Parker in Costa Rica

Costa Rica Trip 2012 PRE-REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

2011-10-11T09:23:00.000-06:00

Eco Club Trip 2011 Video Yearbook

2011-09-19T17:36:00.003-06:00

Thank You from the Tanque School!

2011-06-20T06:48:00.001-06:00

Costa Rican Adventures program coordinator, Brian Benson just sent us this photograph of the 1st grade classroom we painted at the Tanque School in La Fortuna! The pink and plum cubbie rooms were once a odd mix of mustard yellow and olive. Thanks to our Eco Club service volunteers the room has been brightened up and is a much warmer place for the Tanque students to learn in. The students were also thankful for our generous donation of school supplies donated by friends and families of the Eco Club travelers.

To see our post sharing what else we learned during our trip to Costa Rica click here.

Maddy's amazing pictures!

2011-05-25T13:53:00.000-06:00

Love these <3333

Miss Halsey's favorite pictures

2011-04-26T13:42:00.003-06:00

My favorites are of Miss Nichols and Raffi pulling out the taro root and the kids in front of the volcanoes right before we did the zipline.

Ryan's Favorite Costa Rican Hiking Pictures

2011-04-26T13:31:00.002-06:00

Sarah's EPIC Pictures

2011-04-26T13:23:00.003-06:00

I took a LOT of pictures in Costa Rica, but there are a few of my favorites. One of them is a picture of an albino pigeon. There were a lot of pigeons in San Jose, but there was one that everyone liked especially. There's also a picture of an iguana and of the volcano. There are a lot more that I like, but these are just a few of the cool ones I took.

Sarah's Epic Album

Kerry's Favorite Pic's From Costa Rica

2011-04-26T13:21:00.001-06:00

These are some of my favorite pictures from the trip. Some are from before and others from after. Hope you enjoy them. Pura Vida!
Kerry

Emily's Pictures

2011-04-26T13:13:00.012-06:00

These are some of the best pictures I took! One of my favorites is the close up of the cow :)

Sam's FREAKING EPIC pics

2011-04-26T13:12:00.005-06:00

This trip was one of the most amazing things I have ever done in my life , these pics are some of the pics I took, my faveorites are the ones of the volcanos, the pictures of the guides, the iguana and the monkey I named herburt. I loved all of these picctures because of how I can look back and rember the trip fully and not have a blury pic that I will hate taking.

Jacks Favorite Costa Rica Pics

2011-04-26T13:12:00.002-06:00

These are my favorite pics from my favorite trip. These are the greatest sights from Costa Rica. My favorite picture has to be the waterfall it was just so breathtaking and you can't capture its beauty in a picture. This trip will forever be in our memories.

Mr. Musselman's Extra Pictures

2011-04-26T13:08:00.000-06:00

These are some of my favorite photos I didn't have time to post in Costa Rica. Hope you enjoy them. My personal favorites are the students with the REALLY BIG LEAVES!!!

Our Children, Our Community, Our Culture

2011-04-24T08:27:00.002-06:00

The following book was written by the students of the Parker Eco-Club and given as a gift to the children and educators of the Tanque School in Tanque, Costa Rica (a small neighborhood outside of La Fortuna.)

Our Children, Our Community, Our Culture

Robert & Roberto Say Goodbye

2011-04-24T08:03:00.000-06:00

Our guide, and my good friend, Roberto. Hasta luego!

Our guides Robert and Roberto were great leaders and friends to our students and chaperones throughout the trip. While we were flying home, they wished us one last goodbye on our google voice message system.

We Are Aware...

2011-04-21T06:54:00.001-06:00

On our return home from the Quepos supermercado our guides, Roberto and Robert told us about how towards the end of every Costa Rican Adventures tour the guides ask their students to perform a small writing assignment. Roberto asked us to title our paper, "We Are Aware..." and to list in five minutes as many things they were aware or had become aware of over the course of the week. During circle time later that evening students, teachers, and guides shared their most poignant.

We are aware...

that the sun is at a very high angle in the sky in Costa Rica and is very strong.
Costa Rica has two seasons, wet and dry.
rice and beans are very popular in Costa Rica
how fortunate we are to have nice, spacious homes that are comfortable while others live in smaller, tighter, less clean conditions.
Costa Rica has twelve hour days.
the currency of Costa Rica is colones.
that the banana plantations use chemicals that are very harmful to the environment.
Costa Rica is 50% covered by rainforest.
feeding wild animals messes up the food chain and is a risk to yourself.
Costa Rica has no army. The money it saves goes to education for every Costa Rican.
prostitution is legal in Costa Rica.
schools here teach their children well but use very few resources.
we could use more of a "pura vida" attitude at home.
every action has a reaction and there are consequences for everything.
literacy is at 98% in Costa Rica.
Sloths are also known as "perezosos" which means lazy in Spanish.
different is not bad.
food is better fresh.
the environment needs to be protected.
that my perspective has changed how I see my whole life & school.
there are two types of rainforests.
the ocean is really warm and salty in Costa Rica.
toilets are not tough enough to swallow toilet paper in Costa Rica.
people get offended when you say "I am from America."
of the damage that the cattle industry inflicts.
that sunscreen needs to be applied multiple times a day.
that as Americans we should look up to the respectful, kind, resourceful, and environmentally conscious Costa Ricans.
of how different cultures can still bond so easily.
that our guides passionate about sharing their country.

Quepos Supermercado

2011-04-20T22:20:00.000-06:00

The EcoClub gang had a chance at experiencing some authentic Tican life by shopping at the supermercado in the Pacific ocean town of Quepos. Many purchased snacked called "Chickys" and "Yipees" that have become a favorite nibble during the long bus rides in between our adventures.

Lance making his purchase

Today Was Just Beachy!

2011-04-20T21:53:00.000-06:00

Manuel Antonio National Park

2011-04-20T21:51:00.000-06:00

Plenty to see and experience at Manuel Antonio National Park! Just look at the fabulous photographs and entertaining animals we found throughout the reservation.

Our first sloth sighting...

This photo was taken through a telescopic lens designed for camera use. It was like we were right next to the sloth!

The "Jesus Christ Basilisk" - it can run on water!

The trail in Manuel Antonio

When monkeys attack! 12:30 actually... lunch time!

