The Colorado Coralition
Donation protected
Seventeen middle and high school students from Polaris Expeditionary Learning School in Fort Collins, Colorado are challenging themselves to dive deeply into a real world problem: coral reef decline in the Florida Keys. They call themselves the Colorado Coralition.
Since the 1970's, 98% of staghorn coral has disappeared from Florida's marine environment. Even though they live in landlocked Colorado, these 7th-11th graders recognize how climate change and regional factors are impacting this crucial ecosystem. These students have already earned their Open Water Scuba Certification. They have studied how actions inland can impact the health of our oceans, and they regularly have web conferences with experts and stakeholders. They have also worked hard to raise money by starting small businesses and sponsoring dances and a haunted house. These young scientists have since been invited to become partners with Mission Blue: The Sylvia Earle Alliance .
In May of 2017, they plan to volunteer with the Coral Restoration Foundation in Key Largo to help transplant young coral fragments to endangered reefs. Dr. Matt Strand, a Polaris teacher, is excited to continue the work accomplished by the first Colorado Coralition expedition in 2015. See the short video he and his students created from this first service learning adventure below.
The new team is made up of students who participated in this first expedition along with a dozen new student leaders who want to have a meaningful impact on the environment. Together, they will study the progress of Coralition-planted fragments on reefs, help maintain the Coral Restoration Foundation's offshore nursery, and plant new fragments on other damaged reefs.
You can help fulfill a vision of 21st century learning, marine conservation, and positive change by contributing to the Colorado Coralition today!
Since the 1970's, 98% of staghorn coral has disappeared from Florida's marine environment. Even though they live in landlocked Colorado, these 7th-11th graders recognize how climate change and regional factors are impacting this crucial ecosystem. These students have already earned their Open Water Scuba Certification. They have studied how actions inland can impact the health of our oceans, and they regularly have web conferences with experts and stakeholders. They have also worked hard to raise money by starting small businesses and sponsoring dances and a haunted house. These young scientists have since been invited to become partners with Mission Blue: The Sylvia Earle Alliance .
In May of 2017, they plan to volunteer with the Coral Restoration Foundation in Key Largo to help transplant young coral fragments to endangered reefs. Dr. Matt Strand, a Polaris teacher, is excited to continue the work accomplished by the first Colorado Coralition expedition in 2015. See the short video he and his students created from this first service learning adventure below.
The new team is made up of students who participated in this first expedition along with a dozen new student leaders who want to have a meaningful impact on the environment. Together, they will study the progress of Coralition-planted fragments on reefs, help maintain the Coral Restoration Foundation's offshore nursery, and plant new fragments on other damaged reefs.
You can help fulfill a vision of 21st century learning, marine conservation, and positive change by contributing to the Colorado Coralition today!
Organizer
Matt Strand
Organizer
Fort Collins, CO
