Transcript File - Everglades Avengers

Land/Water Challenge #1
• Everglades Avengers
• Alan Halaly, Anna Bayuk, Leah Ronkin, Sol-Be Park, Aidan
Ramasar, and Rebekka Friborg
• Coral Springs Middle School
• Coral Springs, FL
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PART 1: What’s the environmental issue?
The Everglades Avengers are interested in preventing the
release of nonnative species into the Everglades by pet store
customers. Nonnative species introduced into the Everglades
affect the delicate ecosystem causing the decline in our native
species. Species such as the Burmese Python may not have
natural predators or outcompete our native species. Burmese
Pythons even eat alligators! So the Everglades Avengers say “Keep it Everglades Wild!”
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PART 2: What’s your action plan?
The Everglades Avengers will complete the following
tasks:
• Conduct research using the internet to find what species
sold in pet stores have been released into the Everglades.
• Inform other Coral Springs Middle School students of the
problem involving nonnative species introduced into the
Everglades bought from pet stores by speaking to classes.
“Keep it
Everglades Wild!”
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PART 2: What’s your action plan? (continued)
•Go into local pet stores and conduct interviews with
the manager to see if the store has a policy of
providing information and screening customers
before pets are sold.
•Ask pet stores if a flier can be placed on the
community bulletin that promotes, “Keep it
Everglades Wild!”.
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PART 2: What’s your action plan? (continued)
• Post fliers in Coral Springs Middle School science
classrooms to remind students of our message,
“Keep it Everglades Wild!”
– All members will be assigned to research, half of the members will
go to local pet stores to conduct interviews and post fliers, and the
rest will volunteer to speak to other CSMS students through the
science classes in order to inform others and post fliers.
– Success will be determined by the number of students that hear our
message.
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PART 3: How did you implement your ideas?
•
Our team researched on the internet and found an extensive resource
with detailed information regarding nonnative species present in the
Everglades.
"Nonnative Species: Florida's Excotic Fish and Wildlife ." Florida Fish and
Wildlife
Conservation Commission. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Oct 2013.
<http://www.myfwc.com/nonnatives>.
•
When interviewing a Pet Store manager, we learned of a local effort
that places dogs that have been abandoned in the Everglades. This
was something we did not expect to learn, but reinforced the
seriousness of being a pet owner.
"100 Plus Abandoned Dogs of Everglades Florida." . 100 Plus Abandoned
Dogs of
Everglades Florida, n.d. Web. 6 Oct 2013.
<http:/100plusabandoneddogsofevergladesflorida.com/>.
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PART 3: How did you implement your ideas?
(continued)
• Students visited science classes at CSMS and
informed others about releasing nonnative
species into the Everglades.
• Fliers were posted in each science classroom
to remind students to “Keep it Everglades Wild!”
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PART 3: How did you implement your ideas?
(continued)
• Fliers were posted at the following locations:
Pet Supplies Plus
1368 SW 160 Ave
Sunrise, FL 33326
And
Pet Supermarket
4555 Weston Rd.
Davie, FL 3331
•
Juan Mejia, the store manager at Pet Supplies Plus reviewed the
policies that are reviewed before they sell pets. He added that they are
very concerned about the health and wellbeing of their animals and do
all they can to ensure responsible pet ownership.
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PART 4: Evaluate your plan. What are the results?
Our team felt that our efforts were successful. The pet
stores were very supportive and concerned about the welfare of
these animals just as we were. The managers were glad to speak
with us and volunteered to put up our fliers. We were worried that
the pet stores would not care for us to be asking questions, but we
were very pleasantly surprised.
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PART 4: Evaluate your plan. What are the results?
(continued)
Members spoke to other sixth graders at Coral Springs
Middle School going into the science classrooms. Fliers were
posted in each one of these classrooms. The total number of
students that are now aware of our efforts is approximately 370.
The members would like to continue to expand our reach and
plan to visit seventh and eight grade science classrooms. Fliers
were also given to the sixth grade assistant principal, D.
Karbowski and CSMS principal, Ian Murray.
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PART 4: Evaluate your plan. What are the results?
(continued)
The Everglades Avengers learned a number of
things from our efforts. The most important being that
our Everglades are a national treasure and we must
work to preserve it. Nonnative species will impact our
ecosystem and may change it forever, losing our
heritage. Our South Florida community needs to be
more responsible when it comes to caring for our
animals.
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What will your team/school/teacher advisor do with
their winnings?
• All students involved in the Lexus Eco Challenge will use their
proceeds to purchase technology for education.
• Coral Springs Middle School’s winnings will be used to purchase
science equipment for the science department.
• Winnings for the teacher advisor will be used to acquire
technology to improve the learning environment.
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Please help prevent the release of nonnative species
into the Everglades. Nonnative species that include
birds, reptiles, fish, mammals, amphibians, and marine
life impact the Everglades ecosystem. Nonnative
species like the Burmese Python prey on native
species of birds, mammals, and even alligators!
Keep it “Everglades Wild”!
Take advantage of the Exotic Pet Amnesty Program and bring in exotic pets that you can no
longer afford or wish to keep.
Next Amnesty Event:
Saturday, November 16, 2013
10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Florida Panther Festival, http://www.floridapantherfestival.com/index.html
North Collier Regional Park
15000 Livingston Road
Naples, Fl 34119
Brought to you by the
Everglades Avengers
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Project Gallery
Recorded
interview of pet
store manager
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The Everglades Avengers say,
“Keep it Everglades Wild”!
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