'Sounds' like we ALL need to get involved!

• For our service learning project we had a difficult time figuring out the ways we could help save the Coral Reefs, that didn’t include us flying to Hawaii.  (Which of course we would have loved to do!) What we decided to do was to reach out to local environmental groups that are involved with cleaning up our oceans and local bodies of water.  We figured that helping a group that is trying to clean up the oceans is a roundabout way of helping to save the Coral Reefs. (Because all of the Oceans are connected)  We contacted the group Salem Sound Coastwatch, and the people we spoke with were very nice and welcoming.  Salem Sound Coastwatch is a group whose mission is to protect and improve the environmental quality of Salem Sound and its watershed.  They were excited to have us help out and were also very appreciative of our time spent there.  

• On Saturday, March 26 Salem Sound Coastwatch held a symposium titled “What is the State of Salem Sound? Past, Present and Future.”  The Symposium was held at Salem State University in the Marsh Hall Conference Room and ran from 9:00am until 12:30pm.  There were speakers who presented several different issues that are arising with the ecological condition of the Salem Sound.  Our job was to hold signs outside of the building to direct people to the correct location of the symposium.  Although this job seems less important we were actually surprised at how many people thanked us for being there to direct them into the building.  Marsh Hall is a newer building so people were having a hard time finding it, and when they got inside they told the director of the group that the “two girls standing out front” were nice, pleasant and helpful!  

Do you want to help out Salem Sound Coastwatch?

Click HERE for contact information and to read about what other things Salem Sound Coastwatch is doing to help save the Sound. 

                                         Reflecting Back...

Danielle's Reflection:  

        I enjoyed researching ideas for a service learning project and working with Leah on creating our project.   In doing this project, I learned a lot of new information on the damage being done to Coral Reefs.  I found that working on a project to help your community and/or the environment is very beneficial to me and would also be for my future students.  I understand that holding a sign outside of a building isn’t doing ALL that much to help the community but what we were holding the signs for was really helping the Salem Sound and spreading the word about it.  I also believe that any little thing that you can do WILL help.  I would absolutely help Salem Sound Coastwatch out again because when you are finished with your service learning project you feel very good about yourself and that you may have made a difference. 

       I think that I would like to have my future students create their own service learning project because I believe they would find it to be very beneficial.  I also think that because it gets the students out of the classroom they will be more interested and apt to help out their community! 

Leah's Reflection:
                I really enjoyed working with Danielle on this project and the service learning project. By engaging in this project, I really learned a lot about the coral reefs. I never knew that there were so many ways that they were being damaged. While researching information I thought to myself, I wish there was something I could do, but there are no coral reefs near me. Danielle and I quickly found out that even though we do not live near a coral reef, there is a LOT that we can do to help. Raising awareness is extremely important in helping to save coral reefs. Not many people know about the damages being done to the coral reefs and how it can affect ourselves and the ocean. Also, using less water and not polluting helps to ensure a healthier environment for the coral reefs to flourish. Like Danielle said, anything we do, no matter how small, WILL help. 
                I really enjoyed volunteering at the Salem Sound Coastwatch. It was great to see so many people caring about the Salem Sound and wanting to help. I would definitely love to help the Salem Sound Coast watch again. When I am a teacher I will definitely have my students do a service learning project. Doing a service learning project helps you become aware of your surroundings and the problems around you and it makes you feel good about yourself. If I teach older students, I would have them find their own service learning project. If I teach younger kids, we would brainstorm together and participate in a service learning project as a group. Like Danielle said, it would help students become more involved in their communities and become more aware of the problems around them.