Montgomery Middle students work with nonprofit group to study sea turtles

    To learn about the nesting habits of sea turtles, scientists often travel thousands of miles to remote, tropical beaches where they spend countless hours observing the turtles and learning about their habitats. At Montgomery Middle School, 7th grade science students got a firsthand insight into this scientific journey.

    Working in partnership with the Ocean Connectors Program of the Ocean Foundation, Bridge the Borders is a virtual scientific exploration program that links students with research interns from San Diego State University (SDSU).

    On a weekly basis, the Montgomery Middle students have been learning everything there is to know about sea turtles and especially their nesting habits. Through the Bridge the Borders Program, the Montgomery students are virtually linked via Skype to interns in Mexico and Costa Rica who are gathering data and observing real-life nesting practices.

    Students in Sara Chai’s and Abra Thomas’ class also created a simulated nest of their own, compete with sand, ping pong balls to simulate eggs and an internal data device known as a hobo. The students gathered data that included sand temperature, air temperature and humidity.

    After several weeks, the students had a special opportunity to meet two of the university mentor students who had been in Costa Rica – Kimberly Valma and Gabriela Ponce. Valma and Ponce made presentations to the classes about their experience and talked about their experiences working with the sea turtles.

    “We want to show the students that there are real opportunities out there,” said Ponce. “Jobs like these aren’t just fiction.”

    In addition to working with the students in Mexico and Costa Rica, students will continue to work with local organizations to learn about tracking of the animals and their nesting habits.

    “These types of experiences are invaluable for students,” said Board President John McCann. “The real-world application of learning gives students a unique perspective that we know they will carry with them for a long time.”