What began as a Good Idea Grant proposal to answer the question, “What’s in a Beach?” has evolved into a larger project for David Wells’ middle school science students of the Volcano School of Arts and Sciences.
What began as a Good Idea Grant proposal to answer the question, “What’s in a Beach?” has evolved into a larger project for David Wells’ middle school science students of the Volcano School of Arts and Sciences.
Since receiving the Department of Education grant, sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students have made alternate weekly trips from Volcano Village to Punaluu Beach Park throughout the 2015-16 school year. Students have been studying the marine life in the tide pools, taking plankton samples back to the classroom for further research, surveying visiting tourists, finding the pH levels of ocean water and pond water samples, measuring beach erosion, as well as picking up rubbish along the shoreline.
During the course of the school year, one aspect of the project is showing real progress. Each week, students help parent volunteer and part-time staffer Jeffrey Judd remove the invasive water hyacinth plant that has overtaken the freshwater pond once known for its water lilies and tilapia population. Little by little, the group has removed enough water hyacinth to be able to see a visible difference in the beauty of the pond.
Students have six more trips scheduled in the school year to continue their Punaluu Beach project, and Wells hopes to reapply for the grant for the next school year.
For more information about the school or enrollment for grades K-8 for the 2016-17 school year, call 985-9800 or visit www.volcanoschool.com.