Mad design skills!!
Giving back to society over Spring Break!
I had several students spend their spring break helping with the Hurricane Sandy recovery. Audrey Freeman did an excellent job relating her service to course lessons AND professional development!
I went up to New York to perform disaster relief inside a home that was hit by hurricane Sandy in October of 2012. We were given the opportunity to serve Remi and Lilia Linauskis for an entire week. Their basement had been flooded with water during the hurricane, filling the room with nearly eight feet of water. The basement had been stripped of all dry wall and flooring. When my group came to their home, we replaced all the drywall and broke away the remainder of the tile that was still on the floor. As we moved from one portion of the room to another, we began mudding the area where drywall had already been put up. My part in all of this was to help drill ray wall in place as well as measuring and cutting out all the sections of drywall to fit. This included measuring around holes and outlets.
This relief project can most be related back to the lesson on climate change. We learned in class that the climate change can affect different areas in different ways. One example of this would be the glaciers in the north. While the glaciers is a source of more than half of the word’s fresh water, the melting of the glaciers into our oceans are causing massive disturbances in our ecosystem. In relation to my service project, climate can be seen through Hurricane Sandy. Places like New York are not used to storm as large as Hurricane Sandy, and therefore are not even close to being prepared for them. The fact that Hurricane Sandy touched down at such a location as New York only goes to demonstrate the Changes in our climates across the globe.
Another way I can relate my New York service to our lessons is through pollution. As we know here in Florida, a natural disaster such as a hurricane causes massive amounts of pollution to enter into the environment. It was evident as we drove through the city how much trash and debris still lingered in the streets and in the houses even eighteen months after the hurricane came though. A big part of was people had to do was clean up a basement or house of the damaged debris cause by the extreme amounts of flooding. All the floors of the houses had to be taken up and replaced, as did most of the drywall and insulation. As we would travel through the city, large piles of debris could still be seen on the street sides from continuous clean-up efforts, such as that by SBDR or by individual house and business owners. All of this trash and debris is pollution to the environment. Unless it is disposed of properly, it all gets taken away and dumped into an overflowing dumping ground where it is left to sit. And the trash that has been dumped into or has fallen into the rivers pollute the water even further. The already polluted rivers have suffered significantly from Hurricane Sandy because of how little effort people have put into cleaning up the rivers of the waste.
My final tie between our lessons and my New York trip is through clean energy. Because most rooms we worked on had been completely filled with water and had to have been stripped entirely of all thing electric, we took this opportunity to replace all light bulbs in the houses where we worked with energy efficient ones. Clean energy is a way to help lessen the amount of pollution we put back into the environment. Most of the houses we worked in did not have energy efficiency. By replacing all the light bulbs in all the houses we worked on, we have made significant progress in helping introduce the house owners into moving towards becoming environmentally friendly. Every light bulb we replaced in every house we worked on pushed the local area up onto a small step of becoming more environmentally friendly as a whole.
I did not learn the types of skills I was expecting to. Going up to New York, we had no idea what we were getting our hands into aside from the fact that it would be manual labor and could possibly be outside in thirty degree weather. What I did learn more on was how to work together with a team. In the beginning, the twelve of us had absolutely no idea how to measure, cut, or drill in drywall. By the end of the week, however, not only did we know how to do all of those things individually, but we all learned to work together as a team while doing it. We were able to put together a system where four people would measure and cut for six others who were set and ready to lift and rill the drywall in place either in the ceiling or on the walls. The remaining two people were our official “mudders”. As we moved from placing drywall in the first half of the room to the second, two of our people came behind us and began taping over the cracks between pieces of drywall and mudding over our beginners’ mistakes. As the room progressed and fewer and fewer people were needed to help with the drywall, the jobless people would move to help the mudders, coming behind them and sanding over the dry mud. Everyone had their job, and everyone’s job worked together in a system of harmony. We not only learned to work together, but also to hold our tongues when a sharp word was said or a thoughtless move would cause us to start the system over again. Harmony is a wonderful lesson to remember for later in life, no matter what the job description is. A workplace works only as well as its employees, and where dysfunction cases chaos, harmony allows for success.