Up close and personal

The trails were very steep...

Happy Birthday Mr. Williams!

2011-04-20T21:41:00.000-06:00

Today marked yet another birthday in the EcoClub. With Mr. Williams far from his family, the students, guides and chaperones wanted to do something to make it a little extra special.

Bram, Mr. Williams, and his brand new birding book!

Eco Club Cribz Redo

2011-04-20T07:01:00.000-06:00

After some earlier technical difficulties the full video of Eco Club Cribz is now available! Just this video alone took over a half-hour to upload... but since this was a very popular video with the kids and completely done by them we thought it was worth the time!

Croc Hunting on the Rio Tarcoles

2011-04-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

On our way to Manuel Antonio National Park we stopped in a small river village to take a boat tour. There were over two dozen different types of birds seen during the trip but the real draw were the crocodillos! Listen to the boys thoughts on the adventure along with the girls perspective on the positive and negative impacts this type of business have on the local river ecosystem.

A treat for tourists and the croc. Or is it?

One of "three musketeer" baby crocs

Mr. Williams in his element!

Lots to see all around us. Keep hands inside at all times!

Don Juan's Farm

2011-04-20T06:49:00.000-06:00

Don Juan's farm was a great opportunity for students to learn about sustainable farming and gave them a chance to harvest their own lunch!

Don Juan grows his own talapia.

Raff and Victoria pull yams out of the ground for lunch!

Maddi and Jes help pull up the lettuce

Don Juan's son and our guide for the day

BIG leaves capture lots of sun!

Kerry, Emily, and Jes help make sugar cane juice

Preparing for Ziplining!

2011-04-20T06:37:00.000-06:00

On Tuesday we took flight lessons in the shadow of the Arenal Volcano at Sky Tram ziplining tours. We have some video of the adventure as well but it is difficult to upload so much action from Costa Rica! Instead check out Jes' response to the journey... by far the student who showed the greatest courage to conquer her fears and ride the wind!

Lake Arenal, the largest lake in Costa Rica.

Pura Vida!

The Arenal Volcano was easy to see from our first zip point!

Lake Arenal's hydro dam generates 48% of Costa Rica's electricity.

Madison - Visiting the School

2011-04-18T15:02:00.001-06:00

On Sunday we visited a school to donate our time to the students and teachers there. When we first arrived we were all worried that connecting with the students would be difficult since they speak spanish and we speak english. We walked in and all the students were filled with lots of energy and looked very excited. After a tour of the school from a ten year old we each sat down with one student and asked questions in spanish. we all learned a lot about all the students. Everyone started connecting when we picked up a soccer ball and kicked it around. When we left to go paint the classrooms the students would keep coming in to watch and play with us. By that time everyone was friends. When we gave them the donations for the school all their faces lit up. We piled onto the bus in tears knowing we would never get to see them again. It was amazing how we all connected even though we could barely understand eachother.

SARAH´S EPIC POST

2011-04-18T14:57:00.001-06:00

Even though we´ve done a lot of amazing things, I thought the best thing so far was going to the school. We went yesterday and had a LOT of fun. The kids were so awesome and nice, and everyone fell in love with them immediately. They were so open with us even though at first, everyone was pretty shy. But as soon as the teachers started making groups, everyone was open with each other. Even though the language barrier was pretty hard to overcome (especially because I´m a frenchie), we used body language and the few Spanish words we knew to communicate. But they conviently forgot to tell us that we would need to have a "cultural" performance, so we pretty much made fools of ourselves. While the children from the school did a beautiful traditional dance, we ended up miming a baseball game which pretty much failed. They just kind of stared at us with confused looks. But when we had some free time, we tried to play with the kids. We found a stick of wood for a bat, and a ball and started to play. The first little boy who wanted to bat hit a home run all the way across the street. At first he didn´t really understand what he did, but as he saw us cheering for him as he ran around the bases he understood what he did was a good thing. The look on his face as he jumped on homebase was priceless.

After we played, we started painting the school rooms. It was so much fun to see the teachers excitment as we painted the kindergarten room. There were a couple little boys who were painting beneath a counter and the made the experience even better. They would knock on the counter and giggle hysterically when we would knock back. They started putting paint on their face and got sillier and sillier until finally the teacher had enough and yelled at them. At one point when I was painting by a doorway some little boys ran through the door and started speaking in rapid spanish. I must have looked pretty confused because they gave up and just stuck their hands out and yelled "PAINT PAINT PAINT." I put a little paint on the first boy´s hand and he wiped it on his cheek. The other boys soon did the same. Throughout the day the same boys kept coming back.

My favorite thing that I heard somone say yesterday was when Sam said as we were leaving,"So this is what Oprah feels like." I thought that pretty much summed up the feeling that everyone had. I miss all my friends from the school and will never forget the amazing experience I had there. The best part of the day for me was when a little girl who I had barely spoken to came up to me and gave me a big hug when we were leaving.

I love everyone back home and can´t wait to share my pictures!!!!!
Pura Vida!!
<3, Sarah

Jessica- So many differences.

2011-04-18T14:55:00.001-06:00

Hey Guys!
Well for starters here in Costa Rica most things are super different. They have different food. They eat lots of fruits and rice. And unlike us they eat mostly chicken and fish for meat. The tempature here is so different that all week we have been sweating like pigs. It is super sunny and humid. In the rainforests there are many different types of plants, animals, and insects. The creepiest thing is most of the animals and insects you can not see. The people here are very nice and welcoming, last night for example at the hotel we stayed at the owner stayed up an extra hour or two so we could party for Troy´s birthday.

Maddys Post

2011-04-18T14:55:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we went to La Escuela de Tanque. First we were very nervous but then they started to warm up to us, especially the younger ones. I made many friends in kindergarten and first grade and preschool. We played hide and seek, hop scotch, and we played on the playground and I felt like a kindergartener again. I was patient with them. I asked them their names and what grade they were in in Spanish. Even though they didn´t speak any English and I barely spoke any Spanish, we still became friends. We donated many school supplies to them and their faces lit up when they saw that they were theirs. The boys in the group were very good at sports. And even though we had just taught them baseball, one of the boys still hit a homerun on his first try. At first he didn´t know what he had done, but when we all started high fiving him and cheering, he had realized that he did something great.

