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Terri Nostrand: Educator on Expedition

Her face glowing with more than just the excitement of impending adventure, the light of Terri’s helmet lamp illuminates her face. Photograph by Lou Mazzatenta

Environmental science teacher Terri Nostrand creates a virtual classroom from French Polynesia.

For two weeks this fall, Terri Nostrand is living an environmental science teacher’s dream—she’s joining adventurer, writer, and avid sea kayaker Jon Bowermaster on a National Geographic expedition to French Polynesia’s remote Tuamotu Islands, in the South Pacific. Follow the expedition online >>

The National Geographic Society Education Foundation selected Terri, teacher and chair of the science department at Calvin Coolidge Senior High School in Washington, D.C., from thousands of teachers around the country for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Terri is also a member of the District of Columbia Geographic Alliance.

Traveling by kayak, the team of five—Jon, Terri, a photographer, and two filmmakers—is journeying to sparsely populated and endangered coral islands known as atolls. Studying coral reefs, observing whale migration, and deep-sea diving amid a myriad of fish and shark species are just a few of the activities in which Terri is participating.

In addition to delving into the environmental aspects of this diverse region, Terri is eagerly exploring the native culture, including spending time with a teacher at the only boarding school on the atoll of Rangiroa. She is learning more about Rangiroa’s education system and structure, as well as offering insight about teaching in the United States.

High school teacher Terri Nostrand set goals for her adventure: “I want to meet people who are working to preserve the local culture, language, and environment. I hope to be able to bring that message to students.”

Sharing her experiences with students and teachers and promoting the concept of field study in the classroom are top priorities for Terri. Through the Web, everyone can embark on a “virtual field trip” to the exquisite archipelago of Tuamotu via audio dispatches from Terri in the field. Text versions of her dispatches can be found below.

These firsthand audio accounts include cross-curricular topics: corals and reefs; biodiversity and biogeography; threats to the Tuamotu atolls; native arts and cultural traditions; French Polynesian history and geography; and, especially, global warming. She hopes to impart “not only facts about the local environment, but to really show students the big picture of global warming. It’s not just an abstract concept; it’s a reality for some of these small islands a couple of feet above sea level that may not be there in the near future.”

Terri’s own students are tracking her adventures through a Web site she created, which includes expedition-related lessons, resources, and assignments. She is optimistic that her perspective and in-depth accounts can bring a culturally and geographically rich part of the world a little closer to home. “I think I can be the liaison between the experiences happening in research and what’s happening in the classroom” says Terri, “and create an involvement with students that’s happening in real time.”

Seasoned explorer Jon Bowermaster, who has kayaked, dogsledded, and rafted exotic locales from Vietnam to the Arctic, is the son of two teachers. He is excited to have an educator join a Society expedition for the first time. “The trips that I organize take us into remote places. To be able to take a teacher along—with National Geographic’s sponsorship and its reach—the potential exposure to kids via the Web is amazing,” says Jon. “Kids love adventure, and what better way to learn than by following a real-life adventure?”

Follow Terri’s adventure! Bookmark this page and get her dispatches from the heart of the South Pacific.

image: Terri shows her students a snorkel

Terri shows her students a snorkel, the breathing apparatus she uses when she swims. Photograph by Lou Mazzatenta

DISPATCHES FROM THE FIELD

DISPATCH 1
Tahiti, September 2002

[Note: Nationalgeographic.com does not research or copyedit field dispatches.]

Getting Ready
Getting ready for an expedition to the unknown is a daunting task. My lengthy packing checklist includes clothes, toiletries, and gear for exploring, hiking, paddling, and camping in wet, dry, hot, and cold climates. Will my equipment and gear provide the protection and comfort needed for this expedition? Will the things I packed be suitable for the environment? Lots of research helps me make decisions, and hopefully I am prepared for the upcoming adventure.

Once all of my “stuff” is ready, next comes the task of getting my research in order. I have spent the past six months studying the environment, geography, culture, history, and people of French Polynesia. This information provides me with the framework and background needed to ask informed questions while conducting in-depth research in the field. I plan to spend my time probing deeply into topics with people I meet, and ideally won’t need to use any precious time learning the basics.

Getting Here
I arrived on Saturday night at Papeete International Airport in Tahiti. It was already dark at 6:30 p.m., so I relied on my other senses to understand my surroundings. As I stepped off the plane onto the tarmac, I soaked in the new smells and sounds—the scent of gardenias in my hair (given to me on the flight) and the sounds of ukuleles playing and people singing in the distance. Weary from the 18-hour journey and the six-hour time difference, I met members of the expedition team at the hotel for dinner (yes, they have pizza in Tahiti!). Upon returning to my room, I slipped into a deep sleep, intoxicated by the scents of frangipani and plumeria.

It is very early in the morning now. A rooster is crowing in the distance and the sun will rise soon. I can hardly wait to go to the fish market and take in the sights and sounds of the early morning bustle as the exotic catches are being unloaded. Later today we travel to the beautiful island of Moorea with our local friends, Frank and Hinano.

DISPATCH 2
French Polynesia, September 2002

[Note: Nationalgeographic.com does not research or copyedit field dispatches.]

Greetings from French Polynesia! This is Terri Nostrand, teacher in the field. The warm breeze...combine this with the turquoise and royal blue waters, the lush palm-covered land, and the intoxicating smell of native flowers, and you have many people’s vision of paradise. I’m excited to be out here with Jon Bowermaster. I’m in excellent company with him and his entire field crew. They’re a great bunch of people. The months of hard work they all put in of researching and preparing are beginning to pay off. We’re learning one another’s special contributions to the team and I think this is really a great bunch of people to work with.

I’ll be researching certain topics and translating them into lessons for teachers. In my regular life, I’m a high school teacher in Washington, DC. I miss my students, but I know that while I'm gone, they are following me and my travels. All the kids in my school are, and I hope that people out there in the rest of the world will be, too.

I’m learning about French Polynesia. Jon Bowermaster, myself, and the rest of the team—we're going to be kayaking and exploring this place called the Dangerous Archipelago. In the dispatches to come, we’ll look into a variety of topics. This is Terri Nostrand, signing out.

DISPATCH 3
French Polynesia, September 2002

[Note: Nationalgeographic.com does not research or copyedit field dispatches.]

Greetings from French Polynesia! This is Terri Nostrand, teacher in the field. This week I’ve been studying coral reefs on the atoll of Rangiroa. I’ve spent hours snorkeling, scuba diving, and talking to local experts about the coral reefs in French Polynesia.

The island of Rangiroa is actually an atoll. That means it was formed by an ancient volcano that sank, leaving only the hollow center around. Then it eventually weathered away, but as it did, coral grew in its place. Coral is a really small animal that builds a hard limestone skeleton that year after year slowly grows larger and larger. When it dies, another coral moves in and takes its spot and builds on the skeleton that was left behind. So, essentially, I'm here standing on an island made entirely of animals and its skeletons.

This atoll is the second largest in the world. It’s 15 miles [long] by 45 miles wide—that’s a big hunk of water in the middle of this island. You might imagine a skinny little island shaped like a necklace laying in the water and made of animal skeletons.

In my next dispatch, I will attempt to focus on coral...after I learn more about it from the locals and the scientists here. Wish me luck! This is Terri Nostrand, signing out.

Stay tuned for more updates!

LINKS

Other Bowermaster expedition coverage from National Geographic Adventure magazine:

Coral Reefs