If anyone has any questions about the information in my blog..... or would information about the Monarch Teacher Network, please contact me using my email....
lrizziello@yahoo.com
Monarch Butterflies at Pismo Beach
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Finally Home
Made it home with all my books and rocks!!! I had a very nice person at the airport help me lift up my books. Thank heavens for helping hands!!!
Looking forward to sharing on Monday!!!!
Looking forward to sharing on Monday!!!!
Getting ready to head back to NJ Saturday, 2/26
Up and trying to get packed.... wondering if I am going to have to "wear" many books stuffed into my jacket to get them all home. Between the rocks that I collected to bring back to my class to show them how different the rocks are here in CA and all the books, I am glad that I have been lifting weights at the gym to get in shape back home!!!! Sure hope I don't have to get rid of my rocks at check in due to weight....and sure hope their will be a nice gentleman to help me lift my carry on suitcase into the overhead space for flight!!!!!
For anyone interested..... here is the link to the Monarch Teacher's Network.... if you love nature, are an educator, or just love butterflies ..... you can become part of the network... if you do, it will be the most amazing connection for you. The individuals who are part of our network are amazing and gifted in so many ways...so do join... sign up for a workshop... none in your area... contact them to have them bring the network workshop to your area... the MTN is always looking to add new locations and new connections to people all over the world!!! Yes, even overseas!!!!
http://www.eirc.org/website/Programs-+and+-Services/Monarch-Teacher-Network.html
Here's to hoping for a non eventful flight home!!!! Can't wait to return to CA in the future!!
For anyone interested..... here is the link to the Monarch Teacher's Network.... if you love nature, are an educator, or just love butterflies ..... you can become part of the network... if you do, it will be the most amazing connection for you. The individuals who are part of our network are amazing and gifted in so many ways...so do join... sign up for a workshop... none in your area... contact them to have them bring the network workshop to your area... the MTN is always looking to add new locations and new connections to people all over the world!!! Yes, even overseas!!!!
http://www.eirc.org/website/Programs-+and+-Services/Monarch-Teacher-Network.html
Here's to hoping for a non eventful flight home!!!! Can't wait to return to CA in the future!!
Notes For Friday the 25th, final day
We had a wonderful last day on our trip. We woke up to a terrible rainstorm. Winds were whipping and we feared we would have a really wet day. Just as we finished breakfast, the sun came out and the skies cleared. Amazing how quickly the weather turned in our favor.
We loaded the bus and headed to Muir Woods for our last visit to see the Redwoods. The park was beautiful with the sun shining all around and mixed in with the all the trees. The trees seemed to sparkle with the left over raindrops and rays of sunshine. There were some waterfalls and running water under bridges that made those relaxing water sounds. As expected, the Redwoods were a sight to see. Event though we spent the other day visiting the redwoods at Henry Cowell park, we found this visit just as breathtaking.
After buying up even more books to bring home, my fellow travelers had to pull me away from the bookshelves once again, we loaded up the bus to go to the Earthquake Trail which was located inside the state park, Point Reyes. What an interesting walk this was for all of us. We actually stood on the San Andreas Fault line!!! The fault runs right through this trail and is now marked with posts. They had all kinds of interesting facts and information about the famous 1906 SF earthquake that destroyed most of the city. There was even a fence on the fault line that was divided and moved 16 feet after the quake. This shows how the earth below actually moved the land 16 feet in one direction.
We also walked the second trail that marked the area Native Americans once lived in the area. This was in the Great Bear Valley part of Point Reyes. We were able to enter a real sweat lodge that was used years ago by the natives. They used the sweat lodge to "sweat out" all the toxins for 2-3 days hoping that this would also provide them a vision, a vision of how to solve any issues or concerns that affected the tribe.
