mtloup

What: A Unique Teaching and Learning Transformational Experience
Where: St. Johns River, Florida aboard houseboats (http://www.everyboat.com/c/s/2001-gibson-41-classic_1428.htm)
When:
Instructors: Dr. Ray Bowman (Environmental Chemistry); Dr. Jace Hargis (Science Education); Dr. Reid Oetjen
(Health Sciences); Captain David Girardin (Biology); and many other experts.
Contact: Dr. Hargis
Student Cost: ~ via grants, student pay only for food

To Apply, please read carefully, complete and submit the following forms to Dr. Jace Hargis
Application - form1; Student Agreement - form2; Non-refundable Deposit - form3; and review the Travel Checklist - Travellist

Pre-requisite: A very positive, flexible attitude.

Required Text: River of Lakes by Bill Belleville (2004). Mr. Belleville worked with Philippe Cousteau's EarthEcho
(www.EarthEcho.org) on the new 'water regime' which the SJRWMD had set for Blue Springs and how it may affect the health
of that spring, as well as of the manatee population. For the resource and an audio segment, access
http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=06-P13-00040&segmentID=7.

Supplemental Text(s)/Resources:

The Swamp by Michael Grunwald (2003)
Guardians of Florida's Water - St. Johns River Water Management District (February 2006)
Florida Waters: A Water Resource Manual from the Florida's Water Management Districts (April 2002)
Waterfront Property Owners Guide: Florida Department of Environmental Protection (December 2001)
Wetlands: Where cypress bark breaks the waters edge by the SJRWMD (2006)
Florida's Salt Marshes by the FL Marine Research Institute (June 2001)
The Cradle of the Oceans: Estuaries by the FL Marine Research Institute (June 2001)
A Green Blanket of Algae by the SJRWMD (January 2002)
Florida's Aquifers: Our most precious water resource by the SJRWMD (September 2002)
St. Johns River: An American Heritage River (www.epa.gov/rivers)

http://sjr.state.fl.us/welcome/river_tour/river_tour.html
http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/services/magazine/03summer/stjohns.cfm
http://sjr.state.fl.us/archydro/factsindex.html - watershed facts map index

DeBary Hall Historic Site - http://www.debaryhall.com/
Equinox website: www.equinoxdocumentaries.org

MTLO Description

The St. Johns MTLO will be integrated into existing courses scheduled for spring 2007. Dr. Hargis, the MTLO Project Manager, has real-world experience as an environmental engineer and has recently conducted several student trips by rail across the U.S. and Europe and will be across Russia in May 2007. In each of the five participating MTLO courses, all students enrolled will engage in disciplinary discussions and assignments related to the St. Johns River. A cross-section of “qualified” students will be selected through an application process to participate in the field event, a week long trip on the St. Johns River. During the trip, students will be fully involved with activities on the water including guest speakers; water sampling and analysis, discussion groups, tours guided by local professionals (park rangers, naturalists, historians, anthropologists, etc.) and completion of projects assigned by their professor. A Project Team approach will be used as each student will have unique expertise which they will be able to employ from the perspective of their major discipline and to share with the other students on the field event.

