Molloy University’s Teaching Green Institutes Bring Education Full Circle

By Christine Berardi

What did you do this summer?

Nearly 40 Long Island middle and high school teachers traded fun in the sun to participate in Molloy University’s Teaching Green Institutes.

At the Fire Island Ranger Station, Eric Powers, biologist, teacher and outdoors-man, leads the Teaching Green Institute for High School Teachers and educates the group on shells, fish bones vs mammal bones vs bird bones, horseshoe crabs, and how to use scientific equipment.

In July, educators became the students learning about the environment and STEM-related subjects. Participants conducted environmental science lab activities while focusing on sustainability and exploring and evaluating environmental problems to formulate possible preventative measures/solutions.

While learning about horseshoe crabs, high school teachers unfortunately found a few dead horseshoe crabs at the shoreline. Although a sad event, it was turned into an impromptu lesson about the amazing design of the horseshoe crab which has existed for 500 million years. The long tail is an emergency flip over device to protect them when knocked over by waves. Teachers also learned the correct way to pick one up -- with both hands on its sides not by its tail.

They learned about wind and solar power using kites and solar-powered cars, the local flora, fauna, and marine life examining horseshoe crabs and other marine life, bird nests and beach grass, and observing Piping Plover nests and frogs among other things.

The teachers will bring the information from the summer workshops to their classrooms and share with their students this fall. It’s an educational win-win! ❧

 This year as part of the curriculum taught by Paul Zaratin, a Long Island middle school science teacher, participants traveled to the Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center. Located on the West End of Jones Beach State Park, the state-ofthe-art facility explores energy consumption and how it shapes the natural environment.

 High school teachers gather outside the Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness and Visitor Center. They learned about local whales and how they feed using baleen, a filter feeding system inside the whale’s mouth. The group then viewed the Humpback Whale skull, which was large enough to fit almost half the group.

 Walking on the beach, participants conducted a biodiversity study. Teachers also saw 15 Piping Plover chicks running along the beach. Piping Plovers are an endangered species. Volunteers were out monitoring the safety of the birds.