Earthwatch Expedition Field Journal

Earthwatch Mondays: The Teacher Chronicles

2010-01-12T16:51:00.001-05:00

Earthwatch Mondays: The Teacher Chronicles

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Blogging with the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation

2010-01-11T17:43:00.000-05:00

The Geraldine Dodge Foundation, my sponsor on Costa Rican Coffee from Community to Cup this past August, interviewed me on their website’s blog this week.

Here's the link:
http://blog.grdodge.org/2010/01/11/earthwatch-mondays-the-teacher-chronicles-2/

Fair Trade: What Price for Good Coffee?

2009-09-29T16:53:00.000-04:00

In this week's Time magazine:
Fair Trade: What Price for Good Coffee?

Earthwatch September eNewsletter

2009-09-22T16:03:00.006-04:00

I'm featured in the September issue of the Earthwatch eNewsletter! Here's the link to the article, titled "Teacher wakes up, smells the sustainable coffee in Costa Rica with Earthwatch":
http://www.earthwatch.org/mfarber_sustainablecoffee

Brewing Up Social Justice

2009-09-19T22:21:00.001-04:00

In this week's Time Magazine:

Brewing Up Social Justice
Thursday, Sep. 10, 2009
By Sean Gregory

To Starbucks, paying above-market prices for coffee beans doesn't just improve the lives of small-scale farmers. "If we build stable relationships with our growers, we'll get the highest-quality coffee," says Vivek Varma, the company's senior VP of global responsibility. The megachain recently doubled its purchase of Fair Trade coffee, to 40 million lb., and wants all its coffee to be ethically sourced by 2015.

Starbucks offers full health-care coverage to part-time workers too, and since October 2007, its employees have completed over 400,000 hours of community service. Good joe and giving back: a rich blend.

The Fall Out Continues...

2009-09-02T05:40:00.006-04:00

The NeighborNews did a follow-up story on my Earthwatch fellowship today!
Click here.

Video from the Expedition

2009-08-22T14:31:00.006-04:00

I finally edited together the video I shot with my Flip camcorder.

Photo Collage

2009-08-20T15:47:00.001-04:00

PhotoStory Of The Expedition

2009-08-18T06:45:00.002-04:00

Costa Rica Pictures Are Uploaded!

2009-08-17T17:01:00.002-04:00

I put them on Picasa:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mattfarber1/EarthWatch2009#

Completed Travel Journal

2009-08-17T13:11:00.023-04:00

Now that I'm home, I can re-type my travel journal into my blog.

Sunday, August 9:
My flight landed 24 minutes early. The weather was cool & not too humid. I took a cab, for $19, to the rendezvous point at the Gran Hotel Costa Rica. Shortly after, the rest of the team arrived: 7 teachers, 3 U.S. Forest Service workers, and 1 Starbucks partner.

Sebastian & another person arrived to pick us up promptly at 3pm.

We made a quick stop for snacks on the drive to the hotel, Cabinas de Cecilia. My roommate for the week was Andrew, a vegan social studies teacher from Long Beach, CA. He had a very dry sense of humor. Costa Rica was 2-hours behind EDT and it got dark around 6pm. We had spaghetti casserole for dinner. That evening, I saw a giant spider hanging over a picture over my pillow. Andrew scraped the bug into a cup & left it outside. Welcome to Costa Rica!

Monday, August 10:
We left at 7am for breakfast: gallo pinto (Costa Rican rice & beans), eggs, mango, banana, pineapple, coffee. We were led on a hike of the cloudy forest by Sebastian & Natalia, the project's coordinators.

The idea was to show us the complex, interconnected systems that naturally exist in forests, such as the this one in the Tallamanca Mountain Range (elevation, 6000 feet). We simplify these systems when we use land for agriculture, specifically coffee, first planted in this region by the Spanish in 1850. This goes against the natural order of things. After the hike, we had lunch. Traditional coffee was served & I helped make tortillas.
The afternoon was spent watching and discussing PowerPoint presentations by led by both Natalia & Sebastian. We learned about the fieldwork that we would be doing all week.

Field Methodology Explained Lucia 170608

View more presentations from Matthew Farber.