Discipline Integration

      a)   History – Uses of the river over time; importance to Native Americans; its Indian, French, Spanish and English names; its role in early Florida development; the perspective of long-time residents; old and new cultures; value to modern residents and visitors; state, federal and local efforts (or lack thereof) to preserve it.
b)   Political Science – Current laws and regulations (municipal, state and federal); current legal issues and controversies; roles of St. Johns River Water Management District, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the USEPA.
c)   Science – Monitor water quality parameters, compare with standards/other rivers, plot trends; identify ecological environments, fauna and flora; describe key impacts of watersheds, springs and point/non-point sources of pollution.
d)   Health – Impact of river on sources of drinking water; health of food chain; waterborne diseases; algal blooms.
e)   Economics – Commercial, industrial, civic and individual economic benefits; value of recreation and ecotourism; potential economic cost of degradation or loss of use; cost of restoration of degraded and preservation.
f)    Engineering – Physical characteristics, flow rates, tidal influence, historical changes in drainage and runoff; navigational use for dredging; power generation; bridges, storm drainage/sewer impacts, flood plain; and restoration.
g)   Social Science – River’s impact on historical populations (Native Americans to current residents); impact as food source; transportation; public access; commercial/recreational use, and societal benefits; responsibilities for stewardship.
h)   Communications – Authors, naturalists and artists engaged with the river (Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, John and William Bartram, John Muir, Harriet Beecher Stowe, John James Audubon, etc.); community action groups, city newspaper features and editorials; local feature magazines; and public broadcasting programs.
i)    Education – State of “literacy” about the river and impacts; education level of professionals engaged in the river; river related jobs; school curriculum about the river; current certification and non-credit courses available related to river.

Objectives - Students will

1. engage in active, productive discourse relating to the connections between multiple disciplines and the environment and how they connect to hydrologic system and one particular unique river system in southeast Florida.

2. explore meaningful, global concepts using critical thinking model attributes such as analysis, application, synthesis and evaluation.

3. expand on foundational cause and effect scenario's through use of inquiry skills to discover secondary and tertiary rationale.

4. explain systematic differences between social economic status, regional political policies and the power of historical components that govern people and cultures.

5. evaluate formatively and summatively, the effect and connection of literature, media and technology between distinct regions in FL.
Common to all objectives is a combination of lecture, discussion, demonstrations, multimedia, journaling, collaborative/cooperative group inquiry, research, literature review and observational experiences.

