this is my project and it is every thing i learned about caves like whats inside them what lives in them and and how they are made

Highlights

We did a lot on the trip this year. We did things I would never have experienced if it wasn't for this class. We went zip-lining, caving, cave tubing, horseback riding, hiking, to the old forts, to the Indian reservation, and kayaking through the biolumessent bay. These are things that I will never forget and probably never experience again in my life. When we went I didn't think it was going to be anything like what it was. When we started the tours on Monday I thought it was going to be boring. But I was proved wrong I had the best time of my life. My favorite part was probably the cave tubing because that's what my projects on is caves not only did we get to walk over the cave but we got to go inside the cave and look up as we were paddling through the like mile long cave. I would reccomend if anyone who reads this goes to Puerto Rico in their lives make sure you do every thing you can do down there. Make sure to stay with the tour guides, that is how you will have the most fun. our guide was amazing I am very glad we got to meet him he helped us soooooo much. Not only with the driving around part he helped us with food because everything was in Spanish. He would read the menu to us and translate it into English. He also took care of all of our needs and didn't say anything bad. We all had fun but out of everyone I think I had the most fun. I would like to thank our teachers for making this possible for us.

Hello world...... I had a great trip to Puerto Rico this year. this year I learned a lot about my self and others in the class. I learned I have patience when it comes to not being able to do something I keep trying until I get it right. I learned I can work in a team with others for a while. I never thought some of the others would be able to work in a team setting but they did. I changed a lot over the year I went from not liking half the people in the class to liking everyone. I liked like two people at the beginning and as time got shorter we all grew closer. Travel changes people I know this from a first hand experience I went from not caring about anything other than my self to looking at the bigger picture getting along with people I don't like to achieve a goal we set out to achieve. We all worked with each other no matter out back round. I got a lot from this trip like how I proved I can do something and not just be a trouble maker and i'm glad I got to prove it to other people.

Beyond Puerto Rico

We are back from our trip. Being in school is not so good after all the fun we had.  I wish we could do that all the time.  Now we have to do our school work and talk about our trip.  Bryan says, when I can tell people about it and what I learned that it is how we learn to make the trip more important.  So here it goes.....

I have been to Maine but I have never been to Puerto Rico. It was different to go somewhere that I have never been to. One thing that made it different was going somewhere without my parents. My parents always go out of the state with me, so it was different to go somewhere without them... and this time for a whole week!

My favorite part of going to Puerto Rico was zip lining and horseback riding.   I would recommend zip lining and horseback riding to other people that may go to Puerto Rico. 

Here is the photo of the group before our zip lining tour!  

This is me getting hooked onto the platform before zipping over the tree tops.

This is me again hanging from the wire on my way to the next platform.

 

My project is on some of the fish in Puerto Rico; blue marlin, tuna, and pea cock bass.  To wrap up my project I am making a book on fish in Puerto Rico. I learned about what the peacock bass eat, mainly smaller fish, but they will take any prey.    I also learned that tuna eat other fish too and invertebrates, like squid.   The blue marlin eats lobsters, crabs, and also large prawns. 

There is a lot more to say but I have to really work at getting my book done before school ends. 

Hello all! I am wrapping up my project, so I figured I would give an update on Titus. Titus is doing quite well, he is fat and happy and I am waiting for his next molt. I gave him a new burrow, a broken piece of pottery which he has literally landscaped around. He has been sitting comfortably in his burrow for the last few days. While in Puerto Rico, I saw some cool insects.

I'm still trying to figure this guy out but he looks like either a rhinoceros beetle or a stag beetle.

I was also lucky enough to come across this: It is a Puerto Rican White Millipede. They are adorable in my opinion. I didn't see any tarantulas while there, however I did help our amazing guide Mario identify a tarantula that he saw and took a photo of. It turned out to be an Avicularia Laeta, the Puerto Rican Tree Spider. I also correctly identified a baby stick bug, small victories haha. Anyways it may not have been that eventful of a trip when it came to insects, but it was wonderful anyways! I will have Titus to remember it by for at least a few years, up to 20 if he turns out to be a she.

Our Day in Old San Juan

Hannah’s Blog Post

Thursday, May 25, 2012

Today was a full day.  First, we took an extensive tour of Old San Juan. 

