Maui News
POSTED: June 4, 2008
WAILUKU — A yearlong, interdisciplinary study project at the Maui Coastal Land Trust’s Waihe‘e Refuge culminated in a student showcase last month at the Iao Theater.
The May 21 program featured multimedia presentations from three teams of teachers and students from Kalama and Maui Waena intermediate schools who participated in the Waihe‘e Watershed Education Program at the 277-acre refuge on Maui’s northwestern shoreline.
MCLT partnered with the Alaka‘ina Foundation’s Maui Digital Bus to host hundreds of students from the two schools at the refuge.
A grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration paid for teacher training, bus transportation, field and technical equipment, and a program coordinator.
“The opportunity for multiple field trips to Waihee enhanced the students’ perspective on the area’s rich cultural history and potential for ecological restoration,” said MCLT coordinator Diana Papini Warren. “The teachers made the most of the program by working in teams and providing interdisciplinary projects for their students. They tied together lessons in science, social studies, math and language arts.”
Ellen Federoff oversaw the Maui Digital Bus that accompanied the students during field trips to the Waihe‘e Refuge.
“The bus provided instant, on-site interpretation of data the kids collect while studying ocean currents, GPS mapping, water quality, marine debris and plant restoration,” said Federoff.
Established as a nonprofit corporation in December 2000, the Maui Coastal Land Trust’s mission is: “To preserve and protect coastal lands in Maui Nui for the benefit of the natural environment and of current and future generations.”