Schedule

Day/Date	Travel/Food	Activities/Schedule	Speakers/Topic
March 16 5:30-8:30	Dinner: Pizza	Class 1: Introduction; Review trip agenda; Learning to Learn presentation; Research question initiated; Q&A; Task manager assignments: Food (Kathy); Equipment (April); Research (David); Video (Mark); Photography (Cheryl); Journaling (Belinda); Health & Safety (Corinthians); Communication (Ruth); Navigation (Shaina); Generalist (Garrett)	Hargis/Bowman
Feb 2 5:30-8:30	Dinner: Sub Sandwiches	Class 2: Develop research question(s); Logistics Puzzle; Task manager reports; Begin equipment needs discussions	Hargis/Bowman/ Girardin/Oetjen
Feb 9 5:30-8:30	Dinner: On Your Own	Class 3: Last minute logistics; Equipment discussion; Task manager reports; Maps and confirm boarding location.	Hargis/Bowman
1 Saturday March 17	Students travel to Sanford, FL on their own Map located at http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=lake+monroe+park+florida &sll=37.0625,95.677068&sspn=31.371 289,59.765625&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=16 &ll=28.840745,81.321681&spn=0.008 458,0.021629&om=1&iwloc=addr	3 pm - Students meet and board houseboats in Lake Monroe Park. Lake Monroe Park is located on the north side of the St. Johns River at US 17-92 bridge board houseboats (directions: I-95 S; I-4 W via Exit 260B; US-17/US-92 exit 104. Time ~ 2 hours; distance ~ 120 miles) 4-5 pm - Trip orientation and safety by Captain Girardin aboard houseboats and discussion of the Upper St. Johns River Basin with aerial photographs. Travel upstream for dinner. 5-7 pm - Dinner on your own at Gator Grill, 407 688-9700 7-9 pm - Anchor up overnight on east side of SR 415 bridge. 10 pm - begin quiet hours; conversations OK on topdeck only; cell phone ringers on vibrate	Captain Girardin (386.937.1566) Dr. Hargis (904.735.6473) Dr. Bowman (904.382.6002)
2 Sunday March 18	Sanford (Lake Monroe)-Lake Jessup-Deep Creek	8-9 am - Breakfast (aboard) 9-10 am - Dr. Bowman distributes handheld GPS devices and gives instruction on their use 10 am - travel outflow of Lake Jessup, discussing midges, Fort Mellon, second Seminole Indian War. Travel to Lemon Bluff, pick up author Bill Belleville 1130-1230 - Lunch 12:30-3 pm - Bill Belleville presentation, then discussing with students one-on-one. 3:30 pm - arrive at mouth of anchorage upstream of Lemon Bluff. 3-5 pm - chemistry students model, teach sample and analysis 6-7 pm - Dinner (ABOARD) 7:30 pm - movie aboard “The River Returns,” 10 pm - begin quiet hours; conversations OK on topdeck only; cell phone ringers on vibrate	Bill Belleville, text author
3 Monday March 19	Deep Creek-Lake Monroe	8-9 am - Breakfast (aboard) 9 am - weigh anchor, students enjoy river and work on projects 1130-1230 - Lunch (aboard) near Lake Jessup; pick up Dr. Sherry Williams, SJRWMD 1-3 pm - presentation by SJRWMD on by Dr. Williams on Water Quality & Land Management during travel to Lake Monroe [Dr. Williams returned to Lake Jessup by chase boat ~3:30 pm] 6-7 pm - Dinner (ABOARD) - Lake Monroe Park 7:30 pm - Bill Dreggors presenting "History of the St. Johns River" 10 pm - begin quiet hours; conversations OK on topdeck only; cell phone ringers on vibrate	St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) Dr. Williams Bill Dreggors
4 Tuesday March 20	Lake Monroe-Deland (Hontoon Island)	8-9 am - Breakfast (aboard) 9 am - board bus for trip to The Debary Mansion for tour and lunch 1130-1230 - Lunch (picnic at Debary Mansion). 12:30 - Return to houseboats - North to Wekiva River - discuss the change in vegetation, water quality change, development and ownership along the river 2- 4:30 pm – hike to Indian mound on Hontoon Island; 5 pm - anchor near Rte 44 Bridge 6-7 pm - Dinner (local restaurants) 7:30 pm - movie aboard “Blue Spring: Gem of the St. Johns” 10 pm - begin quiet hours; conversations OK on topdeck only; cell phone ringers on vibrate	In-house
5 Wednesday March 21	Deland (Hontoon Island)- Blue Springs-Astor	8-9 am - Breakfast (aboard) 10 am - Depart for Blue Springs, discuss springs and manatees; minimum flows and levels issue and drinking water requests from state -swim and snorkel the spring (optional); hang out until lunch 1130-1230 - Lunch (grill at Blue Springs) 1-3:30 - Depart North to Lake Beardsford Lakes Dexter & Woodruff, discuss National Wildlife Area and Ocala National Forest, the effect of Deland’s sewage discharge on water quality and positive effect of large public ownership lands on this discharge -anchor for the night in the ox-bow north of Astor 3:30-5 pm - Formal Oral/Written Progress report by students 6-7 pm - Dinner (local restaurants) 7:30 pm movie aboard “St. Johns River: The Steamboat Era” 10 pm - begin quiet hours; conversations OK on topdeck only; cell phone ringers on vibrate	Team Leaders and Students
6 Thursday March 22	Astor-Lake George-Silver Glen Springs-Salt Springs- Rocky Point Hog Island-Georgetown	8-9 am - Breakfast (aboard) 9 am - North into Lake George. (Eagle population, alligators, algae generator, land ownership and Bartram history). Continue on to Silver Glen Springs – swim and discuss, depart at 11 am Continue to Salt Springs outflow - Discuss Rocky Point, fishing industry, and water hyacinths, tie up at Georgetown Marina 130-230 - Lunch (aboard) 3-5 - f 5-7 pm - Dinner (local restaurants) 7:30 pm - movie aboard “Wekiva, Legacy or Loss?” 10 pm - begin quiet hours; conversations OK on topdeck only; cell phone ringers on vibrate	Team Leaders and Students
7 Friday March 23	Georgetown-Drayton Island-Fort Gates-Royal Mound-Beecher Point-Welaka - Cross FL Barge Canal-Palatka	7-8 am - Breakfast (aboard) 830 am - Depart and travel past Drayton Island - discuss water quality in aquifer, Drayton Island ferry, past Fort Gates house, Fort Gates Ferry, and Royal Mound into Little Lake George- discuss Croaker Hole and Columbine Civil War Ship -Past Beecher Point (Bartram), Ocklawaha River entrance, Welaka Spring and The Floridian Club (Trednick); 9-12 - Students work on script for video. 12 - Lunch (aboard) 12:30 - Continue to Cross Florida Barge Canal, travel to locks, off and take tour -Continue past 7-Sisters Islands, Buffalo Bluff Train Bridge. Continue to Murphy’s Island, Dunn’s Creek and into Palatka, tie up at City Dock at Palatka city pier - discuss timber industry, cypress logging 5-7 pm - Dinner (local restaurants) 7:30 pm - movie aboard “Cummer & Sons: Cypress Logging“ 10 pm - begin quiet hours; conversations OK on topdeck only; cell phone ringers on vibrate	Buckman Lock Ranger
8 Saturday March 24	Palatka-Federal Point-Racy Point-Six Mile Creek	8-9 am - Breakfast (aboard) 9 am - past Federal Point (Citrus Industry and freeze of 1895), Deep Creek, Racy Point 10:00 John Burns, environmental scientist demonstrates sampling techniques and a walk through a shallow seagrass beds discussing water quality parameters, how they are measured, and how those measurements relate to indicator species in the river. 1130-1230 - Lunch (aboard) Continue to Riverdale, Scratch Ankle, Tocoi, Picalota (Old Spanish Trail), Bayard Point, Coolie Cove, and on to Six Mile Creek, tie up for the night 6-8 pm - Dinner (local restaurant) 10 pm - no quiet hours tonight	Scientist John Burns
9 Sunday March 25	Six Mile Creek-Trout Creek	8-9 am - Breakfast (aboard) 9 am - return boat to their home docks in Doctors Lake Marina, Orange Park, 3108 U.S. HW 17 S. (904) 215-5363	Staff