I went up to New York to perform disaster relief inside a home that was hit by hurricane Sandy in October of 2012. We were given the opportunity to serve Remi and Lilia Linauskis for an entire week. Their basement had been flooded with water during the hurricane, filling the room with nearly eight feet of water. The basement had been stripped of all dry wall and flooring. When my group came to their home, we replaced all the drywall and broke away the remainder of the tile that was still on the floor. As we moved from one portion of the room to another, we began mudding the area where drywall had already been put up. My part in all of this was to help drill ray wall in place as well as measuring and cutting out all the sections of drywall to fit. This included measuring around holes and outlets.
This relief project can most be related back to the lesson on climate change. We learned in class that the climate change can affect different areas in different ways. One example of this would be the glaciers in the north. While the glaciers is a source of more than half of the word’s fresh water, the melting of the glaciers into our oceans are causing massive disturbances in our ecosystem. In relation to my service project, climate can be seen through Hurricane Sandy. Places like New York are not used to storm as large as Hurricane Sandy, and therefore are not even close to being prepared for them. The fact that Hurricane Sandy touched down at such a location as New York only goes to demonstrate the Changes in our climates across the globe.
Another way I can relate my New York service to our lessons is through pollution. As we know here in Florida, a natural disaster such as a hurricane causes massive amounts of pollution to enter into the environment. It was evident as we drove through the city how much trash and debris still lingered in the streets and in the houses even eighteen months after the hurricane came though. A big part of was people had to do was clean up a basement or house of the damaged debris cause by the extreme amounts of flooding. All the floors of the houses had to be taken up and replaced, as did most of the drywall and insulation. As we would travel through the city, large piles of debris could still be seen on the street sides from continuous clean-up efforts, such as that by SBDR or by individual house and business owners. All of this trash and debris is pollution to the environment. Unless it is disposed of properly, it all gets taken away and dumped into an overflowing dumping ground where it is left to sit. And the trash that has been dumped into or has fallen into the rivers pollute the water even further. The already polluted rivers have suffered significantly from Hurricane Sandy because of how little effort people have put into cleaning up the rivers of the waste.
My final tie between our lessons and my New York trip is through clean energy. Because most rooms we worked on had been completely filled with water and had to have been stripped entirely of all thing electric, we took this opportunity to replace all light bulbs in the houses where we worked with energy efficient ones. Clean energy is a way to help lessen the amount of pollution we put back into the environment. Most of the houses we worked in did not have energy efficiency. By replacing all the light bulbs in all the houses we worked on, we have made significant progress in helping introduce the house owners into moving towards becoming environmentally friendly. Every light bulb we replaced in every house we worked on pushed the local area up onto a small step of becoming more environmentally friendly as a whole.
I did not learn the types of skills I was expecting to. Going up to New York, we had no idea what we were getting our hands into aside from the fact that it would be manual labor and could possibly be outside in thirty degree weather. What I did learn more on was how to work together with a team. In the beginning, the twelve of us had absolutely no idea how to measure, cut, or drill in drywall. By the end of the week, however, not only did we know how to do all of those things individually, but we all learned to work together as a team while doing it. We were able to put together a system where four people would measure and cut for six others who were set and ready to lift and rill the drywall in place either in the ceiling or on the walls. The remaining two people were our official “mudders”. As we moved from placing drywall in the first half of the room to the second, two of our people came behind us and began taping over the cracks between pieces of drywall and mudding over our beginners’ mistakes. As the room progressed and fewer and fewer people were needed to help with the drywall, the jobless people would move to help the mudders, coming behind them and sanding over the dry mud. Everyone had their job, and everyone’s job worked together in a system of harmony. We not only learned to work together, but also to hold our tongues when a sharp word was said or a thoughtless move would cause us to start the system over again. Harmony is a wonderful lesson to remember for later in life, no matter what the job description is. A workplace works only as well as its employees, and where dysfunction cases chaos, harmony allows for success.