After walking those trails, we headed to the lighthouse. The view of the land as we twisted and turned up and down the winding roads on the way to the lighthouse were amazing. By now it was mid afternoon and the winds had picked up and the temps were very cold. Luckily we were all dressed in many layers. I was so thankful I remembered to pack a pair of gloves!!! There were 300 steps that take you down to the lighthouse to overlook the water with an amazing view. Of course 300 steps down means 300 steps back up!!!
After our exhausting day, we loaded up the bus and headed back to SF to get ready for our farewell dinner together. It was such a life changing week for all of us. We were so sad to see the week come to an end. Our trip organizers from the Monarch Teacher's Network did an amazing job putting this trip together for us. We all learned so much and are excited to share that knowledge with our classes back home. Thank you Eric, Brian, and Luella.... you are all correct, this trip was truly a "gift" for all of us to share......so excited to help out this upcoming summer!
We loaded the bus and headed to Muir Woods for our last visit to see the Redwoods. The park was beautiful with the sun shining all around and mixed in with the all the trees. The trees seemed to sparkle with the left over raindrops and rays of sunshine. There were some waterfalls and running water under bridges that made those relaxing water sounds. As expected, the Redwoods were a sight to see. Event though we spent the other day visiting the redwoods at Henry Cowell park, we found this visit just as breathtaking.
After buying up even more books to bring home, my fellow travelers had to pull me away from the bookshelves once again, we loaded up the bus to go to the Earthquake Trail which was located inside the state park, Point Reyes. What an interesting walk this was for all of us. We actually stood on the San Andreas Fault line!!! The fault runs right through this trail and is now marked with posts. They had all kinds of interesting facts and information about the famous 1906 SF earthquake that destroyed most of the city. There was even a fence on the fault line that was divided and moved 16 feet after the quake. This shows how the earth below actually moved the land 16 feet in one direction.
We also walked the second trail that marked the area Native Americans once lived in the area. This was in the Great Bear Valley part of Point Reyes. We were able to enter a real sweat lodge that was used years ago by the natives. They used the sweat lodge to "sweat out" all the toxins for 2-3 days hoping that this would also provide them a vision, a vision of how to solve any issues or concerns that affected the tribe.
After walking those trails, we headed to the lighthouse. The view of the land as we twisted and turned up and down the winding roads on the way to the lighthouse were amazing. By now it was mid afternoon and the winds had picked up and the temps were very cold. Luckily we were all dressed in many layers. I was so thankful I remembered to pack a pair of gloves!!! There were 300 steps that take you down to the lighthouse to overlook the water with an amazing view. Of course 300 steps down means 300 steps back up!!!
After our exhausting day, we loaded up the bus and headed back to SF to get ready for our farewell dinner together. It was such a life changing week for all of us. We were so sad to see the week come to an end. Our trip organizers from the Monarch Teacher's Network did an amazing job putting this trip together for us. We all learned so much and are excited to share that knowledge with our classes back home. Thank you Eric, Brian, and Luella.... you are all correct, this trip was truly a "gift" for all of us to share......so excited to help out this upcoming summer!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Amazing Thursday-2/24
Today was an amazing day. We started off leaving Monterey and headed towards Santa Cruz. We stopped off at a spot on the road when we saw a bunch of sea lions on a ramp by a boat. There were at least 100 of them all bunched up and making such noises!! We all inched our way down to the ramp and were about 50 feet away. The sea lions all just looked at us, made noises, and they didn't seem to mind us taking pictures of them. Do you know the difference between a seal lion and a seal?? A sea lion has little ear flaps and can us its flippers to help walk on land. Seals have no outside ears, just slits, and they only use their bodies to move. They can't use their flippers to help them move or get up on land. While watching the sea lions, along came some sea otters!!!! The seat otters were very funny and seemed to be teasing the sea lions. Sea otters are very cute, have fur, and roll over and float on their backs. They are very, very cute and playful!!!
