What knowledge can you share?

[csgray]

I am renaming this topic in hopes of getting a wider response.

I am teaching a class on Plants and Animals of Hawaii next year, and I am looking for guest speakers, both in the classroom and in the field. We will be studying the organisms in all of our ecosystems, from the ocean depths to the mountain tops and I am looking for knowledgeable people who are willing to share what they know with my students. This includes both scientific perspectives and traditional approaches, especially traditional uses of plants.

First semester will focus on native plants, animals and ecosystems, as well as the plants and animals brought by the Polynesians. Second semester we will be studying the later impacts of both deliberate and accidental introductions on Hawaii's ecosystems. This class will have a mix of about 12-15 7th through 10th graders (ages 12-16) and will meet two afternoons a week for 90 minutes, I don't know which days yet. Please contact me through Punaweb if you can help. My email is listed on the member's page, I don't want to give it here because every time I do I get inedible computer spam for months.
Mahalo for any help you can give!

Carol

[csgray]

I just want to add that my students are very interested in learning about the plants and animals of Hawaii and are generally an enthusiastic if exuberant audience. I don't expect a guest speaker to fill a whole 90 minute period, a half hour talk and slideshow plus question and answer would be great, also someone who wanted to go into the field with us to help with plant or animal ID in the natural environment would be even better. These are great kids, a little rough around the edges sometimes, but their hearts are in the right places.

Carol

[JWFITZ]

Not a botanist by any means, but many consider me expert in aquatic based lifestyles of both modern and traditional lifestyles around the world. See my book "Seasteading" on Amazon or local if you'd like. Many here are very much interested in that sort of thing, and in a lot of ways the sea-fairing tradition of the Hawaiian islands has been lost, or at least to my mind wrongly diverted. This sort of stuff will get kids really worked up, and if it fits with your topics, which it may or may not, I'd be more than willing to put something together.

[csgray]

JW,
I will probably get in touch once I have the class mapped out and know where you would fit in, I also might try to touch on traditional building materials and techniques.

Carol

[hooligal]

Carol, contact David Leonard. He's the Acupuncturist outside Pahoa on the way to Nanawale http://www.medicineatyourfeet.com. He teaches 'Medicine beneath your feet' class...how to use native hawaiian plants to heal. I bet he's a wealth of info & maybe he's willing to speak. I believe he just published his book.

[Andrew]

Carol:

I recommend you try contacting members of our own Punaweb including Carey for Ocean stuff and Les C for Hawaiian birds and land creatures.

Andrew

______________________________
DiveHilo Dive Club Website:
http://www.divehilo.com/

[Guest]

Richard Ha has his adopt-a-class program for the Keaukaha kids.

Maybe he would open up to having other kids visit his place.

You can email him at the above site.

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It is the way... the way it is.

[csgray]

Thanks for the suggestions, and thanks to the folks who have contacted me directly. Carey, can you get me specific names at UH? I'm not familiar with who is who over there. Damon, it sounds like Richard Ha has a fun program at Keaukaha, but it isn't really what we need, I have middle and high school students who have been growing food organically at our school farm since kindergarten, so I would rather use my field trip resources getting them to an unfamiliar environment.

To clarify, I am looking for natural scientists, traditional practitioners (medicinal, food and crafts) and self educated people like Les who have knowledge to share. Actually, I especially want the self-educated because I am trying to get my students to become life long learners who understand that learning new stuff doesn't end when you finish formal studies.

Again, thanks to all for your suggestions and offers of help.

Carol

[Andrew]

Twist Carey's arm and get her to teach Ocean stuff. She'd be great. How about Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles.. Or even Fish ID. Come on Carey you know all the pretty colored fishys.

Andrew

ps 12 to 16 year old kids. Not people preparing their doctoral thesis. []

______________________________
DiveHilo Dive Club Website:
http://www.divehilo.com/

[csgray]

These kids are hungry for real information about "their" Hawaii. Most textbooks are what I call"continentcentric" so I am constantly revising curriculum to start with Hawaii and work out from there. I am a generalist, I know a little about lots of stuff, so I am looking for people who can go a little more in depth an some topics in language my kids will get. These are fun and high energy kids, especially when I get them out of the classroom and into natural environments. I am also looking for an open water certified lifeguard so we can crack out the snorkeling equipment at Kapoho this year.

Carol