Students Travel to the Dominican Republic to Study Sustainability

Fifteen SHS students accompanied by science teachers, John Neering and Nelson Dasilva traveled to the Dominican Republic to study environmental science over the February break from Feburary 13- 20. The students stayed in a small villages called Jarabacoa and visited a college that specializes in resource management in order to protect the environment.

The goal of the trip was to teach both students and teachers about planting and utilizing earth's natural resources in a way that is beneficial to the environment. Group mentor Mr. Neering stated, "Students worked really hard on the property helping restore natural ecosystems by planting native species and preserving wetlands."

SHS senior, Eliza Auchincloss stated "Every day we would do something different. We weeded, planted, built a bridge, learned how their whole system worked and interacted with the local students. We had to speak in Spanish and my Spanish improved so much!"

The students who traveled on this trip went because they shared an interest in learning about the environment. Both of the teachers who organized and went on the trip are environmental science teachers which allowed the students to learn even more from them.

Overall the students felt that the trip was a great experience that created friendships that will last after the trip. Eliza explained "The hardest part about coming home was not being the with the same fifteen people, because we all bonded super well- there was not one person in the group who would complain or was left out of the group".

Students who went on this trip felt lucky to be able to learn from the students in the Dominican Republic and will be able to integrate the ideas they learned about sustainable living into their daily lives here in New York.