After taking our pics, we moved on to a state park called Natural Bridges. There was once 3 natural bridges here, but now only one remains. At this location, there is a Monarch Sanctuary, but there were no Monarchs there today. Actually the naturalist told us that the Monarchs have left that location much earlier this year. So instead of looking for the Monarchs, we walked down to the beach area and saw the natural bridge. There were muscles all over the bottom of the bridge which is made of rock. We were also very lucky to see 2 pacific starfish. They were purple in color, very pretty to look at. Since we didn't see any Monarchs at this location, we decided to head up the road 3 miles to Lighthouse Field. This was another sanctuary. We did see some clusters of Monarchs there, and we were all thrilled that we ended up there today. What great pics we all took!!!
Then we were on our way up the coast to Henry Cowell State park. This would be our first real look at the Coastal Redwoods. We were so lucky to have two wonderful tour guides (better known as Docents), Ken and Anita. A husband and wife team originally from the NY area. They were amazing, and there is only one word to describe our visit to this state park.... WOW!!!!! We all walked through the park viewing the Redwoods with eyes wide open and jaws dropping at each turn. Did you know that in this park amongst the Redwoods there are also some Douglas Fir trees?? The Douglas Fir that are there have grown to be almost as large as some of the Redwoods. Their root systems are very different. The Redwoods do not have a tap root. Their root system goes horizontally underground, and will spread out as far as they are tall. So if a Redwood is 200 feet tall, their roots will spread out 200 feet. This makes the Redwoods very stable in the ground. The Douglas Fir are different. They have a tap root and some spreading of their roots underground, but nothing like the Redwoods. Because of this, the DF trees will more easily fall over. The tallest Redwoods can grow to be 380 feet tall and be 2200 years old, yes, I said 2200 years old!! That is not a typo!!! Amazing....
We all enjoyed this day and were very thankful that the rain held off until we were done. I found once again today many new books to bring back to my first graders. I am now wondering, how in the world am I going to get all those books back to NJ?? My luggage will be very heavy!!! I have also been collecting many post cards. I thought the class would love to see some of those as well. I have taken about 600 pics so far. One more day to go... We will be heading to Muir Woods first thing in the morning.... and yes, rain gear will be needed for sure. They say it may even snow here tomorrow!!! It is raining very heavy now...... We have been very lucky with the weather so far, so one day is not so bad, we will dry off!!!
I did get to call in again today to talk to my first graders. So nice to hear their voices!!! I can't wait to show them all the great books and pics!!! We are going to be reading all about seals, sea otters, sea lions, elephant seals, and Redwoods!!! So much to share!!
Until tomorrow!!!
After taking our pics, we moved on to a state park called Natural Bridges. There was once 3 natural bridges here, but now only one remains. At this location, there is a Monarch Sanctuary, but there were no Monarchs there today. Actually the naturalist told us that the Monarchs have left that location much earlier this year. So instead of looking for the Monarchs, we walked down to the beach area and saw the natural bridge. There were muscles all over the bottom of the bridge which is made of rock. We were also very lucky to see 2 pacific starfish. They were purple in color, very pretty to look at. Since we didn't see any Monarchs at this location, we decided to head up the road 3 miles to Lighthouse Field. This was another sanctuary. We did see some clusters of Monarchs there, and we were all thrilled that we ended up there today. What great pics we all took!!!
Then we were on our way up the coast to Henry Cowell State park. This would be our first real look at the Coastal Redwoods. We were so lucky to have two wonderful tour guides (better known as Docents), Ken and Anita. A husband and wife team originally from the NY area. They were amazing, and there is only one word to describe our visit to this state park.... WOW!!!!! We all walked through the park viewing the Redwoods with eyes wide open and jaws dropping at each turn. Did you know that in this park amongst the Redwoods there are also some Douglas Fir trees?? The Douglas Fir that are there have grown to be almost as large as some of the Redwoods. Their root systems are very different. The Redwoods do not have a tap root. Their root system goes horizontally underground, and will spread out as far as they are tall. So if a Redwood is 200 feet tall, their roots will spread out 200 feet. This makes the Redwoods very stable in the ground. The Douglas Fir are different. They have a tap root and some spreading of their roots underground, but nothing like the Redwoods. Because of this, the DF trees will more easily fall over. The tallest Redwoods can grow to be 380 feet tall and be 2200 years old, yes, I said 2200 years old!! That is not a typo!!! Amazing....
