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Neighbors | Submitted.Glenwood Junior High teacher, Laura Kibby, posed at Paluma Range National Park, a World Heritage Area in Australia.
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Neighbors | Submitted.Kibby and classmates are shown in their “ninja scientist” dive skins. They investigated methods to remove macroalgae (seaweed). When coral rocks don’t have the macroalgae, coral larvae can adhere to the rocks better.
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Neighbors | Submitted.Kibby is pictured planting native trees at Mungalla Station, with local Aboriginal families.
Boardman Glenwood Junior High teacher Laura Kibby plans to bring her amazing learning experience in Australia throughout the summer into her eighth-grade science classroom this school year. Kibby is a master’s student in the Global Field Program from Miami University’s Project Dragonfly.
In August, she traveled to Australia and studied coral reef ecology and conservation of marine systems along the Great Barrier Reef. She was trained in Australia and through an online course by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. She and her fellow classmates conducted rapid monitoring surveys and participated in the Eye on the Reef Program.
Kibby brought back many photos to share with her students at Glenwood, and she plans on using every opportunity to give real world examples in class.
“I really learned a lot,” said Kibby. “Not one person can fix everything - there is a community determination that allows conservation efforts to be successful. We learned how the development of apps, like Eye on the Reef, and school curriculum has increased public awareness and support for conservation.”
Kibby, a Boardman teacher for four years, has also participated in two other Global Field Program excursions. She traveled to Thailand in the summer of 2015 to study conservation and education, as well as spiritual connections to nature. She spent June of 2014 in Baja to study field methods in desert and marine ecosystems.
Boardman Superintendent Tim Saxton said that Kibby is one of the district’s many passionate and involved teachers.
“Dedication and excitement outside the classroom can fuel great learning experiences for kids in the classroom. It’s what helps to continue Boardman’s Tradition of Excellence,” said Saxton.