My visit in Old San Juan truly was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  I have never seen such a bright and colorful city with buildings so exquisite in nature.  They varied in rainbow colors, like reds, blues, teals, purples, yellows, and pinks.  The architecture was fantastic, as well.  I was totally taken aback by the magnificence of the Spanish architecture.  The entire time, I found myself continually wondering: “How is it I have never seen the beauty in architecture before?”  I have seen pictures before, after all.  The only answer I could come up with is that such a glorious sight could never be properly captured on film.  Although that didn’t stop me from trying.  I doubt very much if the pictures I took—and I took A LOT— will do the city justice.  In addition to our tour of Old San Juan, we also got to explore several forts that were built by the Spaniards in the early 1500s.  They were very cool, and their location (Oceanside) added to their regality.  As strange as it sounds, my favorite part of the forts was seeing the old graveyard.  Odd, I know.  But I have never seen anything quite like it.  The graveyard was not open to public at that time, but I got some fabulous aerial views.  I find it difficult to explain how wonderfully different that graveyard is from the ones back home.  First of all, it is literally right on the ocean.  The gorgeous Oceanside view made me (a little) jealous of the people buried there.  It was a real old-fashioned graveyard—like the kind you see in books and movies.  The Catholic and Spanish influence was very prominent, and each grave/tombstone exerted a regal quality, like someone of extraordinary importance was buried there.  Most of the tombs were white marble and had some sort of statue or cross at the base.  Also keeping with Puerto Rican theme, a lot of the tombs had flowers planted or placed next to or on them.  Unlike the cemeteries back home, however, these flowers were colorful, bright and cheerful.   Again, unlike our customs back home where we place flowers as way of mourning the loss of our loved ones, these flowers are more symbolic of celebrating, or commemorating, someone’s life, rather than mourning their death.  The color scheme is very similar to that of their buildings: Bright, bold colors with exotic qualities.  When you combine each of these “ingredients” that make Old San Juan, you have one of the brightest, most colorfully extravagant cities in the world.  

RECIPE FOR THE PERFECT CITY:

The rainbow buildings + the Spanish architectural styles + the mix of traditional and contemporary styles + the baby blue skies + the fluffy white clouds + the teal ocean + the surrounding green trees + the colorful plants + the cobblestone roads + the cast-iron doors + the birds and wildlife + the people who call it their home = OLD SAN JUAN (Viejo San Juan)

Zipping Our Time Away!

Tuesday May 22, 2012

What a GREAT day!  It’s not just the fact that we got to go zip lining in the rain forest tree canopy at La Marquesa Forest Park in Guaynabo Puerto Rico – it’s everything that surrounds us.

Let’s start with the zip lining.   

Again, there was an even split for those of us who have been zip lining before and those that haven’t.  If you aren’t familiar with what a zip line is this is where there are platforms high in the tree canopy and the trees are connected by stretches of cable.  Once you are fully geared up in a harness, helmet, caribeaners, pulleys and gloves, you are set to go… well, of course only after listening to the safety instructions!  

  

Once in gear, we hiked up the the first platform which was a steep ascent, especially in the heat and weighed down by the gear, but we didn’t let that get us down.  After waiting for our turn, one-by-one we went down the first line. For me, it was absolutely exhilarating! 

There were so many mixed emotions swirling around us.  Excitement.  Fear.  Euphoria. Nervousness. Composure.  Stress.  Relief.  Pride.  Gratification.  Happiness.  It was wonderful to see the level of confidence (and fun factor) increase as the new-to-this-folks became more comfortable with each run down a line.  Also it was very impressive witnessing those who pushed through the fear and discomfort to prove to themselves that they COULD face down their fear.  Especially heartwarming was watching the students support each other with kind and encouraging words – the level of compassion they showed each other had a profound effect.  This class and all its lessons and experiences have brought the students so much closer and they share a bond that is unique to the seven of them. This bond was seen throughout the evening as we went out to the ocean, ate dinner together and then all went for a night swim in the pool.  Amidst all the horsing around and playing, you could see the kids watching out for each other.  

It was a great day and it is a wonderful journey we are taking together.  It’s hard to believe how quickly the week is passing.  In the next couple of days we have lined up cave tubing, visiting Old San Juan (this is to explore all the old forts and go to the Butterfly People Cafe) and kayaking in Bioluminescence Bay.  I suspect that time is going to continue to fly by... =o) 

Our First days in Puerto Rico

Why hello there.  This is Carmela.  For those who follow our blog but don’t know me personally, I am neither one of the students, nor am I one of the staff at the Robert J. Lister Academy; nonetheless I love this school and the work they are doing!  As suspected, I am not only connected and bonded to the school because Bryan, the teacher of this Sustainable Ed class also happens to be my husband, but am drawn to the school because of the students.  Over the course of the year I have watched these students work hard, struggle, fall down (both literally and figuratively), pick themselves up (again both literally and figuratively), support each other when rising seemed too difficult on their own and finally achieve their goal… and here we are, in beautiful Puerto Rico!  We did it!