We all enjoyed this day and were very thankful that the rain held off until we were done. I found once again today many new books to bring back to my first graders. I am now wondering, how in the world am I going to get all those books back to NJ?? My luggage will be very heavy!!! I have also been collecting many post cards. I thought the class would love to see some of those as well. I have taken about 600 pics so far. One more day to go... We will be heading to Muir Woods first thing in the morning.... and yes, rain gear will be needed for sure. They say it may even snow here tomorrow!!! It is raining very heavy now...... We have been very lucky with the weather so far, so one day is not so bad, we will dry off!!!
I did get to call in again today to talk to my first graders. So nice to hear their voices!!! I can't wait to show them all the great books and pics!!! We are going to be reading all about seals, sea otters, sea lions, elephant seals, and Redwoods!!! So much to share!!
Until tomorrow!!!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Wed- Feb. 23rd Monterey Aquarium and Ano Nuevo State Park
Today was another exciting day. Off to an early start, headed an hour out of Monterey to Ano Nuevo. Ano Nuevo is another state park with breathtaking sites and elephant seals. We learned many more interesting facts about the elephant seals. We learned about their breeding habits and migration. Some really cool facts.... once they migrate here, they no longer need to eat!!! They live off of the fat they stored up while feeding before migrating to CA sites. A female elephant seal will start to have babies at the age of 4. Then she will have a baby once a year, every year. They give birth to only one baby at a time. Males, well, there are the Alpha males, the ones who are dominate and they mate with the females. One Alpha male will mate with many females. The other males will try to overtake the stronger one, but they are not usually successful. Baby elephant seals will feed from their mothers for about 4 weeks only. When born, they are about 40 pounds. After 4 weeks, they no longer feed off their mothers and are now about 200 pounds. They must learn all on their own how to hunt and feed. There is no connections between the parents and the new babies after they are 4 weeks old. Only about half of the elephant seals that migrate and are born actually survive. Nature once again has a way of weeding out the weak ones. While walking on the beach at Ano Nuevo, we collected some really cool rocks. I know my first graders will love what I found. Many colors and some rocks with fossils in them. Now, as I was walking and looking down, I almost walked into an elephant seal... there was one sleeping on the beach, but I didn't notice it until I was right there, within a few feet.... everyone looked with amazement that there was just one lone elephant seal right there. The law says that people must stay at least 25 feet away from any elephant seal on a beach. So our tour guide was there to remind us of this fact.
After our hike ended, I found some wonderful books and a DVD on elephant seals in the gift shop...so of course my charge card was put to good use... more books.... can't wait to share them with my class.
We then headed back to Monterey to the aquarium. I couldn't wait to get there, was very excited. I love aquariums and knew that this one was amazing. I loved every inch of this place.... the animals were beautiful and every section was organized so well. Easy to follow. I fell in love with the sea otters. They were amazing to watch. I also loved the sections with the various sea horses and penguins. My only regret, wished I had more time there. I wish I had one more day in Monterey. I really enjoyed my stay at this location and sure hope to come back some day.
I missed making my call into the class today since I was held up by the elephant seal on the beach!! My cell phone was on the bus, and we returned there a bit later than expected. So will try calling in tomorrow...
We are heading back to SF tomorrow with a few stops on the way. Can't believe it is almost Thursday morning.... until tomorrow!!!!
After our hike ended, I found some wonderful books and a DVD on elephant seals in the gift shop...so of course my charge card was put to good use... more books.... can't wait to share them with my class.