Luggage No hard luggage please, it occupies space even when empty. Duffel bags that may be collapsed when not in use are preferred.
A pillowcase or mesh bag for laundry is suggested. If you use a plastic garbage bag, your dirty clothes may “ferment.”
Special Equipment & Supplies BOAT SHOES that are made not to slip on wet decks are required (not running shoes).
Bare feet are not permitted on wet decks. “Reef Runner” type footwear or swim fins are strongly recommended for swimmers to minimize foot injuries.
Other handy items include: flashlight; headgear to protect from sun; sunscreen; sunglasses with tether (croakie); rain jacket (preferred) or poncho; spare pair of prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses; ample prescription medicines.
Swimming Bring bathing suit, snorkel, wet suits etc. if you wish to swim at the springs. Water issuing from springs is about 72^oF.
Food preparation Each houseboat is equipped with a full kitchen with utensils, cookware, refrigerator, range, microwave and propane-fired outdoor grill.
There is an ample pantry for storage of canned goods, dry foods, etc. Any food not carrying a label with the owners name is fair game to be consumed by others.
Arrange with your classmates to bring ample paper plates and paper cups to reduce water consumption at washup. The galley must be kept clean at all times.
Clean up after yourself immediately after eating.
Showers Take “camping showers” by wetting oneself and immediately turning off the water. Soap and shampoo with the water off, then rinse.
You should consume no more than about 4 gallons. Shower stall time is limited to 10 minutes. Towels are provided.
Sleeping Each houseboat has three double beds and a dinette that converts to a single bunk. Linens and pillows are provided.
In addition for those who prefer to sleep on deck, there are two lounge chairs that unfold to a bed-like configuration.
Bring a sleeping bag and sleeping pad (not an air mattress) if you plan to sleep on the floor inside or on deck (the lounge chairs have no padding).
You must stow your individual sleeping gear when not in use.