I suppose if we were to measure the impact of this experience by the number of laughs, the number of bruises and the level of us getting dirty … then I would say, this experience has been beyond HUGE (and it’s only been 3 days)!

Just to give a sampling of what we’ve been doing to keep us busy in our short time here, we:

• -          Explored in and around the amazing Cueva Clara (a beautiful cave in Del Rio Camuy)
• -          Stepped back in time hundreds of years at the Parque Ceremonial Indigena de Caguana (a sacred meeting place of the original inhabitants of Puerto Rico)
• -          Learned about and saw the world’s largest single dish radio telescope at the Arecibo Observatory
• -          Went horseback riding at Hacienda Carabali Ranch – a sprawling 600 acres of diverse terrain at the base of El Yunque National Rain Forrest.  Where we walked, trotted, cantered and some of us even galloped the horses – which was all the more impressive as at least half of the group had never been on a horse before.  A personal favorite was getting a chance to ride ahead and turn around to watch the rest of the group trot/canter up the path with each rider wearing the same ‘Holy smokes I’m running a horse!’-perma-grin-expression on their faces.  It was spectacular!  As an added bonus we rode to a river site and dismounted for half an hour to play in the water and have our faces painted with the mineral clay from the river banks.
• -          Finally, we explored the El Yunque rain forest where highlights included seeing the Cascada La Coca waterfall, climbing the stairs of the Yokahu Tower to see breath-taking views from the top and lastly going extreme-hand-over–foot hiking into the woods with our amazing guide, Mario, to a remote waterfall .  Admittedly, I had not intended to see the falls up close and personal, but after a spectacularly graceless slip into the water, I joined the others and am really grateful I got drawn into the fun.

For years Bryan has talked about the power of travelling with students and I thought I understood what he meant when he shared his experiences and stories.  It wasn’t until now that I realized I had no idea or true appreciation for the profound impact this kind of experiential learning can have.  As if I wasn’t already impressed with the students (and staff – Bryan and Ellen rock!) with everything they did to get here, seeing the students experience everything that is new, inspiring, sometimes scary and awe-inducing AND being part of it with them, is life changing.  I am looking forward to the adventures that lie ahead and can’t wait to see even more growth in the days to follow.  Here’s to embracing the mantra: ‘Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.’

Overcoming My Anxiety

Twenty four hours from now, we'll be in Puerto Rico!  Woohoo!  It feels so rewarding after all the hard work we have done.  It sounds strange, but over this last week--as the date of the trip got closer and closer--it felt as though it was even further away than it was months ago.  These last few days leading up to it have been the hardest for me.  It takes me back to when I was really little and how, on Christmas Eve or the night before my birthday, I would get so racked with excitement and anticipation that going to sleep felt like the hardest thing in the world.  Now that I'm older, those feelings, for the most part, have not changed.  The only thing that is different is that now, in addition to excitement and anticipation, I am also experiencing slight trepidation.  I am a worrier.  But I am glad that I feel comfortable enough with the group of people I'll be with that I am able to face my fears and not let my anxiety hold me back, or keep me from experiencing all that Puerto Rico has to offer.  And so, I have used that mentality to create my very own mantra for the trip:

"Nothing--no illness, injury, worry, homesickness, or fear--is going to keep me from enjoying myself and having a good--no, a GREAT--time on this trip." Phew! There...now I've said it, it's official!  I will do my very best to remember what I just said, even if I get a little overwhelmed.  Because, honestly, a trip like this happens once in a lifetime, and if I don't let my guard down and enjoy myself, I will regret it forever.  Whatever fears or anxieties I might encounter are only temporary and will be forgotten quickly, whereas the possible memories I am gaining from this trip will last a lifetime.  If I had to choose between being scared for a while or reminiscing forever, I choose the latter.  No contest.