We then headed back to Monterey to the aquarium. I couldn't wait to get there, was very excited. I love aquariums and knew that this one was amazing. I loved every inch of this place.... the animals were beautiful and every section was organized so well. Easy to follow. I fell in love with the sea otters. They were amazing to watch. I also loved the sections with the various sea horses and penguins. My only regret, wished I had more time there. I wish I had one more day in Monterey. I really enjoyed my stay at this location and sure hope to come back some day.
I missed making my call into the class today since I was held up by the elephant seal on the beach!! My cell phone was on the bus, and we returned there a bit later than expected. So will try calling in tomorrow...
We are heading back to SF tomorrow with a few stops on the way. Can't believe it is almost Thursday morning.... until tomorrow!!!!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Tues-feb 22nd
Hello everyone... another wonderful day here in CA. I was able to call into my classroom this afternoon to talk to the children. That was very exciting to them and me too!!!
My day started out in Pacific Grove, known as Butterfly Town USA. Very cute town and small butterfly sanctuary. Was very nice to see and we did see some clusters of monarchs. The Monarchs have started to leave the area to begin their travels, but we still did get to see some today. We also went to the town museum. I was so thrilled to buy all kinds of butterfly items to share with the class, including some very special books. After our adventure with the Monarchs, we went to Carmel for lunch since it was only minutes away. What a fun place!! Will have to visit Carmel again on another trip some time... then it was time for an amazing afternoon at Point Lobos. This is a state park that is AMAZING to visit. Such beauty in one place. We climbed mountain formations, walk the trails, viewed seals and sea lions. We also saw beautiful cypress trees that were breath taking. I took over 200 pics today alone!!!! The sun was out as well and it warmed up to about 65 degrees in the sun. Very cool in the mornings, but so far the afternoons have been wonderful. Brian and Eric are amazing leaders on this trip. We are learning so much from them, I can't thank them enough. The other teachers on this trip have been wonderful and many wonderful friendships have been formed.
Tomorrow we head to another location to see more Monarchs and then off to the Monterey Aquarium. Our hotel is just down the street from the aquarium, so that will be a close visit not needing our big tour bus. Hope everyone in NJ is staying warm!!!
My day started out in Pacific Grove, known as Butterfly Town USA. Very cute town and small butterfly sanctuary. Was very nice to see and we did see some clusters of monarchs. The Monarchs have started to leave the area to begin their travels, but we still did get to see some today. We also went to the town museum. I was so thrilled to buy all kinds of butterfly items to share with the class, including some very special books. After our adventure with the Monarchs, we went to Carmel for lunch since it was only minutes away. What a fun place!! Will have to visit Carmel again on another trip some time... then it was time for an amazing afternoon at Point Lobos. This is a state park that is AMAZING to visit. Such beauty in one place. We climbed mountain formations, walk the trails, viewed seals and sea lions. We also saw beautiful cypress trees that were breath taking. I took over 200 pics today alone!!!! The sun was out as well and it warmed up to about 65 degrees in the sun. Very cool in the mornings, but so far the afternoons have been wonderful. Brian and Eric are amazing leaders on this trip. We are learning so much from them, I can't thank them enough. The other teachers on this trip have been wonderful and many wonderful friendships have been formed.
Tomorrow we head to another location to see more Monarchs and then off to the Monterey Aquarium. Our hotel is just down the street from the aquarium, so that will be a close visit not needing our big tour bus. Hope everyone in NJ is staying warm!!!
