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Mexico/US Pajaro Pen Pal Project (MUPPPP)
Sierra Gorda Pen Pals writing letters.
Photo courtesy of Grupo Ecologíco Sierra Gorda
Third, Fourth and Fifth grade students from GGA's Eco-Oakland program and their counter-parts in the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve in Mexico are becoming friends by writing to each other about their experiences in nature and what they are learning about conservation, recycling, and wildlife in their respective ecology programs.
Sierra Gorda student receiving a Pen Pal's letter.
Photo by Roger Newman
In the school year 2008-2009, 6 East Oakland classes and 6 Sierra Gorda classes participated. This year our Eco-Oakland students received aproximately 251 letters from the Sierra Gorda students, and have responded by writing 230 letters to Mexico. Teachers from Oakland and from the Sierra Gorda praise the program. They say it stimulates interest in other cultures among their students and gives them ideas on how to solve the environmental problems they are experiencing. They report that many of the students cherished the letters they received.
Below is one of the letters sent from Mexico this year.
Translation:
Hi, I am your friend. I am writing to you to say hello. I hope that you will write me back soon. Here my neighborhood is beautiful with many trees and many little animals and pretty houses . Where I live there is a patio with ducks. Near by there is a river and there is a patio. We take care of the forests. There is a place where there are no trees and we plant trees and nearby there is a dam that is contaminated. The teachers treat us well and tell us that we should not cut the trees because they make the air clean. Today they did a theatrical play and I liked it very very very much. It was about a wotch who wanted to find a little tree.
Yours sincerely, my esteemed friend,
Rene Fonceca
Below is one of the letters from Oakland, written in response to a letter from Mexico.
Translation:
Dear Jonathan,
Hi. My name is Jonathan Flores. I am 9 years old and I am in Fourth grade. My teacher's name is Ms. Martinez. I live in Oakland, California. In my class we are studying nature. We went on a field trip and we learned how to find birds that hide in the plants. At times they were camouflaged and we could not find them. My class collected trash in order to care for the environment. We teach our mothers and fathers because they should not throw things in the storm drains because it s dangerous for the animals in the water.
I like sports a lot. Do you? What do you have in your city? Is there time to play soccer? Good bye!
Yours sincerely,
Jonathan Flores
To facilitate communication between the two groups the GGA EcoOakland Program made a video about a bilingual Eco-Oakland class on a field trip to Arrowhead Marsh. It was a big hit when we sent it down to the Sierra Gorda. The Sierra Gorda students could actually see some of the kids they were writing too, and could see what our environment looks like.
Pen Pals at one of the Sierra Gorda schools.
Photo by Roger Newman, from "Vamos a Conocer la Sierra Gorda"
The Latin America Committee (LAC) prepared a presentation about the Sierra Gorda to show to the Eco-Oakland classes. It includes pictures of some of the Sierra Gorda schools and students, their ecosystems, and some of the interesting wildlife found in the Sierra Gorda. Eco-Oakland teachers say that the presentation sparks an interest in the Sierra Gorda and the kids they are writing to. The LAC also contributed binoculars for the Mexican kids to use on their birding trips, and donated funds toward the purchase of a digital camera so that the Sierra Gorda students could send pictures of themselves and their activities to their Pen Pals in Oakland.
Teachers involved this year were Ms. Ramona Martinez, Markham Elementary; Mr. Juan Benjumea, Lockwood Elementary, Ms. Rosa Kurshan-Emmer, Melrose School, Ms. Jessica Gennari, Esperanza Elementary; and Ms. Dora Rodriguez, Korematsu Discovery Academy. Mr. Benjumea has been with the program for several years, from its beginning, and has helped the program develop in many ways. He designed a coloring book about the Sierra Gorda birds that were used by his class and several others. We are grateful to all of our teachers who put in so much extra time and enthusiasm to help their students with this project.
This fall (2008-9) Ruben Guzman, assistant Program Manager of the Eco Oakland Program coordinated the exchange. He designed a template letter for students to use which will help them become better letter writers and will make it easier for them to write about their experiences on the EcoOakland field trips. One of the important goals of EcoOakland is to make their education program help teachers to meet the education standards required by the California Board of Education, and this template will be part of that effort. This year Ruben is developing more aids for teachers along these same lines. The Latin America Committee financed the sost of mailing the letters back and forth.
Would you like to help this program continue? The LAC would be delighted to have you participate as a volunteeer. Please contact Ruben Guzman, rguzman@goldengateaudubon.org or Audre Newman audrenew@gmail.com.
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