Hello people of this universe and others it is such a beautiful day out today. i cant wait 14 hours until we are on our way to logan airport. Im pumped and so is everyone else. in 24 hours we will be in San Juan Puerto Rico. soo exited this is going to be the best week of my life i hope everyone has a good weekend and week ill post when i get back... :]

Tonight!

I can't believe that we are going to Puerto Rico tonight. It feels like the last time I looked at our count down calendar we were 50 days away. I'm so excited and the rest of the class feels the same, though I am not too excited about the time (We leave for Boston at 2am.) It will be such a wonderful experience to be able to travel with the entire class, and get to go through all we will do with my classmates. I graduate on June 1st, so this is pretty much my last hoorah for my highschool career. I couldn't think of a better way to end my year.

My Puerto Rico Project: Part 2

I am finally starting to reach a final decision regarding my Puerto Rican project. While I had originally set out to do something for each of the three time periods (Pre-Colonization, Spanish Rule, and U.S. Rule) I have decided to drop the U.S. time period, partly because it is more politically-based than history-based, and partly due to time restraints. My original plan to involve three time periods was only because I was worried I would not have enough material to do a project on just one of them. Throughout my research process, however, I have obtained more than enough information that I feel confident and content with just the first two time periods.

Now, I have gathered the information, I have to find a unique and creative angle for my final project. For the Spanish Rule period, I have decided to do a collection diary entry for the major explorer of the time—Christopher Columbus. I am going to create some (mock) diary/journal entries for him that chronicle his adventures and discoveries. I hope that I will be able to shed a “new light” on a very over-popularized historical character. For instance, Columbus did not just sail up to Puerto Rico and say “Hello, Indians. I’m here to claim this land for Spain, so if you and your tribal folk would be so kind as to vacate the area immediately, I’d be much obliged. Oh, and before you leave, don’t mind if we steal your food, sleep with your wives, and spread terrible European diseases like smallpox and Syphilis to you all.” Obviously, that is a poor dramatization, but it demonstrates my point well. My point being, when Columbus arrived at Puerto Rico, he did not just sweet talk his way into controlling the land. There was fighting and bloodshed, and discord for both sides. I heard a quote recently that stated: “History has a tendency to paint murderers as heroes.” It really made me stop and think, and I’ve concluded with the impression that sometimes, this is true. Now, I’m not calling Columbus a murderer—at least not at the moment—but there is evidence to suggest that he was not nearly as saint-like as people regard him as being. I hope that when I am writing my final project, I am able to include my thoughts and opinions without it sounding too much like an editorial. I, myself, am not a fan of projects that are simply facts and data, with no creative thinking. There is no point in doing something—whether it is a poster, a research paper, or a slideshow—if it does not include some semblance of the author/creator’s personal thoughts or opinions on the subject.

I have also decided to create a children’s book based on the adventure and journey of Juan Ponce de Leon and his notorious quest for the Fountain of Youth. I am particularly excited about this part, because it incorporates my lifelong passion for mythology. I still haven’t decided if I am going to center the book around Ponce de Leon, himself, and include elements of the Fountain of Youth—or if I will make the story about the legend of the Fountain of Youth, and have Ponce de Leon as a character.

For the Pre-Colonization portion of my project, I have a few ideas for final projects, but I haven’t reached a conclusion as of yet. I have decided to base this period on the two main Native-American tribes of Puerto Rico (the Arawak tribe and the Carib tribe). What I really want to put across in my project is a familiarization, of sorts, that these were people—and not savages—and they existed, functioned and succeeded as a society long before we (the Europeans) interfered, and tried to “improve” (via converting) their lifestyle so that they were “civilized” like us. They had a quality of life that suited them just fine; just because they were not as technologically advanced as us, that does not diminish their respectability, as people.

Titus update

So after Titus molted he was pretty calm for about two weeks. I would go take out his water bowl and he wouldn't attack the tongs or anything. He just seemed like an overall calm spider. Just as I was beginning to think he was mellowing out(to be honest I was starting to miss his personality) he went back to attacking the tweezers and went into a threat display (they raise their front legs into the air to make themselves look bigger.)towards his water bowl.
-Andi

My research has brought me to many differnet forts scattered across the island. I started with a list of about thirty and have recently made my last cut off. I'm now down to ten different forts each with at the least of two hundred years of history and war.