Monday-feb 21st
What a day!! We were all sad to leave the Pismo Beach area, but excited about seeing all the sights on the coastal highway. We all loaded up on our comfy tour bus and were amazed at how the roads went up and down, curved around. All the mountains were beautiful to see. Interesting to learn that many were formed as a result of one volcano after another. Many are referred to as a volcanic plug. So green and blended with many colors. We first arrived at one of the state parks to explore tidal pools. Rocks to climb and much to see. Walking out on the huge rocks was a bit tricky, and many of us became a bit daring as we got closer and closer to the water. The waves crashed up against the rocks which filled many of the gaps and brought in some sea life. Eric and Brian pointed out many interesting creatures along the way. We also hiked on a few trails and saw some really beautiful flowers and odd shaped trees. The sun was shining and the temps were about 60 degrees. Finally someone yelled, otter!! and yes, there was an otter!! Brian got us a close up look with his special telescope. Then we loaded the bus and went to see elephant seals. When we heard we were going to see elephant seals, nobody was ready to see what we saw. Hundreds of elephant seals laying on the shoreline basking in the sun. The males weigh almost 5,000 pounds!!! They were huge!! The females weigh about 2-3,000 pounds. There were many smaller babies too!! They were all just laying there, looked like they were all dead at first, but alive and well as they enjoyed the sun. The photos are amazing. Eric explained that many years ago they were almost gone from our earth. At one time there were only 100 elephant seals left. Today, the population is just over 200,000 and growing. We learned that our neighboring country Mexico helped to preserve the 100 that were left, and because of their help, the elephant seals are still with us today. After seeing all these amazing creatures, we loaded the bus and headed toward Sand Dollar Beach. This was actually nicknamed the Jaded coast because the beach area is loaded with rocks that are colored many shades of green. It was a hike down to get to the water, the pacific ocean in this area. Very steep and tricky walk down. Once on the beach area, tons of rocks, hard to walk on, but fun to go rock hunting. While looking and searching for the perfect rocks to bring back to school, I ended up breaking one of the golden rules while near the ocean water. I went to pick up this "perfect" looking rock that I saw when the waves rolled back, turned my back for just a moment to pick up the rock, and before I knew it, a wave crashed down on me and I was soaked. Still got my rock, but now soaking wet!!! So I looked for a short time after that, but had to head back to the bus to get the bus driver to help me find my suitcase so that I could get a change of clothes!! What a story I will be able to tell when I share those rocks with my class. After that adventure, we loaded the bus and headed up the coastal highway towards Monterey. We stopped along the way to view many wonderful sites and take some unique pics. Ended up at our first look at some redwoods at Big Sur. What a great place!! Amazed by our first look at Redwoods, how huge ans so beautiful. The lodge looked like a great place to stay. Had some snacks and tea to warm up, then headed to our final destination for the day, Monterey. Checked in to our hotel and then to Bubba Gump for some shrimp. Looking forward to tomorrow..... we head to Pacific Grove, butterfly town USA!!!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Sunday Feb 20th-Pismo Beach
WOW! I love Pismo Beach.... the beach on the Pacific coast is very different from the East coast. Took a 4 hour drive south to Pismo beach today. Got up at 4:30 am, still on Jersey time..Huge rocks and cliffs everywhere. We went to the first butterfly sanctuary today. Since it is warming up, the Monarchs have started to leave the area. We still did see many, but not as many as there were a couple of weeks ago. The guides say that by next week, most of the monarchs will have left to start their spring journey once again. So peaceful, so beautiful. That was not a disappointment. We walked along the beach as well, and since it was about 65 degrees and sunny, it was WONDERFUL! There are so many wonderful teachers on this trip from all over Canada and the US. Brian and Eric, our Monarch Network leaders, have done a terrific job setting up our tour. Do you know why CA is called the "Golden" state? Because of the gold rush? Nope... it is because the hills turn a beautiful golden color in the spring and summer due to the lack of rain. Strawberries are grown year round and can be seen growing in many areas on our way out to Pismo today. Instead of scarecrow, guess what they use to keep the birds away??? Mylar slivers, like balloons.... (did I spell that right, mylar??) There are silver slivers shining all over the fields where crops are growing.... these keep the birds away.... very interesting.... didn't know that.
After visiting the Pismo sanctuary, we checked into the Best Western Cliff Lodge. Yup, cliff is in the name. That is because we are on a cliff, overlooking the ocean!!! It is so beautiful. We walked down some very long and narrow steps to get to the beach. On the beach here there are caves and huge rock formations. It was a lot of fun exploring the caves and talking to all the people from all over. So many interesting conversations and instant connections.
