Day 27 - Hurricane Town Elementary School

The kids in Hurricane learned how to help stop stormwater from getting into the Kanawha River, a popular body of water for fishing, swimming and boating here in Hurricane, WV. By the way Kanawha is pronounced kah-NAW. (The "ha" is silent!)

The students were enthusiastic, intelligent, curious, excited, open and friendly. (So were the teachers and staff.) All in all a very pleasant experience for US. I hope the children enjoyed themselves as well.

Earth Day celebration tomorrow in Charleston, WV. Then it's on to Lynchburg, VA.

Thanks for following along.

Gary

Day 26 - Louisville to Hurricane

We had an uneventful trip, except for a side ride to Berea, KY where I had performed in the outdoor drama Wilderness Road in 1974. Had lunch at the newly renovated Boone Tavern. Google Berea College; it's a unique institution. There is no tuition. The students are from Appalachia and are financially disadvantaged; must work for their education. Among other things, they make furniture and run a farm; the produce from which is used at Boone Tavern.

Two unrelated Kentucky quotes :
1. During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln said. "I hope to have God on my side; but I must have Kentucky."

2. After a two week excursion in the back country, Daniel Boone returned home a little later than expected. People had been worried about him. One asked, "Daniel, were you lost out there?" A proud Boone replied, "Lost? No....but I was bewildered for a while."

Tomorrow we will be flexing our "mussels" for the kids at Hurricane Town Elementary School.

Day 25 - Earth Day in Louisville

Cane Run Elementary School was the scene of the WOOWEE TidePool Cruiser visit on Earth Day 2009. One hundred and eighty-four 3rd, 4th and 5th graders participated. The California mussels tickled some Kentucky fancies as you can see by the pics. This was our last stop in the Bluegrass State and tomorrow it's on to Hurricane, WV. The weather cleared today and warmed up a bit, too.

The kids have been excited about their contact with the City of Long Beach (CA) Stormwater Management Division. We are asking the students to send their ideas about how to reduce stormwater pollution to Mr. Tom Leary (Long Beach's stormwater manager) so he might use some of them to improve that City's stormwater runoff program (one of the best in the nation). In return the kids get tips on reducing the amount of contaminants reaching their receiving waters (lakes, streams, ponds and the Ohio River). Each of them also gets a magnet from the City to remind them of their responsibility and capability to have a cleaner aquatic ecosystem.

We expect to distribute this information to more than 1,500 children during the Great American Sea Star Trek as it inches its way to CT.

Also, the numbers are in for the Earth Day Festival in Jackson, TN last Saturday: Despite the less than terrific weather, the Tennessee Dept. of Transportation reports that more than 700 people showed up. Way to go Jackson!

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Day 24 - Portland Elementary School

A cold day in Louisville (and a little rainy too). That didn't stop the kids from expressing their excitement. One girl said, "I've never seen a star fish before." THAT makes it all worthwhile...that, and teaching the kids that they have the power to help their environment become better for everyone and everything. The pictures tell it all...

Tomorrow: EARTH DAY at Cane Run Elementary - also in Louisville, KY

Day 23 - Taking a Brake

Forgot to mention yesterday that we had brake issues with the TidePool Cruiser which made the last 25 miles or so a little hairy. We took the Cruiser to a great trailer place: A&W Dukes (est. 1928) and Duke's great-grandson did a terrific job of fixing the brakes. The rest of the trip will be a bit more relaxing now. Although the job cost $321 - an unexpected, but extremely necessary expense.

While the brakes were being worked on, we got a chance to visit one of MANY attractions in Louisville. The above picture is of the ceiling of the Louisville Slugger baseball bat factory. We toured the plant and saw them making bats for Derek Jeter. The company was started in the late 19th century and made butter churns among other things. The first bat was made in 1884 I think. Today they make over a million bats a year. (1.8 million if you count the little souvenier bats.) They "grow their own" ash and maple trees in upstate New York and last year they grew more trees than they harvested.

Tomorrow the 3rd, 4th and 5th graders at Portland Elementary get to experience the WOOWEE Program.

Day 22 Arrival in Kentucky

Remembering...torrential downpours, nest-building starlings, geese and goslings, mud, wet clothes, near zero visibility on the highway, it's Spring in Kentucky. We drove nearly 300 miles and it never stopped raining. But we made it safe and sound. AND we've finally inched into the Eastern Time Zone. We've got two schools in Louisville (one on Earth Day - April 22) then it's on to Hurricane, WV.

And so it goes...

Day 21 Earth Festival - Jackson TN

It was a dark and stormy morning. The threat of rain hovered overall and a few sprinkles descended and graced our cheeks. It rained a little during the day and I'm sure the turnout (although pretty good) would have been better if it were a sunny day. The event was hosted by the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Girl Scouts Heart of the South. (I can't remember which Troop showed up. But the numbers 2 and 7 keep scrabbling around in my brain for some reason.)

There were many exhibitors including wildlife groups US Fish and Game, Jackson Stormwater among others. Smokey Bear was thear, er there. Ronald MacDonald was there, too.

The rains came around 1:30 so we all packed up a half hour early. There were grins all around and the sea stars were very popular in Tennessee. The weather also made an ideal teaching/learning opportunity regarding storm water pollution.