Shipwrecks in Puerto Rico

               Puerto Rico is well known for their wildlife and rain forests but what else is there to discover in this foreign land? What about under the ocean surrounding the small island? My project is about ship wrecks off the coasts of Puerto Rico. This is a very interesting topic to me. I have learned a lot of background information about the history of the island just by the kinds of ships and the history behind the way the they sank, or what they carried aboard the vessels. The most common ships I have read about are the spanish merchandise ships that carried hundred to thousands of pounds in gold and other valuables such as diamonds. The most amazing vessel I have discovered in my research would be the six passenger airplane that sunk in over 50 feet of water. The habitats that these ships have created for the sea life is absolutely amazing. Hundreds of different species of coral grow on these vessels and along with them come many different fish and other sea life. My next step in my research is going to be looking for a wreck that is close enough to the shore so that we can possibly visit it. Also I am looking into how these ships stay in the condition they are in after hundreds of years in the high acidic environment of the salty ocean.

Introduction To My Project

I have taken a poll from every one in my school to see what was the most interesting thing to do a project on and I got caves. Many people wanted me to do other things but in the end most wanted me to do caves. I have conducted a project that I want to do. I gathered different information about different things. So I want to use all of the information so I want to do a project on how they were formed, what life forms are inside of the caves, how the species live in there, and how the caves here and there are different. i have organized all of the information into different categories on what the information contains. I am very exited to go to Puerto Rico and learn all of the different things there is to learn down there. I want to do all the things there are to do down there. When we go I will be able to say I did something that means something to me.

Excitement and Titus!

I am getting so excited for the trip. My research has reassured me a bit that there aren't too many critters I need to worry about getting bit by. Although there is something called the Puerto Rican Giant Centipede... They're big, scary looking, AND venomous... Yikes!
In other news Titus molted over vacation. It was the most uneventful molt I have ever seen one night he was just sitting content in his terrarium, and then when I checked on him the next morning I saw him sitting next to his molt. When my other tarantula molted, she took about a day and a half and it was like was almost like waiting for a mother to deliver a baby (I was away and it was the first tarantula molt I experienced. I kept having my boyfriend update me on how she was doing every hour or so =P )Titus is about the size of the palm of my hand now, and has long legs and a small body almost like a baby horse. I can't wait until the next time I feed so then he'll get big and happy again =]

-Andi

GETTING INTO SHAPE!

As our visit to Puerto Rico grows closer and closer, we—the Sustainable Ed. class—have started making preparations for the trip. We are in the discussion phase, which is mostly brainstorming and sharing our thoughts, questions and concerns regarding the trip. Things like: ‘What luggage do we need to bring?’ ‘What specific gear will we need (hiking boots, non-cotton apparel, etc.)?’ and ‘What activities will we partake in while we are there?’ It is both comforting and reassuring to be able to voice whatever worries or concerns one might have and be supported by our peers one hundred percent.

One issue that has become a growing concern for many of us is our physical limitations. It has been nearly four months since the Lister Leaf Busters were in business. The work we did (the yards we raked) and the physical exertion was, for many of us, our primary source of exercise, and, although all the raking helped get us into shape, the completion of the raking season also meant the end of our free work outs. Most of us are not super fit and drawing from past experience (like last year’s trip to Costa Rica) it is important that some of us (like myself) practice getting into physical shape so that we are able to participate to our fullest and not become exhausted after short periods of time. To help with this, our teacher, Bryan, has arranged for several weekly opportunities for us to exercise and build up our strength, both physically and psychologically. During Skill Center (Study Hall) on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the members of our class are going to engage in outdoor activities that will help improve us, physically. The exercise regime has not been determined as of yet, but some of our ideas are: hiking, walking, rock-climbing, and strength-training.

These exercises are intended to benefit those of us who need to improve our physical abilities, but it will also bring us closer as a group. How? Those of us who are lacking in strength and endurance will learn to pick up the pace and push ourselves harder so that our presence is not detrimental to the group; those who are already in good physical shape will practice holding back and reducing their pace slightly so that they are not largely ahead of the rest of us. The overall goal is that when we hike in Puerto Rico, we are able to do so together as a group. This will undoubtedly enhance our trip and our ability to experience all the extraordinary things Puerto Rico has to offer to a hard-working and well-deserving group of students such as us.

Robert's Project

  My project is about fish in Puerto Rico, and the different fish there.  The reason why I am doing this project is so I can learn more about Puerto Rico, and because fish are cool.  I am going to be working with Jason Lambert.  He is going to teach me how to tie a fly and make a lures .The picture is of a Peacock bass.  They are found in Puerto Rico.