So far I feel like I am in a dream, can't believe how lucky I am to be able to spend this time with such wonderful people and at the same time learn so much!!!
Early rise tomorrow.... on to Monterey I think..... will be exploring tidal pools to see the wildlife first hand.... sure hope the water is not freezing!!!!! Getting my camera all charged up...
Still trying to upload pics to this blog......
After visiting the Pismo sanctuary, we checked into the Best Western Cliff Lodge. Yup, cliff is in the name. That is because we are on a cliff, overlooking the ocean!!! It is so beautiful. We walked down some very long and narrow steps to get to the beach. On the beach here there are caves and huge rock formations. It was a lot of fun exploring the caves and talking to all the people from all over. So many interesting conversations and instant connections.
So far I feel like I am in a dream, can't believe how lucky I am to be able to spend this time with such wonderful people and at the same time learn so much!!!
Early rise tomorrow.... on to Monterey I think..... will be exploring tidal pools to see the wildlife first hand.... sure hope the water is not freezing!!!!! Getting my camera all charged up...
Still trying to upload pics to this blog......
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Saturday 2/19
Hello everyone... well... I made it to SF, windy day did mean a bumpy ride on the plane and it took longer to get here... but made it.... pouring rain on landing... my cousin and her husband picked me up from the airport and we went to Chinatown. What an experience for sure. We ate at this terrific restaurant, best Chinese food that I have ever had!! It rained and it was very cold. The parade started up and the rain started to let up... great parade, a lot of fun... the people are very friendly here, nobody seems to be in a rush... after parade, need to rest up now for tomorrow. I will be meeting all my fellow Monarch Teacher friends tomorrow bright and early at 7 am. I believe we will be going on a 4 hour trip down the coast to the Prismo Beach to our first butterfly sanctuary. I am so excited... I hope I can sleep!!!!!!
Friday, February 18, 2011
regarding blog-info
Hello all..... I believe after trial an error, one can see the blog even if they don't register to be a follower....if not a follower, you can't leave a message, but can still see blog through the link I sent. I see from the blog notes sent to me that many have viewed the site.... so that is good, sure hope my families/friends are able to at least view my posts along the way.... if you want to follow and be able to post, just create a google or yahoo email to use just for this if you want to .... any way... here's to hoping this all works out... my trip and this new blog thing!!!
Friday night-finally ready
Friday night... finally ready...very excited to hear from a cousin who will be meeting me tomorrow at the airport.... catching up at dinner and the San Fransisco Chinese New Year Parade in China town tomorrow night.... should be very fun!!! so excited to reconnect with family.... and then with my fellow Monarch Network friends..... and no snow here to hinder take off, hope the wind dies down.... the forecast out in CA is very iffy... rain it looks like some of the days... but all will still be good... I have my rain gear ready to go!!!!! off to bed to wake up at 5am..... should be in SF by noon their time, 3pm our time here.
trying to figure it all out
Hello all... still trying to figure out if I can access the blog and be able to post... trying to figure out how to send the link successfully to everyone..... stay tuned......
Thursday, February 17, 2011
The Monarch Teacher's Network-How I became involved
On February 19th, I will be leaving on a very special trip with a group of teachers from the US and Canada. (30 of us in all) A few years ago, I became a member of the Monarch Teacher Network. Cathy Griffin, who is a former MH teacher, was the person who first introduced our school to this network of teachers. Some of us at the Maurice Hawk School have taken the summer course “Teaching and Learning with Monarch Butterflies in the Classroom.” The course if offered by the Monarch Teacher Network three times each summer in NJ. Cathy Griffin is one of the lead teachers that helps teach the course all over the USA and Canada. Two summers ago I assisted Cathy in teaching the course in NJ. I am looking forward to becoming more involved once again this summer.