Tonight we are going to the hot springs again. At the one we went to Saturday, it smelled like rotten eggs because of the sulfur. Tonight it isn´t supposed to be sulfury so I´m looking forward to it even more knowing that.

Today we went to Don Juan´s farm. Don Juan was injured so he could not give us the tour so we had a man with a machete named Christian. He made the tour interesting and let us pick our own foods for lunch today. We picked tomatoes and lettuce and yuca. Then we squeezed sugar cane by cranking in the opposite direction so it was compressed and juice came out. Christian also made us eat a leaf called the jackass leaf. It was so bad and we had bad tastes in our mouth for the rest of the day.

We also went to Down to Earth coffee house where I had my first cup of coffee ever. It was very good. I learned that there are many different kinds of coffee and that filtering it through a cloth filter instead of a paper filter makes it taste even better. Mom. look into this. :)

I am excited to go zip lining tomorrow. Our guide, Roberto surprised us with another adventure. We each chipped in $13 to go on a crocodile tour. We are going to see 18 foot crocodiles and we are going to see them feed. I cannot believe that there are only 4 more days left! I don´t want this adventure to end!

Emily-Rio Celeste and Rainforest

2011-04-18T14:53:00.000-06:00

On Saturday we hiked through the rainforest and saw the Rio Celeste. It was so beautiful! The water was a turquoise color because of a chemical reaction with sulfur. It was beautiful, but didn´t smell too great! We got to swim in hot springs. It was really fun, even though the current was really strong. We also saw a waterfall. The hike down was very long and steep, but it was worth it! It was amazing because the waterfall was also turquoise. Unfortunately, the hike back up was even worse than going down and most of us were out of breath by the time we reached the top! The whole hike was amazing too. We saw lots of cool trees, flowers, and other plants. We saw some birds and bugs but not too many other animals. This may have been because most of the wildlife in rainforests lives in the canopy and not on the ground. The guides taught us a lot about the nature we saw. We also learned about primary and secondary forests. Primary forests are forests that haven´t been affected by humans and secondary forests are ones that have. We could tell we were in a secondary forest because there was a lot of light, which meant that trees had been cut down. Primary rainforests are much darker because the trees block out all the light.

I´m having a LOT of fun so far and I´m pretty sure everyone else is too. I´m going to be sad to go home, but I can´t wait to show everyone all the pictures I´ve taken!
Pura Vida!!!
Emily

Kerry- A blissful day of shopping and visiting an organtic farm

2011-04-18T14:52:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone!
Today we were able to visit an organtic farm and go shopping! While at the organtic farm we got to participate in collecting food that was going to be part of our lunch. Durring the tour our guide decided to play a few tricks on us. First, he had us eat this terrible that, believe it or not, was called the "jack ass" plant. Next, he held up a fruit to Jack and told him to hold it in his fingers because he was going to slice it with a machete. In the end the guide just taped the fruit (to tell the truth we were all kind of dissapointed :). Later he did the same thing to Vicky only this time he wacked it with the other end of the machete but it was still pretty scary. When we left the farm we went to La Fortuna (where I am writing from) and we went shopping. All the stores are really cool and have a great selection. That just about wrapes it up because now you are up to date on the current standings of the Eco-Club (well at least the girls all the guys are out shopping).
Chao,
Kerry

Victoria belongs in La Fortuna !!!

2011-04-18T14:51:00.000-06:00

Pura Vida !!!!!
The past couple of days we have been hearing all about la fortuna and learning lots about it. But finally today we actually got to come here, and shop. The best way i could explain what la fortuna looks like would be a lest busy version of New York City. With all the resturants and shopping centers. Pesonally to me the best part of La Fortuna are all the little shopping stores with the most gorgeous "bling". But one thing I wont lie about was deffinetly the awsome eduation all about coffee , and yes a 14 year old like me .. I LOVE my coffee. We learned how it was procesed and made, and how stronger coffee actually does taste way better. But the best part of that is we learned a technique to really get the deep taste of the coffee, and WOW .. can I say , everything in costa rica is alot better.

Now the people in Cocsta Rica are even better. Who ever you passed no matter who it was they always waved or said hola!! I really enjoyed that because it really made me feel at home with all the hellos and warn welcomings.With out all of those people and our wonderful tour guides i dont think Id still be here , missing my family the amount I do! All i can say is that im having the best time here and i really dont want to leave, the weather is amazing and the food .... its , even better!!!! Hope to talk here soon, keep posting! Cya
-victoria <3

Community Service

2011-04-18T14:31:00.000-06:00

Sunday was a special day! We arrrived at the school where we were going to work and were warmly welcomed by a group of 3rd - 6th graders. This was a big deal for them because it was Palm Sunday, a very special day for them as it starts Holy Week. The teachers, atudents, and parents made a special sacrifice to be here today because they were so deeply appreciative of us volunteering our time to help them,
  Our students were paired up with one or two Costa Rican students and they began to share, in their own language, questions that they had prepared, It was awkward at first, but slowly, you could see the kids light up and begin to understand one another through their words, gestures, and body language. Tes, Justin Bieber is very popular in CR!
  I sat in on a game of King Frog with Maddie, Ms. Nichols, Emily and their 2 Costa Rican friends. It was a real pleasure to watch Emily explain and lead the group through the game and see how quickly the new friends picked up on the game. As I walked around, it was really neat to see all of the kids smiling and communicating!
  Next, we broke up into 2 groups and began painting 2 different classrooms. There was paint on many surfaces other than the walls, but the smiles and enthusiasm abounded. Our students worked very hard on this painting project! Half way through, we took a break and were treated to several dances by the Costa Rican students reflecting various aspects of their culture. They were great! We then did an impromptu demonstration of baseball! We began by singing the national anthem and they played a quick game of baseball, letting our actions explain the game. We ended by singing ¨Take Me Out to the Ball Game.¨
  We then finished up the painting and clean up and we took a break where we had a great spread of fresh fruits. Watermelon, Pineapple, and Papaya were scoffed down like there was no tomorrow. The kids were playing pick-up soccer and baseball as well during this time.
  Just before we left, we presented then with a very generous amount of school supplies that our kids brought with them. The Costa Rican teachers concluded the day with a warm and generous thank to all of us. Parents, you would have been very proud of your children today!
Mr. Williams

LANCE- A Cultural Dance

2011-04-18T14:29:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was a very exciting day. We helped lots of children in need. It was very surprising to us that they were extremely happy with what they had and what we take for granted. they were all very excited about us coming to their school to help out. After the many greetings and fun activities to get us communicating they shared with us a cultural dance. the girls wore traditional dresses that had many colors and the boys wore white dress shirts and black dress pants and had a hat. they held little flags of different colors. throughout the dances there were patterns and movements that repeated a lot. the boys twirled the little flags and the girls twirled there dresses making a beautiful scene. it was really a sight to remember.