Allie used her photography skills to help the Humane Society!
Could not resist, check out this photo she took, SURELY this little pup was adopted right away after this photo was published:
Would you agree to live in a simulated slum?
I am incredibly impressed with Tristan Baker's service learning project! He summizes his project like this: "I helped run a slum experience called “48”,
which is where high school students stay in a moderated slum for 48 hours both
to raise funds and to raise awareness. My personal job was to be the “Master
Builder” where I facilitated the repair/general maintenance and construction of
the entire town. The funds raised from the experience went to missionaries in
Nigeria who are teaching “16 brick” stove technology to the poor, which greatly
reduces the amount of fuel needed to cook, which reduces the amount of trees
harvested, and smoke inhalation, the third leading cause of death."
The connections Tristan made to our course lessons were also very well done:
1. Chapter 11 – Nigeria was one the heart of Africa’s tropical rainforest belt, but it now has lost almost 95% of its forested land. Nigeria is also home to the fastest growing population on Earth, forecasted to exceed that of the United States by 2050, in a fraction of the space. As the population increases the need for fuel increases exponentially as each new person also desires a higher standard of living. By introducing 16 brick stove technology to the country it will allow the significant proportion of Nigerians who still rely on stoves for heat and to cook to vastly reduce the amount of wood needed to support the burgeoning population. Without some significant change current trends will quickly strip the entire country of its luscious forests upon which much of the wildlife depends.
2. Chapter 21 – Furthermore, the 16 brick stove technology provides a significant reduction in the carbon emissions produced by the population, which is beneficial in two ways. As the population of Nigeria continues to expand, even a small carbon footprint by a billion and a half people will have a significant both the health of the populace and the overall health of the planet. By reducing the carbon footprint of each individual one can significantly reduce the air pollution present in every part of the country. In addition, it will increase the quality of life for everyone as pollution related diseases fall. It should be noted that the current third leading cause of death in Nigeria is smoke inhalation due to prolonged exposure to smoke to fires which cook and heat the home every hour of every day.
3. Chapter 22 – In addition, one of the single greatest threats to Nigeria as a nation is long term environmental degradation. As time passes the livability (already tenuous in parts) will only decline as forests disappear and the air is increasingly unbreathable. By reducing the short term pollution one can hope reduce the effects of, or even stave off, the worst of climate change as a result of the over burning of wood and coal. By providing cheaper, more efficient technology one allows the people to take a personal initiative in the struggle to save one’s own country. One of the most influential tools in the arsenal of one struggling against climate change is personal involvement and dedication by the individual, because only then will the nation change in any palpable manner. By giving the individual a means to change and better themselves in addition to the environment one provides a catalyst in the development of an environmentally responsible and knowledgeable culture, the true and only key to staving off global warming.
The connections Tristan made to our course lessons were also very well done:
1. Chapter 11 – Nigeria was one the heart of Africa’s tropical rainforest belt, but it now has lost almost 95% of its forested land. Nigeria is also home to the fastest growing population on Earth, forecasted to exceed that of the United States by 2050, in a fraction of the space. As the population increases the need for fuel increases exponentially as each new person also desires a higher standard of living. By introducing 16 brick stove technology to the country it will allow the significant proportion of Nigerians who still rely on stoves for heat and to cook to vastly reduce the amount of wood needed to support the burgeoning population. Without some significant change current trends will quickly strip the entire country of its luscious forests upon which much of the wildlife depends.
