photo below), unfortunately, Dean "took a right hand turn too sharply" and fell off. He was only slightly bruised.

This group of students has received nothing but compliments from the Opwall staff in Dominica and the dive staff here in Cabrits. They have been all very impressed with their willingness to work, study, and follow directions without complaints or excuses. Very nice to hear!

Windy Isle

Last night I began to wonder how many soldiers wrote about the incessant wind. I image it would drive me a little mad after more than a few weeks time. It is always breezy and mostly very windy; last night I was fearful that Charlotte would get blown away. The students now have a nightly tradition of sitting out on the wall before the other teacher and I send them inside at 9:30. We (the other teacher and I) can't stay awake any later! Last night was exceptionally beautiful with the full moon. Sometimes there are territorial disputes: who gets to sit on the cannon. These ultimately lead to (not-so) hostile take-overs.

Speaking of hostile take overs...we had a Dominica history lecture last night, there was quite a bit of fire power in this bay once upon a time. This fort was nestled between the two Cabrits, but there were also guns on each peak the remnant of which we saw on the East Cabrit yesterday afternoon. The island is called wai'tu kabuli in the Carib language, it means "tall is her body" which is pretty appropriate! If you didn't know, the Carib people of Dominica were in the Pirates of the Caribbean as the "natives" and films 2 and 3 were set here on the island. The mangrove swamp is right down the road! Also, our driver from the terrestrial week (Ali) was in the movie and he pointed out where different scenes were shot as we were driving around! Looks like we will have to have a Pirates of the Caribbean film fest when we get home!

Dean and Alex did their last two dives today and are now PADI certified divers! They will have one more tomorrow morning for fun and then they need to wait because of their upcoming plane travel on Saturday.

Unfortunately, I was relegated to land duty to nurse my throbbing head and ears (too much of a good thing...snorkeling) but got to scoot out on the pier to get this photo of Dean (Alex is in the water) jumping in. I also got a shot of the cafe where we spend most of out time. We get three meals a day, but have to buy snacks if we want them. The boys have been sucking down milkshakes and eating something called chocolate-delish. They say they get better the more you eat...

Exam Day

Both divers were successful today passing their PADI exam! They celebrated by learning how to jump off the pier in scuba gear. They reported having a great dive and seeing many interesting things, Alex came away unscathed from a "whole nest of sea urchins" although it was a close call. Dean was not so lucky in his encounter with fire coral...a little vinegar and he was fine.

The water was choppy making entry and exit challenging especially when you have a tank on your back. Dean was able to utilize his special burrito roll today in exiting up the ramp, but did not recommend it to anyone else. The choppy water made our urchin transects more challenging, but we successfully completed four. We also went out to identify fish species today and actually saw a barracuda! 

We ended our afternoon with a hike up the East Cabrit. Along the way we caught a glimpse of Guadaloupe on the horizon and a collective shudder went through the Nipmuc students. It was a nice hike through more ruins and a final view over the fort. Walks here continue to surprise me; the land crabs and hermit crabs wander along the endge of trails and lizards scuttle in the leaves.

Tonight we all got to eat some lion fish. Sarah and Matthew went hunting for it this morning with long tri-tipped spears and brought back 6 or 7 of them. They are dangerous to hunt because of the toxin in their spines. Even dead, the spines can still stick you and cause a lot of pain and swelling. Sarah and Matthew cut them off with shears before taking them off the spear. The restaurant owner prepared them there and then, fresh invasive species for dinner!

Stinging Swims

Scuba students finished up their theory this morning so they are now doing water work mostly. 

Snorkelers started with coral ID in the morning. We had a quiz in the evening. Kyle and sam had to help me out a little with the names, good thing I decided to take it as a group quiz...While snorkeling, the water started getting choppy as it is quite windy here. The chop tends to bring in stinging pieces of organisms and that is exactly what happened. Each of us was stung at least once today, nothing too bad, but annoying none the less. 

It was like swimming through a soup of little clear jellies (those jellies don't stingy).  We saw baby jelly polyps which looked just like "Squishy" from Nemo. Today we saw porcupine fish, scorpion fish, lion fish (which are an invasive species and a threat to this ecosystem) an octopus, a lizard fish and a juvenile angel fish!

Tonight we are learning about the different types of fish that we have been seeing and about the role fish play in the reef ecosystem. We are learning the difference between local fishing and commercial fishing and the impact that these activities can have on the reef as a whole.

I have to be honest that it difficult to stay awake through lectures after being in the sun and water all day; today we even had a short hike to our snorkeling site. But the information is so important and relevant to what the group is seeing every day so it is worth staying awake through it. I even heard from Sam that his shoulders were sore this morning from swimming all day yesterday! We should all come home is good shape!

Under the Sea

Today we all went into the water. SCUBA students learned theory in the morning first thing, they have been watching videos in their spare time up in the old officers quarters. Alex and Dean are prone to breaking into scuba training video speak at any given time..."if at any time you feel short of breath you should signal your partner"...or some such thing. I don't know why they can't repeat the information they hear from me verbatim after class!

We all have been attending evening lectures (2 each evening) and fortunately they are short, but they are jam packed full of info. Last night was an intro to the fort and to coral reef ecology. This morning, snorkel students learned about types of algae (pronounced with a hard "G" here due to all the folks from the UK) and then we went out to look for it. We went right into the harbor below the fort.

We saw most of the kinds of algae we learned about and many corals, fish and other organisms. Some highlights included a snake eel, 4 little squid that all swam in a row side by side, a squid, needle fish, sea cucumbers, and all kinds of bright little fish! We now have to go take a quiz on the different algae. I hope it is a partner quiz!

Meanwhile, the scuba students were taking a swim test and learning to use the equipment. They went out to do their shallow water dive in purple turtle cove. They have been working very hard!

It is nice to have all the students together, they are finding more and more common ground, I think. Last night there was a card game in the front entry of our barracks and Liam from VT joined in and even taught them another game ( they had been playing "poopy face" - a more appropriate name for a common card game). 

The mosquitoes here are pretty bad. I think it is because of the mangrove swamp located a half mile or so away. Students will be spraying their nets before bed tonight. They really like Charlotte and Alex!