This was our final day of the journey. A small group of us boarded the bus and headed to the Sumbergh Head Lighthouse built in 1821 by Robert Stevenson. We walked around the site studying the information about the lighthouse, the radar system, the huge foghorn and then all of the sudden we spotted puffins. So most of us were leaning over the wall getting the closest shot we could of these funny little birds. They are amazingly cute and their style of flying is unique making them relatively easy to spot while in the air. We were entertained by one little guy who kept going in and out of his burrow with straw in his beak. Unless straw is a way to conquer a new mate, I assume it was making a nest. (Very scientific huh?!)
We then initiated our 2 mile hike downhill in the rain. To those of you who know me, walking has never really been my favorite pastime, but on this expedition walking has become a form of entertainment and a huge source of "scientific discoveries". There has been so much to see and take in from birds to plants to landscapes and of course rocks. There are so many kinds of rocks and rock formations in the British and Irish Isles. Sedimentary rocks so old they have no fossils. An array of different kinds of granite, some 300,000,000 billion years old. If only these rocks could talk! We saw beautiful columnar basalt, fossil ridden limestone, islands made of vertical layers, glacier erratics, providing beautiful samples for classroom visuals. Rocks of almost all geologic ages are represented which makes the visit from island to island that much more exciting.
I have to say that the science related aspects of the Isles surprised me. I was thinking the focus of this expedition would be centered around history, which it definitely had, but the amount of connections I have been able to make to Life and Earth Science instruction is tremendous. And beyond that, to have experts and naturalists present to explain what we were seeing or to answer questions was a resource not normally available. Absolutely amazing, eye opening, enriching.
So, back to the subject of walking, we walked down two miles to Jarlshof. This prehistoric site, similar to Skara Brae in Orkney, contains evidence of occupation from 2500 BC to 1700 AD including the Bronze Age, Vikings and the Pictish Period. Of course right before I even got to the ruins I spotted Shetland ponies and my attention was immediately diverted. I spent some time watching the mares and their foals playing in the grass and rain. Yes, it was raining, and yes, I was walking in the rain and loving it.
I visited the Jarlshof prehistoric site, but because I had spent time looking and taking pictures and admiring the ponies, I had to make a swift return to the bus.
We entered the ship for the last time and this time would navigate the rest of the day and night until we reached Bergen, Norway. We were treated to picture slideshows, entertained by more speakers, shared contact information and packed.
With a heavy heart we said goodbye to our two week family of crew members, staff members and guests with whom we'd had many interesting conversations. Those of us who headed home boarded the buses to the airport and with a bus guided tour of Bergen (every minute is a teaching moment on this expedition!) we picked up our bags and went our own ways.
This will be an adventure I will never forget and hope to take my family on some day.
Thank You Sven Lindblad, Gil Grosvenor, National Geographic and the Grosvenor Teacher Fellow Program for making the World part of our classrooms.
We then initiated our 2 mile hike downhill in the rain. To those of you who know me, walking has never really been my favorite pastime, but on this expedition walking has become a form of entertainment and a huge source of "scientific discoveries". There has been so much to see and take in from birds to plants to landscapes and of course rocks. There are so many kinds of rocks and rock formations in the British and Irish Isles. Sedimentary rocks so old they have no fossils. An array of different kinds of granite, some 300,000,000 billion years old. If only these rocks could talk! We saw beautiful columnar basalt, fossil ridden limestone, islands made of vertical layers, glacier erratics, providing beautiful samples for classroom visuals. Rocks of almost all geologic ages are represented which makes the visit from island to island that much more exciting.
I have to say that the science related aspects of the Isles surprised me. I was thinking the focus of this expedition would be centered around history, which it definitely had, but the amount of connections I have been able to make to Life and Earth Science instruction is tremendous. And beyond that, to have experts and naturalists present to explain what we were seeing or to answer questions was a resource not normally available. Absolutely amazing, eye opening, enriching.
So, back to the subject of walking, we walked down two miles to Jarlshof. This prehistoric site, similar to Skara Brae in Orkney, contains evidence of occupation from 2500 BC to 1700 AD including the Bronze Age, Vikings and the Pictish Period. Of course right before I even got to the ruins I spotted Shetland ponies and my attention was immediately diverted. I spent some time watching the mares and their foals playing in the grass and rain. Yes, it was raining, and yes, I was walking in the rain and loving it.
I visited the Jarlshof prehistoric site, but because I had spent time looking and taking pictures and admiring the ponies, I had to make a swift return to the bus.
We entered the ship for the last time and this time would navigate the rest of the day and night until we reached Bergen, Norway. We were treated to picture slideshows, entertained by more speakers, shared contact information and packed.
With a heavy heart we said goodbye to our two week family of crew members, staff members and guests with whom we'd had many interesting conversations. Those of us who headed home boarded the buses to the airport and with a bus guided tour of Bergen (every minute is a teaching moment on this expedition!) we picked up our bags and went our own ways.
This will be an adventure I will never forget and hope to take my family on some day.
Thank You Sven Lindblad, Gil Grosvenor, National Geographic and the Grosvenor Teacher Fellow Program for making the World part of our classrooms.