Written by Summer Educator, Keila Flores
The most rewarding thing about environmental education is seeing students be passionate about being Earth stewards, and this week’s group did just that. The Equinox arrived on Sunday morning, a boat carrying precious cargo of bright and curious students ready to begin the High School Marine Biology program. We shared names and pronouns during the welcome circle, and one of the students gave a thoughtful acknowledgement to the fact that we are blessed to be learning and living on land that belongs to the indigenous people of Penobscot Bay. The comment set the tone for the rest of the week, and many science, leadership, and community creating lessons were learned throughout their time on Hurricane Island.
The students hit the ground running. They were tasked to create a research project within small groups. They got to work right away, exploring Hurricane Island’s intertidal zone to find out what they were most curious about. They climbed over algae covered rocks and walked through pools of water, searching for something to spark inspiration. Eventually, each group had a question. They ranged from comparing crab sizes of different species, to finding out what type of habitat Periwinkle snails prefer. Every day, they came back to the intertidal zone to collect more data, vigorously turning over rocks or inspecting what was within their quadrats. Colorful posters were created to display their research, with students excitingly asking staff when they could work on their posters next. They even willingly woke up early a couple of days to continue working on their posters, displaying major dedication. The week ended with the students presenting their posters and explaining their results and how they conducted their research. Each group showed great creativity and work ethic with what they had accomplished.
By the end of the week, we were not just staff and students who happened to be on an island together; we were a community, bonded by our curiosity and respect for nature. Together, we had shared meals, built rafts together, created research projects, discussed what we can do to mitigate climate change, and shared many laughs. Home sickness had gone away, replaced by what one student described as “camp sickness”; a bittersweet feeling that comes at the end of a program, when you have to part with all of your newly made friends. As the Equinox vanished into the horizon, I was overcome with the feeling of hope for the next generation of Earth stewards.
