Go to News
Conferences

Events related to Environment and Policy...
For a sense of the kinds of events we sponsor check out our Events Archives

FALL 2008~

Thursday, September 4th
First day of classes!

Tuesday, September 23rd
Study abroad fair
Come find out about all the cool environmental semester/year long programs accepted by Smith College
12- 3 p.m.
Chapin lawn


Sunday, September 28th
Pachamam Alliance symposium
12-4 p.m.
Campus Center 103
(more info to follow)


Monday, September 29th
Lecture
with Bryan Norton
topic, time and location TBA


Tuesday, October 7th
Operation Wallacea
Come find out how you can enter the exciting world of research and conservation...around the world.
time, location TBD

For more information about ES&P events contact Joanne Benkley tel: (413) 585-3951, email: jbenkley@email.smith.edu, or stop by her office in Bass 107.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Conferences

The National Council for Science and the Environment
announces the
9th National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment
Biodiversity in a rapidly changing world
December 8-10, 2008
Washington, D.C.

Interested in attending? Represent Smith and have your registration fee waived. For more information contact Joanne Benkley, x3951.

www.ncseonline.org

Return to top >>


View articles from the Fall 2005 Environmental Science and Policy News:
1.) Million Monitor Drive a Success
by Lindsey French ('08)

2.) 40 Days and 40 Nights in San Pedro, Belize
by Katie Marlowe ('04)

3.) Green Team Takes the Lead with Sustainability on Campus
by Katherine Thompson ('07)

4.) Smith College Sustainability Committee Update
by Mai Kobayashi ('06)

5.) A Day in the Life of a Coral Ed-ventures Student Teacher
by Elizabeth Thomas ('05)

6.) Working with Bottlenose Dolphins as a NOAA Intern
by Candice Rivera ('06)

7.) Water relations in Monteverde, Costa Rica
by Mai Kobayashi ('06)

8.) The New Face of Smith Recycling
by Crisi Clementi ('06)

News:

ES&P Student Wins Award
Kathryn Dick, Smith College Class of 2007, won the "Outstanding Undergraduate Student Poster" award at the recent spring meeting of the Atlantic and Southeastern Estuarine Research Societies in Pine Knoll Shores, North Carolina. Katie's poster, titled "Short-term Sediment Deposition on Two Fringing Salt Marches, Beaufort, North Carolina" resulted from her research work as a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) intern in Beaufort, NC during thesummer of 2006. The internship was sponsored by the Smith College Environmental Science and Policy Program and funded by the Agnes Shedd Andreae '32 Research Fund.

Katie is a senior geology major and marine science minor from Columbus, Ohio.
***

Coral Ed-Ventures 2006
From Ambergris Today, June 22nd, 2006 Volume 8, number 25

Coral Reef Ed-Ventures
Back for More Educational Fun

Coral Reef Ed-ventures presents a new ADVANCED course. For students 12 and up, this three day course is geared towards students who have attended regular Coral Reef Ed-ventures before or who have a strong interest in learning more about the coral reef.

The course will take place Monday thru Wednesday on June 26, 27, and 28 from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. at the L.l.F.E. Academy. Pick up a permission slip for Coral Reef Ed-ventures Advanced at the Hol Chan Marine Reserve Office and bring it on the first day!

The course will provide a more in-depth look into some of the environmental and human-induced factors faced by the Belizean coral reef today.

The traditional Coral Reef Ed-Ventures program, entering its seventh summer, will once again be held at the L.l.F.E Academy beginning Monday, July 3, 2006 until July 14, from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. This free, fun, educational program sponsored by Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Smith College (a university in Northampton, Massachusetts, USA) will teach coral reef ecology to the children of San Pedro ages 7 – 11 using a variety of activities, including scientific experiments, games, stories, arts and craft projects, and field trips.

Both programs will culminate in a graduation ceremony, performance, and Friday, July 14, at 7:30 p.m. at the Lion’s Den. All participating students will be presented with prizes and a Coral Reef Expert Card.