Bram´s - Our Guides

2011-04-18T14:24:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone
our tour guides have been very informational and nice these four days. They have learned from us we have learned from them and we both have many things in comon . We like to play sports like Futbol (not American football). They are also good like today They helped the worker at the farm translate many things for we to understand . When we were at The School They answer our questions if We needed help . That is all I have to say about our Tour guides

Troys Club

2011-04-18T14:21:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was my birthday, my 14th birthday. After dinner I thought we were just going to go back to our rooms to sleep but I got a huge suprise. The people that worked at the place that we had dinner turned on the disco ball, strob lights, and blasted the music. But first I got to swing at the pinata, I missed on the second swing and I broke the bat in half. Than Connor, Jack, and I just partied at ´Club Troy´ for two hours. We had cake, it was really good cake to. So it was the best birthday so far and for a while.

Coññor - Hotel Cribs

2011-04-18T14:18:00.002-06:00

It is Connor. I am having the best time I could ever had. The hotels are much better then what I expected. The first hotel was ok. It had bunk beds and 2 regular twins. The food was amazing though. The banana bread was so good. The second hotel was luxury. I would give it a 4 out of 5 stars. If you want there is a video that Jack, Ryan J, Ryan F and I made called Eco Club Cribs. It is awesome. There was also two hot tubs that we got to go in. The hotel we are staying at right now is amazing. We are in groups of 5 for each room. It has three twins and a queen bed. There is a pool that we got to go in. Finally, I would like to say Troys Birthday Party was awesome. We were clubing. We were fist pumping better then Jersey Shore. Me, Troy and Jack were going all out!
See everyone soon!

Ryan F.- A Little Bit Goes Along Way

2011-04-18T14:16:00.000-06:00

Going to the school was an amazing experience. To be honest, at first I was not very excited about working. But when we started working I realized how wrong I was. It was so cool how easily a small little thing like painting a classroom could light up a kids day. The kids really wanted to help and to befriend us right away. In a day´s work, the classroom looked 10 times better. It was also amazing because so many kids gave up their week-end time to help us. It was really inspiring talking with the kids and how much fun I had helping them.

Jack's post about service project. We are the new Oprahs :)

2011-04-18T13:59:00.000-06:00

Today is day five in Costa Rica. Yesterday was, in my opinion the best day yet. We went to the el Tanque school. We helped so many young boys and girls. The greatest part was we all became great friends just mostly through body language because they were talking so fast we would just pretend to laugh or nod our heads. We are so fortunate to have as much as we do. They were all so open and happy even though they have so much less. We played soccer, painted classrooms, played off the wall and so much more. They were all so open to making new friends I will never forget those kids and hopefully they wont forget us. I wish I could see them again someday and I know my classmates agree.

Having fun Mom and Dad cant wait to see you.

Adios,
Jack

Sam- Our Own Postcard

2011-04-18T13:54:00.004-06:00

So we have been in Costa Rica for four days and honestly the most amazing thing has been the waterfall. We went down stairs thgat made your knees feel like jell-o they were so steep. But the reward reatly surpassed the hard work. The water was almost sky blue, and the waterfall was tumbleing down into a carved out a hole in the ground with all of the bright green tree literaly hanging on the cliff walls. The water was amazing judgeing the fact that we had been hikeing for three hours before, all of the rocks and trees with the colors an the atmosphere of the place really made you feel like you were in your own private postcard. The sky was perfect, the water was blue and that trees were that almost shade of green that makes you want to jump in the trees and act like a monkey. We sat there and we were in awe for almost 30 minuets. We took some pretty epic pictures of ourselves too, we were all dramatic and stuff. So mom and dad, jack and emily I miss you so much I hope you guys could have came, it is the most fun I have ever had. ( and emily Roberto is hilarious!) Ah well that was day three.

Raffi: The Food

2011-04-18T13:54:00.000-06:00

Simply the food here is delicious. There is not nearly as many choises but each time we eat I feel as if the food gets better and better.The people that are making the food are also very kind and are very good cooks. None of the food we have eatin here was prepackaged unless we brought it from the States. The fruit here makes what we get at home seem like garbage. Every single day we have had atleast one meal with rice and beans. I love it. I don´t think I have met people who were tis nice and the language really isn´t a problem.

Chris P

2011-04-18T13:52:00.000-06:00

Today we visted Duan Juan´s farm wich is a organic farm! This means that instead of pile up cow manure and letting the methan gas flow into the air he used it to power his kichen.We also were tricked into eating a plant called the Jack Ass plant which tased horrible. Our tour guide also had a machete. We had tons of fun and later all the stuff that our grouped helped picked we ate for lunch. This was a great time.

Ryan J - Natural Hotsprings

2011-04-18T13:48:00.000-06:00

Water!!! On Saturday, we went to a natural hotspring. The hotspring itself, was a part of a long, sulfur-filled river. In some areas, the river water was a light blue, and in other areas the river water was orange. The river flow was quite fast, and pulled many people down into a deeper area of the river. I was very surprised to see how many people there were besides us because there were probably over 50 people in the river. Also, later on today (Monday) we are going to another, larger, Comercial hotspring. I CAN´T WAIT!!!!!

On to La Fortuna!

2011-04-17T06:39:00.000-06:00

Before we head off to La Fortuna and the Arenal Volcano, Kerry, Sarah, Emily, and Lance got a chance to relive some moments from the past two days. Check them out!

Splish, Splash!

2011-04-16T18:25:00.000-06:00

Posing for a photo before...

WATER FIGHT!!!

The scramble for cover...

After a long journey, faith rewarded.

Can you translate for us? Be careful, the water is hot!

