Student Feature Friday - Nipmuc Students Head to Dominica

Dominica Travelers pictured left to right:
Kyle Bernero, Charlotte Burlingame, Alex Jayyosi, Dean Sheehan, Sam Broe

On Saturday afternoon as many of our students are turning their attention to the beginning of summer vacation, five Nipmuc students will begin a journey of a lifetime. Accompanied by faculty member Jennifer Field, Kyle Bernero, Charlotte Burlingame, Alex Jayyosi, Dean Sheehan, and Sam Broe will travel to Dominica for two weeks of science exploration. Offered in cooperation with Operation Wallacea, the Dominica trip gives students the chance to engage in scientific research, travel, and learn about the world. 

Students will begin their journey at a rainforest research center where they will conduct research, study endangered species, and participate in a course on ecology. During their second week they will move to the northern part of the island where they will study the ecology of ocean reefs. The students will also get the chance to view and learn about whales.

I'm excited for our travelers and had the chance to ask them a few questions about this amazing adventure. 

Kyle Bernero
Q. What part of the trip itinerary is most exciting to you?
A. The part of the trip itinerary that is most exciting to me is the opportunity to learn and experience what else is out in the world.
Q. What do you hope to learn during this experience?

A. What I hope to learn during this experience is what other types of life exist and how they interact with their environment.

Sam Broe
Q. What part of the trip itinerary is most exciting to you?
A. The most exciting part of the itinerary to me is the diving. I love the water and the reefs looked so beautiful, I can't wait.
Q. What do you hope to learn during this experience?
A. I hope to learn more about biology and the world itself

Charlotte Burlingame
Q. What part of the trip itinerary is most exciting to you?
A. Spending time near the marine animals and being given the opportunity to research that wildlife is what I am most looking forward to.
Q. What do you hope to learn during this experience?
A. I hope to become more interested in a science since my mind is more English-driven. I also hope that this experience will make me more independent since I will be out of touch with parents and friends for two weeks.

Alex Jayyosi
Q. What part of the trip itinerary is most exciting to you?
A. The most exciting part of this trip for me is the fact that I will have the opportunity to go scuba diving and study the coral reefs. I believe that I will get to view some amazing scenery at the bottom of the ocean. I have never been scuba diving before so this is good experience.
Q. What do you hope to learn during this experience?
A. I hope to see what it would be like to work in an ecology/research career. Hopefully this will get me thinking about future job plans. If it is something I enjoy, I will be glad to have taken the trip. I also hope to learn about environmental sciences and see what an untouched piece of the world looks like.

Dean Sheehan
Q. What part of the trip itinerary is most exciting to you?
A. I am most excited for the scuba diving because I have not learned much about coral reef ecologies. I think that this will be a very educational experience, and I am very excited.
Q. What do you hope to learn during this experience?
A. I hope to learn about many things during this experience, but I am most hopeful to learn about new animals that I have never seen before. Dominica has very diverse wildlife, and I hope to learn as much as I can about the animals.