This summer’s teachers are Sharon Beauregard, education major, Smith College ‘07; Erin Benger, biology major, environmental science and policy minor, Smith College ‘07;Whitney Dorer, psychology major, environmental science and policy minor, Smith College ‘07; Katie Morrice, biology major, marine science minor Smith College ‘07; Emily Tyner, biology major, marine science minor, Smith College ‘06; and Kelsey Winsor, geology major, philosophy minor, Smith College ‘07.

Photo Caption (l to r): Kelsy Winsor, Whitney Dorer, Sharon Beauregard, Emily Tyner, Katie Morrice, Erin Benger of Coral Ed-Ventures.

Return to top >>>

Amped Up for an Ed-Venture!
The San Pedro Sun: The Island Newspaper, Ambergris Caye, Belize
Vol. 16, No. 24 June 15, 2006

The volunteers from Smith College went to different classrooms and gave the students a little peek of what was in store for them during the Coral Reef Ed-Ventures program.

Just barely a week has passed since Smith College of Northampton, Massachusetts introduced the 7th annual Coral Reef Ed-Ventures summer program, and already children are pouring into the Hol Chan Marine Reserve’s visitor center to pick up their permission slips. This successful environmental education endeavor is a unique and collaborative effort between the college and the reserve where the roots run deep. Having started out small in the year of 2000 with a total of 5 participants, the program has expanded to as many as 70 children since.

Coral Reef Ed-Ventures is designed to increase knowledge and awareness of reef ecology as well as emphasize the importance of reef preservation to the San Pedro community. The program implements these objectives by encouraging the involvement of primary school staff in a teacher workshop, and focusing on children between the ages of 7 and 11 years old in a curriculum filled with creative activities, hands-on scientific experimentation and exploration of the environment. In the past, some of these activities consisted of movie nights, beach walks, art sessions, and engagingly informative talks from guest speakers to demonstrate how the actions of humans affect ecosystems, specifically the coral reef.

This year’s Coral Reef Ed-Ventures will be held from July 3rd- the 14th from 9:00 a.m.-11:45 a.m. at L.I.F.E Academy. Permission slips are available at the San Pedro Library and the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. There will also be an advanced program for 12-13 years from June 26th-28th. Thanks to the generous support of local businesses donating their goods and services, this program is a cost-free opportunity to take learning and recreation to a whole other level. Smith College and Hol Chan can hardly wait to see the future of San Pedro’s smiling faces!

Return to top >>>

Coral Ed-Ventures 2005

For the sixth consecutive year, the Coral Reef Ed-Ventures program will be taking place in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, beginning on Monday, July 4, 2005 and will run until July 15. This free, fun, educational program, sponsored by the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Smith College, a university in Massachusetts, U.S.A., will be teaching coral reef ecology to the children of San Pedro, ages 7-11, using a variety of activities, including scientific experiments, games, stories, arts and crafts projects and field trips.

Pictured: The Smith College Coral EdVentures teaching team: Rear (l to r) Katie Marlowe, Elizabeth Thomas, Nora Beem, Emily Tyner. Front (l to r) Ashley Barton, Maria Lazaro.

Although the program is free, children must have a permission slip signed by a parent or guardian in order to attend the program. Permission slips may be obtained from the Hol Chan Marine Reserve office on Caribeña Street and should be returned to the office before July 4.

This year, there will be a movie night showing of “Finding Nemo” at the Hol Chan Marine Reserve office on June 24 at 7:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Snacks will also be provided.

This year’s teachers for the Ed-Venture program are Ashley Barton, education major, Smith College ’07; Nora Beem, biology major, environmental science and policy major, Smith College ’05; Maria Lazaro, education major, Smith College ’07; Katie Marlowe, Masters of Education, Smith College ’05; Elizabeth Thomas, geology major, biology minor, Smith College ’05; and Emily Tyner, biology major, education minor, Smith College ’06.

The program will close with a performance, ceremony, and party where the children will be presented with prizes and Coral Reef Expert cards. The exact date and location of the party will be announced at a later date. The program schedules are: July 4-15, Monday through Friday, from 9:00-11:30 a.m., at L.I.F.E. School.

(Source: Ambergris Today, Headline News Week of June 16, 2005)

Return to top >>>


Summer 2004:

Coral Ed-Ventures Begin June 28th
From The San Pedro Sun Belize June 17, 2004

Summer vacation is almost here - do you know how you will keep your child entertained? Well, Coral Ed-Ventures is one very fun and educational option for San Pedro children.

