Focus Area Theory & Research
Acquire a solid foundation of environmental and sustainability knowledge to apply and synthesize into a well-rounded environmental education curriculum.
I initially chose to pursue a masters degree in environmental studies to gain an in-depth and interdisciplinary perspective of environmental and sustainability issues in my bioregion to better serve the students I teach in the outdoor Living Classroom at the Montessori School of Maui. To effectively achieve that vision, I intentionally selected courses and topics to increase my knowledge base in critical areas of ecology, communications, and community sustainability and resiliency.
GRD 6030 Capstone Proposal
One of my driving goals was to address the need in the Montessori community for an integrated environmental education curriculum for outdoor classrooms based on the philosophies of Dr. Maria Montessori. My vision is to create a preK-8 inquiry and place-based curriculum using a scaffolded, integrated thematic approach to understanding the concepts of plant production, ecological connections, and resource management through Hawaiian and Western perspectives. I hope to apply that knowledge towards promoting awareness, understanding, and knowledge of the outdoor environment to enable its valuation in today’s youth. This proposal reflects the research and planning process that I intend to utilize throughout the curriculum’s development after graduation.
BIO 6073 Field Botany
Coursework in field botany provided me with a fundamental understanding of plant anatomy, morphology, physiology, evolution, systematics, and field methods. I chose to explore these topics through an in-depth and comprehensive exploration of Metrosideros polymorpha Gaud., or the ʻŌhiʻa Lehua, a keystone tree species found throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago. The research and fieldwork built upon prior studies made during the Natural Systems Ecology course where I focused on the ʻŌhiʻa at a larger community scale. The concepts and processes learned in Field Botany provided a firm basis, from which, they were adapted to age-appropriate lessons in the outdoor classroom.
ENG 6073 Field Journaling
This intensive journaling experience provided invaluable exercises in perception, observation, recording, reflection, and communication within the context of field investigation. The practical application of the concepts and strategies resulted in a heightened awareness of my surroundings and an enhanced familiarity with the ecological systems and components in my bioregion. Work in this course has been directly applied to curriculum development in the Living Classroom, and student journals are the primary assessment tool for the Upper Elementary students. Also, feedback from student journals is utilized as a data source to measure the curriculum’s effectiveness during its development.
SFS 5050 Farm to Plate Sustainability
Food security is an essential consideration in the most geographically remote landmass on the planet. Approximately 85-90% of Hawai’i’s food is imported, making our islands particularly vulnerable to natural disasters that could potentially disrupt shipping. When those events occur, supplying enough safe and nutritious food is a challenging task. During this class, I examined the characteristics and implementation of sustainable food supply and value chains and applied that knowledge towards theoretically improving food security, self-sufficiency, and overall resilience in our current food system through increased utilization of kalo, a traditional Hawaiian staple crop. The practical application of this process has begun in earnest. Students in the Living Classroom have planted hundreds of dryland kalo to bring awareness to the need for systemic change and generate a growing demand for this magnificent crop. All the while, learning and applying traditional and modern horticultural and agricultural techniques.
RSC 5050 Theories of Sustainability & Resilience
An exploration of the myriad definitions and theories of sustainability and resilience resulted in a firm basis of understanding regarding the standard conceptions of sustainability and resilience and their strengths and weaknesses. I applied this knowledge of contemporary theory to examine the underpinnings of sustainability in Hawaiian culture prior to western contact. Pairing the traditional pre-contact Hawaiian worldviews with the current theories of sustainability and resilience illuminated the necessary paradigm shift that is required to achieve a sustainable and resilient society for future generations. These studies provided a firm basis of understanding that will be used in setting and measuring the sustainability goals and objectives of the campus through the student-led Sustainability Committee.
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Supporting Coursework:
GRD 6030 Applied Professional Project Proposal: Environmental Education Curriculum
BIO 6073 Metrosideros Polymorpha: A Species Monograph
ENG 6073 Field Journal 9June-11July 2018
ENG 6073 Species Profiles
SFS 5050 Fruit & Vegetable Basket in Hawai'i
SFS 5050 Kalo: A Value chain for the Future