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| This is Britney Marsh in Arizona! |
Did you know that South Africa is the second largest
exporter of fruit? Or has its own penguin colony? Or that it has the third
highest level of biodiversity in the world?!? Well one of Penn State’s AEE Alumni
from 2013, Britney Marsh, is actually taking a group of her high school agriscience students to South Africa from
May 25th to June 2nd!
Britney Marsh is a secondary Agricultural Educator/FFA adviser at Arizona Agribusiness and Equine Center (AAEC)- Red Mountain Career Prep High School in Mesa, Arizona. She has traveled a long way to teach her amazing group of students and is now taking ten of them on an exciting adventure. They will be traveling and staying in Port Elizabeth at the Ulovane Environmental Center as well as traveling to the Amakhala Game Reserve.
If you have never heard of the game reserve before, it
is a fantastic place. The founders wanted to make a malaria free safe zone in
the eastern part of the country for animals to roam freely. They are trying to
restore the land into its natural conditions again. The students will have the
opportunity to learn about terrestrial plants, different bird species, and about the
mighty mammals of South Africa. They will also be observing animal behavior on
the reserve.
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| A group of tourists on the reserve! |
On top of all of that, they will be going on night safaris, exploring
the marine intertidal ecosystems, look at the changing vegetation at the AddoElephant Park Woody Cape, going on a coastal scrub, and even looking at the
dune forest in the diverse Albany Thicket. Studying is not the only thing they
will be doing. They will have the chance to visit the village of Patterson
where they will visit an Isipho village, (a program that helps the iNzinga people) multi-purpose facility which assists victims of AIDS.
They will sit in on a lecture of the “Role of the Wildlife Veterinarian in South Africa.” Then they will be able to learn how to capture and immobilize animals. After they learned the proper procedures, they will actually practice shooting darts and then capture antelopes by themselves! They will practice ear notching and taking blood samples for DNA. Crazy right?! There will be no breaks on this amazing educational trip!
They will sit in on a lecture of the “Role of the Wildlife Veterinarian in South Africa.” Then they will be able to learn how to capture and immobilize animals. After they learned the proper procedures, they will actually practice shooting darts and then capture antelopes by themselves! They will practice ear notching and taking blood samples for DNA. Crazy right?! There will be no breaks on this amazing educational trip!
Britney is looking forward to bringing new information
for her classes next year. The trip should be an awesome experience for all
people that will be in attendance!
If you would like more information about the trip, or how
you can start a trip like this in your school, Britney Marsh (@b_marsh216) provided her email
address: BMarsh@aaechighschools.com,
To learn more about starting on the path to having a
career that makes a positive impact on the lives of students across the globe
by becoming an agricultural educator, please contact the agricultural teacher
education program at teachag@psu.edu. Follow us on Twitter at TeachAgPSU, on Facebook, or on our blog!
Olivia Murphy-Sweet
Student Blogger
Teach Ag! Avenger
Twitter Handle @OSweetMurph
2016 Agricultural Education Student Teacher
Student Blogger
Teach Ag! Avenger
Twitter Handle @OSweetMurph
2016 Agricultural Education Student Teacher
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