2. Chapter 21 – Furthermore, the 16 brick stove technology provides a significant reduction in the carbon emissions produced by the population, which is beneficial in two ways. As the population of Nigeria continues to expand, even a small carbon footprint by a billion and a half people will have a significant both the health of the populace and the overall health of the planet. By reducing the carbon footprint of each individual one can significantly reduce the air pollution present in every part of the country. In addition, it will increase the quality of life for everyone as pollution related diseases fall. It should be noted that the current third leading cause of death in Nigeria is smoke inhalation due to prolonged exposure to smoke to fires which cook and heat the home every hour of every day.
3. Chapter 22 – In addition, one of the single greatest threats to Nigeria as a nation is long term environmental degradation. As time passes the livability (already tenuous in parts) will only decline as forests disappear and the air is increasingly unbreathable. By reducing the short term pollution one can hope reduce the effects of, or even stave off, the worst of climate change as a result of the over burning of wood and coal. By providing cheaper, more efficient technology one allows the people to take a personal initiative in the struggle to save one’s own country. One of the most influential tools in the arsenal of one struggling against climate change is personal involvement and dedication by the individual, because only then will the nation change in any palpable manner. By giving the individual a means to change and better themselves in addition to the environment one provides a catalyst in the development of an environmentally responsible and knowledgeable culture, the true and only key to staving off global warming.
recycled materials bicycle!
Check out the bike made by Grace Goepfert from materials found at the landfill:
Now THAT is taking recycling to a whole new level!
Now THAT is taking recycling to a whole new level!
Best professional devlopment skills submission thus far!
Check out the professional skill development Charles Watson received while contributing to his community and earning a grade for service learning:
The professional skills I used for this assignment were time management, organization, leadership.
• Time Management- Scheduled times and days that didn’t interfere with school, and had to request off of work to make sure I got the hours for this assignment done in a timely fashion.
• Organization- As one of the older members of this project I was given also given leadership role where I organized small groups of kids that ranged from sizes 4-8 based on age and work ethic in order to make sure an ample amount cigarette butts and trash would get cleaned up.
• Leadership- I was one of the older participants in this volunteer event mainly because is meant to target High School students and educate them, I was chosen to be more of a leader and help direct kids along with helping out in my own group.
• Maturity-While having a leadership role I had to act my age and be responsible. Because I was older than all the kids and a college student they kind of viewed me as a "Cool college kid" and looked up to me so I act mature, responsible and serious about work in order to set a good example for the younger kids so that they know that you have to act professional and get work done first before you can have fun.
The professional skills I used for this assignment were time management, organization, leadership.
• Time Management- Scheduled times and days that didn’t interfere with school, and had to request off of work to make sure I got the hours for this assignment done in a timely fashion.
• Organization- As one of the older members of this project I was given also given leadership role where I organized small groups of kids that ranged from sizes 4-8 based on age and work ethic in order to make sure an ample amount cigarette butts and trash would get cleaned up.
• Leadership- I was one of the older participants in this volunteer event mainly because is meant to target High School students and educate them, I was chosen to be more of a leader and help direct kids along with helping out in my own group.
• Maturity-While having a leadership role I had to act my age and be responsible. Because I was older than all the kids and a college student they kind of viewed me as a "Cool college kid" and looked up to me so I act mature, responsible and serious about work in order to set a good example for the younger kids so that they know that you have to act professional and get work done first before you can have fun.
Excellent service learning submission from Alea Kittell
I volunteered at Uncle Sandy’s Macaw Bird Park. The Park
was started by a man named Sandy who was born and raised on an island where
macaws were wild and free. He developed a love for these birds, and started
adopting macaws. Unfortunately April 30th of last year Sandy passed
away. The mission is to educate the public about these birds and to take in
unwanted macaws and other birds.
I did many different jobs at the bird park. My primary
job was feeding all of the birds giving them treats or giving them their main
meal. I also trimmed plants, fixed & improved aviaries, cleaned out a
storage building, shoveled bird poop, chopped up an old garden border and
removed the nails from it for re-use, and just spent time with the birds which
is also important since many of them like attention.
One of the chapters that pertains to my service learning
is Chapter 10: Evolution and Extinction.