Five dynamic "friends" from Smith College in Massachusetts, USA have returned to conduct summer classes for the children of "La Isla Bonita". Beth Callaghan, Michael Tattan, Erica Nichols, Emily Tyner and Irma Torres Leon from the Smith College Biological Sciences Department will conduct a summer enrichment program for children 7-11 years of age, in conjunction with Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Joining the U.S. team will be Hol Chan's Education Officer Cordelia Shal and Green Reef Environmental Institute Peace Corp Volunteer Kristen Stelljes, as well as selected teachers from the San Pedro Roman Catholic School (SPRCS). The Coral Ed-Ventures program begins on Monday, June 28th at the SPRCS. The program will use fun games and activities to teach coral reef ecology and conservation. Classes will be held Monday to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Parents or guardians wishing to enroll their children need to complete and sign an application form available at the Hol Chan office on Caribeña Street. Children without a signed consent form will not be accepted.

The Smith College teachers have expressed a great desire to meet and interact with the children of San Pedro. The team emphasized that the program will be full of entertaining activities so that the children can learn while having fun. At the end of the program, on July 9th, each participant will be awarded a "Coral Reef Expert" certificate during "Open Day" where parents will be able to see what their children have learned. In addition to the children's summer program, the Smith College team will conduct a teacher-to-teacher workshop for SPRCS educators on June 23rd.

The San Pedro Sun joins the community of San Pedro in welcoming these volunteers from Smith College and thanks them for their efforts to educate the children of San Pedro.

From The San Pedro Sun Vol.14, No.20, the island newspaper for Ambergris Caye, Belize, Central America. This article can be viewed online at: http://www.sanpedrosun.net/04-203.html

Return to top >>>

Spring 2004:

Smith Udall Foundation Scholar Announced

For the second consecutive year, a student from Smith College is being recognized by the Morris K. Udall Foundation.

This year’s Smith winner is Anne Jurkowski, a junior from Raleigh, N.C., who is majoring in biological sciences and minoring in government. Anne has been actively involved in the environment in many ways- with funding from the Smith Lewis Leadership Program, she spent a summer volunteering on organic farms in New Zealand. She later worked at a marine lab there studying marine reserves. Anne spent a semester at Mystic Connecticut with the Williams-Mystic (W-M) Maritime Studies Program and while there completed independent research projects in marine ecology as well as marine policy and and maritime history (where she used primary-source documents to produce a prize-winning paper on the lives of cabin boys in 19th C. merchant ships!) She then received funding from the W-M Alumnae Research Fund to spend a month as a field station volunteer with the National Save the Turtle Foundation on the Osa Penninsula in Costa Rica. This summer, Anne has been awarded Williams-Mystic's Carr Fellowship to do independent research on lobster - research she hopes will help her complete a thesis in biology at Smith. Anne has a strong interest in conservation biology, and plans to pursue a graduate degree in environmental policy.

Established in 1992, Udall Scholarships give college juniors and seniors up to $5,000 in fields related to the environment, and to Native American and Alaska Natives in fields related to health care or tribal policy.

The Morris K. Udall Foundation awards the prestigious $5,000 scholarships to honor the late U.S. Congressman and his commitment to the natural environment and conflict resolution. The foundation is part of the federal government’s executive branch.

Smith students interested in applying for the Udall Scholarship may contact Don Andrew in the Fellowships Program and International Study Grants Office in Clark Hall 304, or by email: dandrew@email.smith.edu

Return to top >>>

Smith goes to work against Global Warming:
On Wednesday, April 14, 2004, Smith President Carol T. Christ, together with Allen Curran, Professor of Geology , Director of the Environmental Science and Policy Program and Chair of the Sustainability Committee, signed a voluntary partnership agreement with Clean Air-Cool Planet, pledging the college to work toward reducing greenhouse gases in its operations and to promote awareness among its students, faculty and staff of the importance of responsible environmental stewardship.

To see pictures of the signing, and to read more about the panelists on the Global Warming panel which marked the occasion, go to
www.smith.edu/advancement and click the headline under 'Smith Stories."

