By Maria Bowie
University of Georgia
A steamy jungle in Costa Rica may seem an unlikely place to find
Georgia high school teachers and graduate student teaching
fellows. But during July, 20 Georgians journeyed there for a
unique study of the agriculture and ecology of tropical America.
The course included University of Georgia faculty, graduate
students in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences and high school science teachers. It covered major food
crops from the farm to worldwide distribution and consumption.
It was part of the “Science Behind our Food” project, funded by a
National Science Foundation grant to help UGA enhance science
learning in Georgia high school classrooms.
In the project, CAES doctoral students (teaching fellows) are
paired with high school science teachers for three years. The
fellows bring UGA and CAES resources into the classroom through
research opportunities, classroom instruction and lesson
preparation.
Sexy science
Jeremy Peacock, a Ph.D. student in aquatic toxicology, plans to
bring Costa Rica into Columbia High School physical and
environmental science classes in DeKalb County.
He and CHS teacher Danielle Armstrong hope to make learning
chemistry fun and relevant for students. They’re planning
chemistry lessons by having students make chocolate from the
fruit of the cacao tree.
“Getting to experience a different culture and way of life was
intriguing for graduate students and the teachers involved,”
Peacock said after his first study-abroad trip.
Amy Heidt, a Tift County High School science teacher in Tifton,
Ga., is paired with Chris Wildman, a Ph.D. student in animal and
dairy sciences. They plan to have their students compare U.S.
farm practices with those of Costa Rica and help develop a native
plants exhibition area on the school’s campus.
Heidt’s favorite part of the trip, she said, was “tasting the
many different kinds of fruit, such as the peach palm, which
provides 22 of 23 essential amino acids.”
Intense study
Less than one-third of Costa Rica’s original forest cover
remains, according to The Nature Conservancy. The conflict among
the needs to expand farm crops, raise the country’s standard of
living and preserve the environment provided the class some
intense study.
The group’s journey began in Costa Rica’s capital, San Jose. From
there, they visited the Irazu volcano, learning how volcanic ash
contributes to soil fertility. As they traveled down from the
summit, they explored high-elevation vegetable production.
They checked out a high-tech leatherleaf fern facility that ships
greenery to florists worldwide. Then they visited the Centro
Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza.
CATIE’s research and graduate programs help Central American
countries develop sustainable farm and forestry technologies. The
day included studies of Costa Rica’s pejibaye, cassava, coffee
and timber production.
A visit to EARTH
The group spent two days at EARTH (Escuela de Agricultura de la
Region Tropical Humeda) University. There, 400 students work in
banana and pineapple plantations, dairy, organic farm and
processing and recycling facilities while studying agricultural
sciences and natural resources. The school’s mission is to help
sustainable development in the tropics.
The class included a plant taxonomy workshop comparing rain
forest, cloud forest and dry forest species. It provided tours of
banana and pineapple plantations, a fruit juice processing plant
and cattle farms. And it added waterfall hikes and studies around
the UGA Ecolodge and Research Station in San Luis.
Other Georgia schools taking part in the SBOF project include
Cedar Shoals High in Athens, Jackson County Comprehensive High in
Jefferson, Madison County High in Danielsville, Morgan County
High in Madison, Oglethorpe County High in Lexington and Turner
County High in Ashburn.
To learn more about the Science Behind Our Food, call program
coordinator Stacey Gay at (706) 543-0116, or e-mail her at skgay@uga.edu. Or visit the Web
site at www.uga.edu/discover/sbof.
(Maria Bowie is a news editor with the University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.)