I first-handedly got to experience the power of a macaw’s beak, which has
evolved for cracking open even the toughest of jungle nuts and fruits. One
large male macaw decided he wanted my finger instead of the treat. He bit down
hard and cut my finger. My finger was numb for almost half the day and after he
bit me I felt woozy. Sure I knew that parrots and macaws beaks are so specialized
for eating tough foods, but it wasn’t until I experienced this that I realized
just how well suited they are to this task. Another issue mentioned in this
chapter is habitat destruction and overharvesting. While macaws and many of the
other bird species at the park have destruction of habitat in their native
lands, some of them are wild caught birds. There is a large issue with birds
being caught in the wild and sold as pets. Since macaws normally mate for life,
this can be devastating to wild macaws. Some of the birds at the park were wild
caught or are closely related to wild caught birds. Chapter 10 mainly talks
about the issue of the wild birds of Guam being killed by snakes. Even in
captivity you can have problems with predators so at the bird park there are
animal traps set out to catch predators, each aviary is secure to keep the
birds in and the predators out.
Another chapter that relates to my experience is Chapter 17: Solid Waste. At Uncle
Sandy’s Bird Park I noticed that many things were re-used or re-purposed. They
make use of at least two of the four R’s mentioned in chapter 17. I noticed
that when they gave visitors a plastic cup full of peanuts to feed the birds,
after the visitors ran out of peanuts the park workers would take back the cups
and re-use them again. Also, when I was breaking apart that wooden border, I
was told to take out the nails because they could be re-used. It was hard
getting the nails out, but it felt good knowing they could be used again for
something else. When fixing the aviaries we would use scrap pieces of wire
fencing to patch areas we cut out for placing a perch and we would also use
scrap wood to make a food dish holder for the birds to perch on. In one of the
large flight aviaries, old truck bed covers (toppers) and things were placed
for macaws to perch on and play with. The sleeping boxes for the macaws were
old metal barrels or plastic barrels with a cut out opening for the birds. Even
the food that fell from the off ground aviaries did not go to waste. The
free-range turkey, named Tom, enjoyed walking under these aviaries and eating
up the food that fell.
Finally, the last chapter that I can associate with my
volunteer work at Uncle Sandy’s Macaw Bird Park is Chapter 18: Agriculture. While chapter 10 is mainly about
agriculture, it also mentions the symbiotic relationship between the ducklings
and the rice field. It is this symbiotic relationship that was a great solution
in chapter 18 and something I want to focus on. As I mentioned in the previous
paragraph, I noticed that not even the food went to waste because the
free-range birds would eat the food that fell out of the aviaries. Not only was
this a great benefit for the park, but also the poop from the free-range birds
can even be beneficial for the plants. I personally use my peafowl’s poop on my
plants and it really helps them grow. Bill’s dog helps scare away any predators
or pests (like how I witnessed his dog chase away a mouse) but the dog is
friendly to the birds and keeps them safe. The peacocks can also make an alarm
call and alert people and birds of any predators or people coming. Sure there
isn’t much agriculture going on here, but there are a lot of beneficial
relationships going on which reminds me of the ducks and the rice.
I breed and raise peafowl (www.bamboopeacock.com)
so I already have experience with caring for them and was able to relate to
many of the chores, but I did learn that peafowl are much easier to care for
than parrots and macaws. I made sure to listen carefully about what food to
feed the birds and how much, because parrots eat a different food mix than
macaws. If I was uncertain about my instructions I would ask again because it
is better to do something the right way the first time than mess up and have to
do it over. I made sure I worked hard no matter what the task, although it was
hard to clean out some of the aviaries when the bird wanted to bite you or
crawl all over you! When I finished something I would ask for something else to
do instead of standing around. Doing what I was told to do and working hard
will certainly help me with whatever job I end up having. I was able to see how
the aviaries were constructed and how things were run and these things can help
me care for my own birds.
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