Davida Nitka, an elementary school computer teacher at the Nixon School in Roxbury Township, New Jersey, just returned from a research team on an 11 day trip to study the Mexican Mangroves and Wildlife in La Manzanilla, Mexico.
Ms. Nitka was sponsored by a fellowship from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. The Foundation sponsors Earthwatch Institute, an organization, which “promotes the sustainable conservation of natural resources and cultural heritage by creating partnerships among scientists, the general public, educators and businesses.”
Ms. Nitka, and nine other Earthwatch volunteers, received on-site training from Paulino Ponce Campos, one of the principal investigators of the project, along with some other research personnel. The volunteers assisted the researchers by conducting surveys of the Mangroves on boat and land. Birds were spotted and counted, flora was identified and crocodiles were captured, tagged and recorded.
“The most memorable part of this trip was witnessing the hatching of a crocodile from a nest we found,” Ms. Nitka said. She added, “We also captured 3 adult crocodiles and gathered vital statistics about them. When we returned from the field, all data was entered into the computer for the study.”
“I never thought I would be holding a baby crocodile in my hands. This project has given me more of an understanding of how fragile our environment is and what an important responsibility we all have in keeping it safe,” commented Ms. Nitka.
When school begins in September, Ms. Nitka intends to share her experiences with her students as well as the community. She has created a website where she has downloaded pictures of her trip and answered some questions, which her students asked her in June about the forthcoming expedition. Those interested may visit this site at: http://teacherweb.com/nj/nixonelementaryschool/nitka/
If anyone is interested in receiving more information about the Earthwatch Institute may go to the website at: http://earthwatch.org/