Click here to learn more about Clean-Air, Cool-Planet

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

September 2003:
Ada Comstock Scholar Eileen Marum recently completed a two-week tour at sea aboard the Albatross IV, a 187-foot trawler and registered research vessel in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. From August 4 through 15, Marum conducted research on scallops from aboard the boat through her internship with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Gloucester. (Sponsored by ES&P) Marum took part in the organization’s Scallop Survey-one of several research projects being conducted by NOAA-which seeks to determine the distribution and abundance of scallops in the north Atlantic off the New England coast. Marum, a former nurse anesthetist and master steamfitter (the first such female in Connecticut) is “very interested in the environment,” says Sid Dalby, associate director of the Ada Comstock Scholars Program. “ In fact, she ran for mayor of New Bedford in 1992 on an environmental platform.”
Taken from the "PeopleNews" section of News and Events at www.smith.edu

Return to top >>>

Summer Ed-Ventures
From "Ambergris Today" July 10, 2003

The fourth consecutive year of the Coral Reef Ed-Ventures program sponsored by Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Smith College is in full swing. The 50 plus children taking part in the daily program at San Pedro’s R.C. School have learned about waves and currents, coral physiology and feeding mechanisms, symbiosis, food webs and general ecological and conservation concepts through a variety of scientific experiments, arts and crafts projects, writing assignments (including creating original stories), games and other activities.


Children collect trash on the beach.

This free, fun and educational program will culminate in a puppet show and party with presentation of prizes and Coral Reef Expert cards on Sunday, July 13 at 7 p.m. at the San Pedro Lions Den. The Coral Ed-Ventures students have created their own puppets representing various aspects of the coral reef. The students and teachers would like to invite the community to come and enjoy the puppet show and presentations this Sunday. This year’s program for children ages 7 to 11 has been a great success with both students and volunteer teachers from Smith College working hard and having a lot of fun together.


Coral Ed-venture participants engage in fun & games

Return to top >>>


Coral Ed-Ventures Summer Program
From "Ambergris Today" June 19, 2003

Smith College students Beth Callaghan, Lisa Rivera, Alicia Simonti and Daryn Sirota.

School children taught ecology and conservation topics - For the third year in a row, students from Smith College in Massachusetts, USA are back in San Pedro to conduct their summer enrichment program “Coral Reef Ed-Ventures” for the school children of Ambergris Caye. Coral Ed-Ventures is an interdisciplinary program offered by the Geology, Biology and Educational Departments of Smith College that focuses on coral reef ecology and conservation topics, which are discussed and taught in a highly entertaining manner to the participating school children. The educational initiative was implemented two years ago by Smith College students and the Hol Chan Marine Reserve office.

Funding for the summer program, which is now in its third year, originated with a Henry David Thoreau Grant from Northeast Educational Services in Somerville, Massachusetts, and this year’s program funding was provided by Smith College’s Environmental Science and Policy Program. Student funding for their trip down to Belize was provided by the Smith College Summer Science Research Program. Conducting the program in San Pedro are Smith College students Beth Callaghan (Biology), Lisa Rivera (Psychology/Marine Science), Alicia Simonti (Geology), Daryn Sirota (English/Education), and Cordelia Shal (Community Outreach Coordinator for Hol Chan).

The dates and location for the Coral Reef Ed-Ventures 2003 for children ages 7-11 are from June 30 to July 11. Classes will be conducted from 9-11:30 a.m. at the San Pedro R.C. School, and the permission slips can be obtained at the Hol Chan office on Caribeña Street. The teachers’ workshop will be conducted from June 23-24 at St. Peter’s Elementary and is free and open for all teachers who wish to participate. Once more, parents can seize this wonderful opportunity this summer to sign up their children to a great learning experience from enthusiastic and knowledgeable educators. The summer program is free and fun, with lots of games and activities for the children. For more info, please contact the Hol Chan office: 226-2247.

From "Ambergris Today," the local newspaper for San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, Belize, Central America. This article can be viewed online at:
http://www.ambergristoday.com/archives/19-6-03/index.html#story4

View the 2003 ES&P Newsletter.

View the 2002 all-College Earth Week 'Paper-less initiative' email from President Christ

Questions about events?
Contact the ES& P Program Coordinator at (413) 585-3951

Return to top >>>