The course is offered to anyone interested in learning how to incorporate the Monarch Butterfly into their program. Some of the schools in the network have the entire school involved in the process throughout the year. There are many lessons to share on different levels that concern the Monarch Butterfly and its annual migration to and from Mexico. It is not about teaching that the butterfly is an insect, but a much deeper understanding about the life cycle of the Monarch, its migration, and how/why it is at risk today through habitat loss and destruction, how people from all over work together to preserve and learn about the Monarch Butterfly. “Teaching and Learning with Monarch Butterflies” is not a thematic science unit, it is an integrated study of North American geography, the cultures of Canada, the US and Mexico, the languages of those countries; with activities in math, social studies, science, reading, and writing.
So.....how did I get to go on this trip to CA and why? Once you take the summer course, you are then allowed to apply and sign up for many other professional opportunities. One very important and impressive opportunity is the annual trip to Mexico to visit the sanctuaries where the Monarch Butterfly overwinters. (Did you know that the Monarch Butterfly is the only butterfly in North America to migrate for the winter? ) This trip includes the history of Mexico as well as visits to several schools in the villages. I applied for a fellowship with the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation for this trip. With the approval of my principal Denise Mengani and Dr. Kniewel, my application was sent for consideration. I heard back in Oct. that I was one of the lucky teachers to be awarded a fellowship to go on the trip. So how did I end up with a ticket to CA instead of Mexico? After much consideration, due to the violence in Mexico, the trip had to be changed....so the next best place was CA. All of the Monarchs west of the Rockies can’t make it over the mountains, so they go to CA instead for the winter. Soooooo.... I will be traveling to CA to visit several butterfly sanctuaries along with a variety of other environmental excursions designed for teachers.
I fly back on the 26th. Once back, I will share my experiences with my staff and students. I will also distribute the information on the summer 2 day course for anyone interested once that info is available. More info can be found.... If you google Monarch Teacher Network, it will come up easily.
Soooo..... That is it.... Just wanted share my excitement..... Lisa
The course is offered to anyone interested in learning how to incorporate the Monarch Butterfly into their program. Some of the schools in the network have the entire school involved in the process throughout the year. There are many lessons to share on different levels that concern the Monarch Butterfly and its annual migration to and from Mexico. It is not about teaching that the butterfly is an insect, but a much deeper understanding about the life cycle of the Monarch, its migration, and how/why it is at risk today through habitat loss and destruction, how people from all over work together to preserve and learn about the Monarch Butterfly. “Teaching and Learning with Monarch Butterflies” is not a thematic science unit, it is an integrated study of North American geography, the cultures of Canada, the US and Mexico, the languages of those countries; with activities in math, social studies, science, reading, and writing.
So.....how did I get to go on this trip to CA and why? Once you take the summer course, you are then allowed to apply and sign up for many other professional opportunities. One very important and impressive opportunity is the annual trip to Mexico to visit the sanctuaries where the Monarch Butterfly overwinters. (Did you know that the Monarch Butterfly is the only butterfly in North America to migrate for the winter? ) This trip includes the history of Mexico as well as visits to several schools in the villages. I applied for a fellowship with the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation for this trip. With the approval of my principal Denise Mengani and Dr. Kniewel, my application was sent for consideration. I heard back in Oct. that I was one of the lucky teachers to be awarded a fellowship to go on the trip. So how did I end up with a ticket to CA instead of Mexico? After much consideration, due to the violence in Mexico, the trip had to be changed....so the next best place was CA. All of the Monarchs west of the Rockies can’t make it over the mountains, so they go to CA instead for the winter. Soooooo.... I will be traveling to CA to visit several butterfly sanctuaries along with a variety of other environmental excursions designed for teachers.
I fly back on the 26th. Once back, I will share my experiences with my staff and students. I will also distribute the information on the summer 2 day course for anyone interested once that info is available. More info can be found.... If you google Monarch Teacher Network, it will come up easily.
Soooo..... That is it.... Just wanted share my excitement..... Lisa
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