The Hike to the Natural Springs

2011-04-16T18:17:00.000-06:00

Our day around the Tenorio Volcano was one filled with views made for calendars and trails for only the heartiest of travelers! Below are just a small smattering of some of the great photographs taken!

Ready to caminata! (walk)

The dormant Volcano Tenorio in the distance

Examining the rainforest around us

Stopping to admire the beautiful water!

Checking out the geothermal vent that gives the water its blue hue

In Their Own Words...

2011-04-16T17:46:00.001-06:00

Our students were able to make their first calls in and share their experiences with our friends and family in los Estados Unidos! There is still one more group of students to share so stay tuned for more posts!

Fresh Fruit Stand

2011-04-15T21:20:00.000-06:00

Our journey to Guanacaste was very long so we had to stop for some native treats!

Checking out the goods...

The search for the perfect fruit!

Madison and a bunch of plantains

Chris and Ryan with driver, Alberto

The Trip to Guanacaste

2011-04-15T21:17:00.000-06:00

Museo Nacional en San Jose

"El rio sucio" is translated the dirty river. It is yellow from the sulfer found in the volcanic rock it flows from

En La Capital

2011-04-15T21:07:00.002-06:00

Day 1 Photo Test

2011-04-15T21:03:00.001-06:00

Troubleshooting in the Tropics

2011-04-15T20:59:00.001-06:00

Forgive us! We've been trying to upload things from our cell phone but it seems to be giving us trouble! The next few posts may be a bit disjointed and impossible to take down until we return. We shall find out soon enough!

The Bandanas

2011-04-15T07:56:00.001-06:00

During our trip each day two students will be given the bandanas for their good attitudes or deeds during the previous day. Our first pair is Sam and Lance! Sam showed great leadership when he flagged down a stewardess to inform her that a little baby had gotten sick on the flight to Atlanta. Lance helped out in a big way this morning when the bathroom to his suite with 7 other boys became locked from the inside. Lance persevered and picked the lock! Every day two new students will be picked.

Bandana Brothers - Take Two!

2011-04-15T07:52:00.002-06:00

Bandana Brothers

2011-04-15T07:50:00.001-06:00

The Flight to Atlanta

2011-04-14T15:37:00.001-06:00

At the beginning it was fine, but at the end almost everybody either threw up or was about to. Our flight had a lot of turbulence! I sat with Madison and Sam. Madison threw up and it was gross. Thank GOD she had a bag. Next time I am going to make sure that i have pepto in my bag. We all seem to be feeling better now. On to San José!

-Jes

Patiently Waiting at Logan

2011-04-14T10:35:00.000-06:00

Testing Mobile Image Posts

2011-04-13T18:59:00.002-06:00

Google Voice Message Blog Posts

2011-04-08T09:50:00.000-06:00

This is a test of our ability to leave voice messages that can then be embedded into blog posts during our trip to Costa Rica.

Online EcoClub Meeting

2011-03-28T16:04:00.005-06:00

Please watch this video and then complete the form found here.

Planting Flower Bulbs

2010-11-16T19:01:00.000-06:00

Today's meeting was spent planting bulbs in the mild (and a bit muddy) conditions outside Parker Middle School. The bulbs were given to us as an added bonus from our flowerbulb sales campaign to raise money for the trip. Students decided that the flowers would be planted to honor Miss Peach, our cafeteria head-of-staff currently battling ALS.

The EcoClub's next adventure is to participate in this year's Festival of Trees hosted by the Reading Technology Education Foundation to be held on December 4th and 5th after Thanksgiving break.

Thinking about our Environmental Impact

2010-10-19T12:25:00.001-06:00

Today's activities are dedicated to thinking about our environmental impact on our world. Mr. Friedmann is visiting us from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to talk to us about an opportunity to do a Reading cleanup. We will then take some time exploring our "carbon footprint" and thinking about the ways we can help our school reduce its environmental impact.

We will be using the carbon footprint calculator on ZeroFootprintKids.com to help us get a rough estimate for our carbon footprint. Each of us will then submit our scores into a google form to see which students and their families are the greenest!

Carbon footprint calculator

Submit your results to our class google form here.

Once everyone has submitted their results we can brainstorm about what we'd like to do next to help EcoClub and Parker families reduce their carbon footprint and impact on our local environment.

Register Now for Costa Rica April 2011!

2010-05-18T13:09:00.018-06:00

Please view the information packet below to learn more about next year's adventure. Even though it says "March 2011", we are indeed traveling in April of 2011.

Parker 2011 Info Packet

The earlier you register your student, the more accurate information we can provide to Costa Rican Adventures to determine trip costs as early as possible. All students who are strongly interested in traveling to Costa Rica should register by June 18, 2010. Please click on the link at the bottom of this post to register your child for the trip.

Students who travel to Costa Rica will also be enrolled in Parker’s Eco-Club. The club meets every other week throughout the 2010 - 2011 school year beginning in September and students must attend each meeting unless formally excused. During these meetings, we learn about Costa Rica through the use of various technologies, plan the nuts and bolts of the trip, and get to know one another better. Attendance at these meetings is vital to the success of this international trip.

Deposit Due: The first deposit (non-refundable but exchangeable) of $300 per student will be due in October 2010.

To learn more about the trip from the student perspective, check out highlights from the 2010 Trip!

Costa Rica Photos on Flickr

Videos

What a Week of Wonders!

2010-04-22T18:59:00.000-06:00

What a week it has been. The experiences have been breath-taking and educationally enriching. All of the students have had a wonderful time but are also anxious to get back to the comforts of home after a week spent out of their comfort zone! We'll see you all Friday night.

Arenal Volcano

2010-04-20T17:27:00.000-06:00

On our trip to costa rica we visited a volcano named Arenal. It has been active since 1968 and its erruptions are not explosive. Its lava just flows down the mountain. There is no snow on the mountain due to the hot weather and climate.

Andrew

Our Service Project

2010-04-20T17:21:00.000-06:00

Hi. We`ve been having a great time. Today on Tuesday we had our service proect with the students of the Sandbox School. The students helped us plant trees at a nearby river bank. Sometimes the river floods and can reach the school grounds. To help we all planted trees. The roots will mesh together to eliminate bad flooding. There were two groups working. One was closer to the river and another was further back. I was in the group farther away from the river. In our group we had five students and five eco club members. We were each partnered up with a student. We practiced our spanish and really got to bond and get to know the students. The weather was hot and there wasn`t much shade but we made it through the hard part and then back to the school ground for lunch. Roberto, our guide turned into a chef to make a great lunch. After, we gave our school supplies to the stidents and got to play around with them. Some kids kicked around a soccer ball, others played with a football and some used a frisbee. I think we all had fun getting to know and helping the kids of the school. I have had a great time so far and can`t wait for friday to get home.