Tuesday, August 11:
We woke up at 5:15am & had breakfast at the Cabins at 6am. We split into 2 teams that day. I went with Sebastian's group. We measures 3 10x10 meter transects located with a Trimbill GPS device.
Next, we picked 10- total plants and counted branches, ortho axises, & berries. One pair took soil samples. The farm was very steep. This farm had shade-grown coffee plants. Banana trees often provide the shade. The idea is that shade trees prevent erosion & return nutrients to the soil. This is a sustainable way to farm without using harmful herbicides and/or pesticides. We worked until noon & then had lunch in the lab. The lab has a pet dog, named Shakira.

After lunch, we headed to the Coope Dota coffee factory for a video, a tour, and a sipping. We learned that it takes a lot of time and effort to process coffee beans!

After the tour, we had specialty coffee in the cafe. Today was Natalia's birthday and we surprised her with a slice of cake!

Wednesday, August 12:
Today, I went with Natalia's group in the Land Rover. First, we picked up our equipment in the lab, just like yesterday.

We did 6 total transects today (& the rest of the week, too). The farm was also flat, unlike yesterday.

We even got to meet the farmer.
It was not organic, but it was still full of bugs & insects. Kacie got stung by a caterpillar! I got a few black fly bites - even though I applied 99% deet! I worked that day with Cynthia & Nicole. All of the bending & standing was making my head flush! Anyway, we worked from 7am until 2pm. After, we enjoyed lunch & coffee back at the lab. Then, we sifted though the soil samples.

That night, we watched a video called "Buyer Be Fair," which explained "Fair Trade" and "Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)" certifications. That led to a discussion about labels on products. The idea of Fair Trade, C.A.F.E. practices, and the Rainforest Alliance is to enforce by persuasion. Fair Trade costs more money to buy, as does organic. By paying more, the consumer has the power to elevate the standard of living for the growers.

That night, while Andrew brushed his teeth in our bathroom, a gecko dropped on him from the ceiling. Cynthia, our teammate from the Forest Service, helped us safely catch & release the lizard.

Thursday, August 13:
Today, I finally adjusted to the time zone change. I rode to the site again with Natalia's group. In the Land Rover, I sat shotgun & DJ'd her iPod. I played Guns N' Roses' "Welcome To The Jungle" to get everyone pumped.

We met the farmer that day, too. It turned out that he had lived in Keyport, NJ once for about a year. Small world! That day, I took soil samples with Clement. Clement and Audrey are 2 student interns from France who are there studying abroad for the summer. Clement was very animated, like TV's Mr. Bean. I helped count plant density, weighed mulch, and dug soil. The farmer cut us a stem of guineo (a small, starch banana variety) to eat as a snack.

His daughter also came out and interviewed some of us. She is studying journalism at the University.

At the lab, I ate Tres Leches cake, a traditional Costa Rican desert made for 3 types of milk. Next, we all headed to a cafe for more coffee drinks. I picked up some souvenirs there, as well.

At the cabins, Sebastian arrived with a Hello Kitty piñata for Natalia's birthday. She used a plunger to break it, which made for some funny pictures!

Friday, August 14:
I went that day with Sebastian's team to Firma Miramar (Seaview Farm). It was very steep and buggy. We were able to see the Pacific Ocean from our spot! Unfortunately, I did not feel well. As a precaution, I took Cipro, a powerful prescription given for "traveler's disease."

I only counted 3 transects and I sat out in the Land Cruiser for the remaining few hours. Luckily, the medicine was effective.

That evening, we went to Natalia's family's house. We had the opportunity to see where our food came from. Her father had an expansive garden, a compost heap, and even a system to capture and store methane form the cow. Sebastian's mother visited, too. Sebastian will be studying in Burlington, VT this fall and she came to help him pack. She was the first woman in Costa Rica to earn a masters degree. She teaches history at the University of Costa Rica, in San Jose. I learned a lot about Latin American history over our dinner.

Saturday, August 15:
I joined Natalia's team at a sustainable farm. Sebastian's team went to an organic farm. On the way to the farm, we went to the farmer's market. So many fresh & local fruits were for sale!

That day was Mother's Day and the market was especially crowded.

Next, we went to the farm. We saw the Panamanians, who pick the coffee beans, there. They live in very poor conditions.

The bean counting today was smooth and efficient. I was feeling much better!

We also met the farmer. Even though he didn't speak English, he still remembered all of our names. He brought us some uchua fruit to eat, too. It was sweet and delicious. After we finished working, Natalia called Sebastian's cell phone to rub in that we were done first. The joke, it turned out, was on us - his team was already at the lab! Since we thought we had time to kill, we toured the farm. We stood quietly and listened to the song birds. It was very tranquil.