From,
Sarah

Flying High

2010-04-20T17:09:00.001-06:00

I took a deep breath. Then I said to the man that I was ready and I was pushed over the edge of a cliff. However I was strapped to a zip line, so I soared toward another landing platform. As wind was blowing in my face, I gazed out at an active volcano and a giant river. In a few moments, I was cruising in the next landing area. The guide slowed me down using a rope that caught the cable. I stepped down from the small ladder that had been placed so my cable could be detached. I had flown through the air for about 20 seconds and traveled over one half mile and I was alive. Then, after every member of our group landed, I stepped forward to travel on the next zip line.

Nathan Terry

white water rafting

2010-04-20T17:02:00.004-06:00

Hi,

Yesterday we went white water rafting for four hours. It was a lot of fun and the other guides were trying to push us into the river. They also kept on splashing us and they tried to get me in the river but they did not get me but they did get Andrew and it was very funny. We got to go swimming in the river too and it was very warm a lot wormer then the ocean down the Cape. It was awesome! The guides made our lunch and it was very good. After lunch we had to traval 2 more hours but it did not feel that long and surprisingly my arms are not hurting that bad but I did get sunburned a little. Can´t wait to see you hope all is well. Happy birthday Adam and Maggie. See you Friday.

Love,
Justin H

A Day at The Beach

2010-04-20T17:01:00.006-06:00

After a nice refreshing lunch at the Sandbox school, our little troop headed to the beach. It was not very crowded. In total there were only 15 people there including us. The breeze was slight and a bit cool. Surprisingly warm, the water was a great way to have fun. Especially throwing a hollow coconut at Andrew. I got bored of the water and started to build a small pool for myself. Eventually Brian started to help and then Sarah. We had a decently wide and deep pool when Mr. Musselman gave us the idea to make a channel connected to a small river behind us. Our little group was about half way done with that and we had to leave to go back to the hotel. It was very depressing to leave, but it was fun while it lasted.

Don Juan's Farm

2010-04-20T16:59:00.004-06:00

We visited a farm for two nights and the owner's name was Don Juan. At one point we got to take a tour of the farm. Our guide, Roberto, had to speak translate for us because Don spoke very little English. On the tour, Don showed us many plants including a coco bean tree, which doesn't look anything like chocolate by the way. He even tricked us into having terrible tasting plants. Twice! One was extremely spicy, called amanato. The second thing that he fed us smelled like crap. However, we got to eat some things that didn't taste too bad. Spinich, which didn't tase anything like the way my mom cooks it, thank god. We also got to eat the coco bean. The third thing we got to taste was sugar cane. The juice tasted like canalope juice with sugar. The inside of the skin didn't taste like anything but Roberto said it was good for cleaning teeth. The inside seed tasted like a blast of sugar that you couldn't bite down on because it was too slipery. The inside of hat seed tasted a tiny bit like chocolate but not that much. Some of the things that we got to do on the farm were fertilize some plants and feed some cows. Don had three cows. Two of them actually being alive with one of the cows pregnant. Some of the food was like nothing I had ever tasted before. The rice that wa served there had such a different taste than rice I would eat at home, it was much better. We also had chicken with an O.K. sauce on it. My fvorite dish however, was pasta alfredo with ham and coen. I had four servings. After two days we had to go, to my sadness. It was probably one of the nicest places that we stayed at on this trip so far.

La Fortuna

2010-04-17T16:51:00.000-06:00

We´ve arrived safely in La Fortuna at the base of the active volcano, Arenal. We spent the afternoon at Don Juan´s farm learning about organic ways to grow your food. Our students helped Don Juan fertilize plants, feed the farm´s two cows, pull some casava out of the ground, pick lettuce and spinach for our dinner, and everyone tried some very interesting, shocking and amazing leaves and other plants.

We´re now in the town of La Fortuna for an hour of shopping before heading to the other side of Arenal to try to catch a glimpse of the lava flow. It´s a clear night so luck is in our favor.

Tomorrow: Zip-lining! Miss Connolly can´t wait and I think everyone else is pretty excited, too. Here´s to finding another Internet cafe soon!

As always: Pura vida!

Breakfast!

2010-04-17T07:44:00.001-06:00

Day 1: Up at 7!

2010-04-17T07:26:00.001-06:00

We've Landed in Costa Rica!

2010-04-16T22:50:00.001-06:00

After our adventures in the air and in Dallas, we've finally made it to San Jose, Costa Rica!

We're tired and excited...

And ready for a week of exploration, learning and fun!

We're not sure when we'll be able to blog again, but know that we are safe in our hotel with our guide, Roberto and driver, Mario. Pura vida!

Introducing the 2010 Eco-Club Travelers!

2010-04-09T10:19:00.000-06:00

Exploring the Volcano

2010-02-24T14:32:00.002-06:00

The one event that I am looking forward to most on our trip is our visit to an active volcano. This will be thrilling for me because I have never seen an actual volcano in person, let alone an active volcano. Though I may not see the volcano erupt, I will be satisfied just to be there to explore the area surrounding the volcano.

Nathan T

Fuddrucker Night

2010-02-24T14:30:00.002-06:00

The Fuddrucker night was a success! We raised over $212 from the raffle and bake sale alone. We have no idea how much we raised from the restaurant itself, but it's probably a lot. Thanks to everyone who supported.

Fuddrucker Fundraiser Night

2010-02-10T13:49:00.000-06:00

On Thursday, February 11th our Eco-Club will be hosting a fundraiser at Fuddruckers in Reading between 5:00 and 8:00pm. Any Parker friends or famiy interested in supporting our club’s service and adventures during our trip to Costa Rica should attend. To participate, bring the coupon available on the Parker Edline website and present to the Fuddrucker staff at time of purchase. 20% of your bill will go directly to the Parker Eco-Club! There will also be a drawing for a fantastic IMAX gift basket with two tickets to a future IMAX movie of your choice. This basket is valued at over $50 but can be yours free if your ticket is selected. A bake sale will also be held.