That evening, we watched a presentation from Sebastian called "Sustaining Agriculture: Sustaining Life."

Global Agriculture Sustainability May08

View more presentations from Matthew Farber.

Next, Natalia presented a PowerPoint about coffee. Coffee is second only to oil in commodities trading. Costa Rica only grows high-quality arabica beans. A discussion followed.

The highlight that night was a huge barbecue at Natalia's family's house.

Sunday, August, 16:
Sebastian drove us to the airport. The week went fast and we learned so much! Time now to exchange pictures!

Our Research Initiative Explained

2009-08-17T10:32:00.002-04:00

Research Initiative June 2009

View more presentations from mrfarber.

2 More Days Left In Costa Rica

2009-08-15T00:52:00.002-04:00

I have been recording each days events & will post them when I get back to the States. For now, check out a group pic from today!

Day 3 - Working In The Field

2009-08-11T21:42:00.005-04:00

Today we began work in the field. We took data on coffee plants and counted beans. The terrain was very steep & slippery. The afternoon was spent touring the Coope Dota processing factory and, of course, having more coffee! More pictures to come when I get home...

Day 2 - Cloudy Forest & Orientation

2009-08-10T19:36:00.003-04:00

Today we hiked the cloudy forest. The weather is awesome! Cool, like San Francisco.

The coffee is tasty. I bought some to bring back. the food is great too! Local fruits & veggies. I even got to make my own tortillas today.

Everyone has been great. The team has 7 teachers, 3 CA forest workers & 1 Starbucks store manager. One of my teammates teaches in Somerville & lives by us in Hillsboro. Her article.

Blogging From Latin America

2009-08-09T14:22:00.006-04:00

My flight was smooth & we landed safely. We actually landed early! Anyway, I took a cab to the rendezvous hotel (Gran Hotel Costa Rica) & met up with 2 other of my teammates. One is a teacher from LA. The other is a woman from Austin, TX who arrived a week ago to see the sites. Unfortunately, it's raining & there is no place to leave my luggage - nor is there much to see in downtown San Jose´. I guess the free Internet makes up for that! It's hard getting used to all of these different characters on the keyboard (Ç, ñ, ¿)! LOL Well, thatś all that happened so far... nothing eventful yet... just glad to be here with my luggage & people from my team.

Intergrated Look At Los Santos Region

View more presentations from mrfarber.

Final Post Before I Leave...

2009-08-08T19:09:00.006-04:00

The bags are packed (thanks to help from Mrs. Farber) and the alarm clock is set... to 4am! I leave Newark Airport at 7:30am, but I have to get there 2-hours early since it's an international flight (thanks again to Mrs. Farber for taking me to the airport). I couldn't check-in on Continental.com due to new international security regulations. Anyway, the plan is to wake-up, have coffee (fitting, I know), and then drive where the Garmin GPS tells us to. Internet access will be limited, but I will still try my best to update the blog from the field. ¡Hasta luego!

Sneak Preview Of My Costa Rican Adventure

2009-08-02T19:37:00.011-04:00

Team 3 posted a video about their Earthwatch experiences on YouTube. That expedition was from July 4 - 11. I leave in one week!

Photos from Team 2 and 3's Expedition

2009-07-30T16:17:00.007-04:00

I found pictures from my upcoming expedition on Picasa, (Google's social photo sharing website). Now I know what to expect from my trip! The person who posted the pictures was on Team 2 & on Team 3. I'll be joining Team 5.
Here's the link to his June (Team 2) pics:
http://picasaweb.google.com/buckuwt/TarrazuEarthwatchJune2009#
Here's the link to his July (Team 3) pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/buckuwt/TarrazuEarthwatchJuly2009#

New Expedition Briefing

2009-07-30T15:52:00.016-04:00

I received my new Expedition Briefing in the mail today. In it is an informative website about the coffee cooperative: http://www.cafetarrazu.com/. I also looked up our rendezvous hotel, the Gran Hotel Costa Rica. Here's a pic:
Of course, we're not staying in San José (the capital of Costa Rica)! We're staying 2-hours away at San Marcos de Tarrazú, near the cooperative. Here's the link to our hotel: Cabinas Cecilia.

My New Assignment... Costa Rica!

2009-07-28T21:14:00.010-04:00

After a stressful week, I have now been reassigned to a new Earthwatch expedition. Apparently, no more teams are to be sent to the Elkhorn Slough, in California. I will now be joining a team in Costa Rica! The expedition is called Costa Rican Coffee From Community to Cup. I leave 1 week later, 8 days, from August 9 - 16. This expedition looks to be a better fit to teach to my social studies students. According to Earthwatch, I will "discover the impact of your consumer choices first hand while helping coffee farmers and scientists create coffee farms that are better for the environment and their communities." I will be joining a team of 11, including 3 teachers from New Jersey, as well as employees of the California Forest Service. The below clip explains to importance of this new expedition:

Here is my new expedition briefing:
http://www.earthwatch.org/exped/chandler.html

I'm In The NeighborNews!

2009-07-22T17:30:00.008-04:00

The NeighborNews, which covers Denville (where I teach) & Rockaway Township, NJ, profiled my upcoming expedition in today's paper. They devoted an entire page to the story! I even got my 1st photo byline! Plus, they plugged this blog!

Here's the link to the story:
Teacher to learn on Earthwatch expedition.

Global Citizenship

2009-07-18T23:41:00.005-04:00

I am a social studies teacher who is about to follow a team of scientists in the field. Earthwatch is a natural extension of what I bring to my students. I feel that this expedition is an excellent opportunity for me to show my social studies students how we can maintain a sustainable future. My ultimate goal is for my students to see themselves as global citizens.

16 Days To Go!

2009-07-15T15:48:00.003-04:00

In just 16 days, my Earthwatch Expedition begins! This week I e-mailed 2 of the other 4 people on my team. One woman is a teacher from Bogota, NJ. The other woman lives in Boston. I have yet to hear back from the other 2 people, who I think are a married couple. Today, I called and reserved land transportation, to and from SFO (San Francisco International Airport) to the rendezvous point at MRY (Monterey Bay Airport), with Monterey Airbus. I also called to confirm my dive suit rental, for $10 a day, from Kayak Connections, in the Elkhorn Slough. The shop, however, does not rent water boots. Kayak Connection told me that "all the shark scientists who shop there where high cut booties. They’ll get shredded through the week... so it's worth the $35 to just buy them.” In the end, I bought the boots locally, at the Hunterdon SCUBA Center, in Flemington.

Feature Story

2009-07-08T15:27:00.002-04:00

I just got off the phone with the NeighborNews, the local paper in the town that I teach. One of the reporters e-mailed me about doing a feature on my "upcoming adventure." I called her back and answered a lot of questions. The great news is that she said that she would mention my blog in the article! Next, I have to e-mail her some pictures to run alongside the story...

Flickr Photostream

2009-07-01T08:53:00.001-04:00

I just set up the app to post from my Flickr account. Once a picture is uploaded to Flickr, I can just click "blog it" & it will post directly to here and to my Twitter feed!

The Branchburg News

2009-06-30T12:43:00.000-04:00

My local newspaper, The Branchburg News, picked up my press release. I am in the Newsmakers section in this summer's July/August 2009 edition.

My New Honda Civic Hybrid

2009-06-25T11:00:00.000-04:00

Monday, I pick up my new 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid. It gets 45 mpg on the highway, which means I'll use about half the gas as I did with my last car. The car is fully loaded and even has a USB port for my iPod.
I priced the car versus the new Honda Insight and the 3rd generation Toyota Prius. The Civic Hybrid had the most incentives available and actually gets better mileage than the new Insight!

An Evening with Ed Begley, Jr.

2009-06-04T21:06:00.003-04:00

Tonight, my wife and I met environmentalist and actor Ed Begley, Jr. at the Neshanic Valley Golf Course in Branchburg, NJ. Ed was in town on a lecture tour. The theme was "Live Simply So That Others Can Simply Live." Not only was it free, but it was only 5 minutes from our house! Anyway, after he spoke, we got the chance to meet with him. He also a signed a copy of his book, "Living Like Ed."

The Flight Is Booked!

2009-05-27T21:47:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I received the list of my expedition teammates. I also got my Earthwatch Volunteer T-shirt. Today, I booked the flight. I'm flying on Continental Airlines.

Sharks and Rays of Monterey

2009-04-30T18:42:00.003-04:00

Two weeks ago, I was awarded a grant from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation to join an Earthwatch Expedition. Yesterday, I received my new passport. The Department of State returned my expired one under separate cover. 10 years flew by! The new passports are now electronic! Today, I saw that the Earthwatch Expedition Briefing was updated on the Earthwatch web site.