Falalalalah The Festival of Trees

2009-12-16T14:51:00.002-06:00

The Festival of Trees was a big support to the RTEF or the Reading Technology Education Foundation. It is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the technology. Every dollar spent went to the total sum of money to buy technology for every school in Reading. This foundation has bought laptops for the Parker Middle School. Other than just trees being bidded on, there were silent auctions that were going on. Some of the items included gift cards to various places. You would get 1 ticket for $1. For $5 you would get 6 tickets. If you won then you would get the tree and what was on it.

There were many jobs at the festival that kept it running. For one, there was a snack bar that supplied refreshments to the people who came there. Second, people handed out voting slips for which tree was the best and scavenger hunts that could be turned in for a free ticket. There were some people who helped people make cookies for anyone who wanted one. At the table for the Mission of Deeds people ran the table for a bed for a child. People would donate a dollar and every 90 dollars, one bed could be given to a needy child. Last but not least, there were people who ran the check-in table.

At the Snack shack, we sold a variety of foods. We sold popcorn, chips, candy, pizza, water, and soda. We charged one dollar for each of the items. Business started out slow, but after an hour or so, people began to buy food and beverages in case they got hungry or thirsty.

Kyle's Voice Thread

2009-12-02T14:35:00.001-06:00

Nathan's Voicethread

2009-12-02T14:31:00.003-06:00

Here is my Voicethread. Enjoy!

Voice Thread

2009-12-02T14:30:00.002-06:00

Publishing Voice Threads

2009-11-18T12:26:00.002-06:00

Our goal today is to create a 3 picture VoiceThread that contains the following information.

1) A picture of yourself with some basic interests (nothing too personal!)
2) A slide describing a Costa Rican habitat (caribbean coastline, cloudforest, rainforest canopy, Costa Rican freshwater river, etc.)
3) A slide describing one type of animal or plant species that can be observed in the habitat described in slide two

Our goal will be to embed our VoiceThreads onto our blogs at the conclusion of the club meeting.

Club Activity #3 - Using Voice Thread

2009-10-28T12:43:00.003-06:00

Today, students will be making 3 slide voicethreads and commenting on one another's voicethreads. The objective:

1) Create a login for voicethread.com

2) Find information and photographs on either cloudrainforests or the costa rican caribbean coastline.

3) Post audio and text comments including facts on their photographs

4) Comment on fellow classmates voicethreads.

5) Post voicethread on to our blogs.

Club Activity #2 - Blog Setup!

2009-09-29T16:42:00.002-06:00

Today we are jumping in to the blogosphere and getting ourselves up and running with students very own blogs. Each student will be setup with their own blog through edublogs where they will be able to document their learning through the Eco-Club and their investigations of the country.

Today's goals are as follows:

1) Setup each student with a blog
2) Investigate widgits and have students setup their own widgets
3) Read a Costa Rica blog post that interests you and write about what you learned and why you feel you find it so curious!

Here are some blogs to get you started, but feel free to find your own as well!

Tamarindo, Costa Rica daily photo blog - Each blog post has a curious photo and summary regarding the picture.

Yo-Yo (You're-On-Your-Own) in Paradise - An individual explorers blog about their exploration of the country.

A New Life in Costa Rica - The daily diary of a family who picked up all of their belongings in the "Estados Unidos" and moved to Costa Rica to enjoy a new life of exploration!

Fall Registration Still Open for Costa Rica Trip April 2010

2009-09-15T11:23:00.003-06:00

Hello, Travelers!

The deadline for Costa Rica Trip April 2010 registration is October 2nd, 2009.

Please click on the first link below to register for the trip.

Please refer to the packet available online by following the second link below to review FAQs such as the itinerary, overall costs, due dates, Eco-Club attendance, and others. Please email Sean Musselman (smusselman@reading.k12.ma.us) or Norah Connolly (nconnolly@reading.k12.ma.us) with any questions not covered in the packet or for a copy of the packet. Pura Vida!

** There will be a parent and student 2010 Eco-Club and trip meeting Thursday, September 17th at 6:00 in Mr. Musselman's Room 214. ** Please contact Miss Connolly in the Library if you cannot attend: nconnolly@reading.k12.ma.us **

Remember: If you register for the trip you are also committing to bi-monthly Eco-Club meetings in Mr. Musselman's Room 214. Schedule will be posted at the evening meeting on September 17th.

Click here for the registration form

Click here for the Costa Rica Eco-Club Information Packet

Register for 2010 Eco-Club Today!

2009-06-08T08:54:00.006-06:00

Hello, Travelers! Please use the form link below to fill out information Mr. Musselman and Miss Connolly need to secure your spot on the April 2010 trip to Costa Rica. Please refer to the packet available online by following the link below to review FAQ's such as the itinerary, overall costs, due dates, Eco-Club attendance, and others. Please email Sean Musselman (smusselman@reading.k12.ma.us) or Norah Connolly (nconnolly@reading.k12.ma.us) with any questions not covered in the packet or for a copy of the packet. Pura Vida!

** There will be a parent and student 2010 trip meeting Wednesday, June 17th at 6:00 in Mr. Musselman's Room 214. ** Please contact Miss Connolly in the Library if you cannot attend: nconnolly@reading.k12.ma.us **

Click here for the registration form

Click here for the Costa Rica Eco-Club information packet

Costa Rican Hummingbirds

2009-05-15T09:43:00.020-06:00

Here are some photos and video of the Hummingbirds we saw.

Mr. Williams

Pura Vida Costa Rica

2009-05-11T07:58:00.007-06:00

After a few soccer games and a wild ride on zip lines through the cloud forest...

Trouble with Zip Lining

2009-05-01T09:31:00.004-06:00

Zip Lining Photos & Video

2009-04-29T11:48:00.002-06:00

Here are some pictures I took of our Zip Lining adventure. The video is of David zipping down the line!

Arenal Hot Springs Video

2009-04-29T08:21:00.002-06:00

Here's a neat video of some fun at the hot springs!

Slide Shows Galore

2009-04-27T10:12:00.007-06:00

As the days progress and we upload all of our favorites to the Eco-Club Flickr account, I will post slide shows of the trip. They will be works in progress, and I will probably re-post shows as they're updated. Let's see if we can organize an estimated 8,000 - 10,000 photos into manageable representations of our trip. I think we're up to the challenge...enjoy!

This final slide show is a collection of photos we purchased from one of the rafting guides. He gave us permission to use them as we like, so here we go. Enjoy!

Welcome Back

2009-04-26T05:30:00.006-06:00

Even though we had an absolute blast in Costa Rica, it is certainly good to be home and enjoy some of my more usual customs (such as watching the RedSox!). I am elated that the expedition to Costa Rica was such a huge success. The students were wonderful, they stayed focused and behaved spectacularly throughout the trip. Many of the boys even took part in some dinner table etiquette lessons along the way, no easy feat considering the appetites everyone was working up.

Reflecting on the trip, it is hard to pick any particular moment or event as a favorite. Sifting through the hundreds of photographs and videos I took myself, the challenge of coordinating all of our students' media seems insurmountable... it will be a challenge left for the other Eco-Club leaders and me to figure out in the coming days before our first "Post-Costa Rica" meeting this coming Wednesday. Students will definitely want to bring a CD, flash drive, or even their camera containing their photographs to school.

Sorry I had to take the videoblog down that was here earlier. I misunderstood those pesky copyright laws surrounding music and educational use. Next time I will have to remember that if I intend to use or show something on the web, the media has to be free to use by the public! I'm not sure the RCA records would have minded anyway (isn't any press good press?) but it's better not to take that chance.

Resplendent Quetzal photo

2009-04-25T14:41:00.004-06:00

Here is the photo I got through the guide's scope of the Quetzal.

Mr. Williams

Home at Last

2009-04-25T12:15:00.004-06:00

OK, so we got back yesterday and I already miss it. I didn't post yet (I fell asleep on the bus on Friday when all the people who hadn't posted yet were supposed to) so I'm just writing down the highlights now. We had an amazing time at all of our hotels, and our pen pals were amazing. Our guides were incredible, (Thanks so much, Edgar and Roberto!) and we had the coolest bus driver (Thanks to you, too, Olamar!). I can't believe we're home. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wanted to sleep forever after that trip. I can't believe how much we did in those few days! Each day was jam-packed with stuff, and we got to see so many highlights of the country. We also had incredible luck, since we got to see a sloth, a monkey, lizards, bats, AND a quetzal. I'm still reeling from the experience. Thanks to everyone!
-Amanda

Soccer and Pen Pals in the Clouds

2009-04-24T09:20:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, we had the best games of soccer ever! We played on the tennis court, which had two small metal goals, and almost everyone played or watched. I hadn’t played a real game of soccer in over a year, so I wasn’t expecting much. But I surprised myself and did pretty well at offense and defense for someone who hasn’t played in a long time. I even scored three goals for the girls’ team in the smaller game! Today, we met our pen pals at the Cloud Forest School, and learned a little bit about their lives here in Costa Rica. We exchanged emails and facebooks to keep in touch. I can’t believe we’re leaving tomorrow!

- Laura

Zip Lining through Costa Rica

2009-04-24T09:15:00.001-06:00

Today we went zip lining in the forest and it was really fun! I think it was really fun to zoom into the air but the harnesses were really uncomfortable. I was really exited up until the time we were about to jump and I got nervous, but I started to really have fun. The most nerve-wracking part was when we were standing on the very small stands high up in the trees waiting to plunge to your “death”. Over all, I really loved to go zip lining.

- Christine

Zip Line and Pen Pals

2009-04-24T09:13:00.002-06:00

Today we went zip lining. It was amazing, but also kind of scary… well, for me at least. Over all I really enjoyed it! There were those moments, although, where I wished I was somewhere else. Like when I went straight down using a rope from up pretty high, or the last two cords, (both about 150 feet high, and like 1200 feet long), one of which I went upside down on. Also finally meeting our pen pals was great. My pen pal's name is Douglas. It was so fun to meet him. We talked about soccer and school and other activities that we do. I think that today and the white water rafting day were my favorite days in the whole trip!

- Carolyn

Wild Animal Life

2009-04-24T09:05:00.002-06:00

Costa Rica contains 5% of the world’s animal species. It’s amazing how many of these we saw in less than a week. We saw a (dead) fer-de-lance, bats, wild rabbits, and many types of livestock and dogs. The bird life was the most numerous, as we saw many small singing birds, huge flocks of vultures and kites, and several toucans and parrots. But my personal favorite was the quetzal, probably the most secretive bird in the country. Costa Rica is full of wildlife we would have never seen at home.

- Brian

Quetzal Sighting

2009-04-23T23:09:00.001-06:00

Wednesday, April 22nd

A highlight for everyone today was seeing a pair of Resplendent Quetzals. During our walk through the Monteverde Cloudforest, we heard a male bird calling. However, we did not see this elusive bird. After the walk, we all got onto the bus, and as we were ready to go, another guide came jogging up the road telling our guide that they had spotted the bird. We all walked silently down the road a bit to where there were a few people gathered around a spotting scope. The guide carefully directed our attention to where the bird was and soon many of our group could spot it with their naked eye or with their binoculars. Three feet away from the male bird was the female. The male Resplendent Quetzal is a stunning bird. The male is about 14” tall with long, green tail-like, feather streamers extending another 25”! It is mostly glittering green with a crimson colored belly. It has a distinctive crest with a small, yellow bill.

The guide then kindly offered us the chance to see this remarkable bird through his scope. One at a time, everyone in our group got a phenomenal look at the Costa Rican national bird. The guide then took several of the students’ cameras and took “digiscope” photos of the bird through the spotting scope.

Many bird watchers travel thousands of miles and spend mucho dinero in an attempt to see this fantastic bird. Many are unsuccessful. We got lucky and, due to the generous spirit of that local guide, we all saw a very special “life” bird! Pura vida!

Yoga in Paradise

2009-04-23T22:40:00.002-06:00

One of the most wonderful parts of this trip for me has been teaching yoga to students in such a beautiful setting. We will post a few more photos of this soon, but do know that some of your daughters (sorry, no sons!) will come home teaching you a little about downward dog, tree pose, and the famous mountain pose. It was a joy to spend time sharing this wonderful way to start the day with your kids.