2016 GAIA Czech Research Camp
12 sleepy eyed WBAIS GAIA students together with GAIA directors Dr. Stuart Fleischer, Mary Wescott, Margret Ellwanger and ornithologist Dr. Motti Charter gathered at Ben Gurion Airport in the wee hours of the morning and checked in for the flight to Prague.
Wednesday, November 9
Day 1
12 sleepy eyed WBAIS GAIA students together with GAIA directors Dr. Stuart Fleischer, Mary Wescott, Margret Ellwanger and ornithologist Dr. Motti Charter gathered at Ben Gurion Airport in the wee hours of the morning and checked in for the flight to Prague.
As always, upon arrival we were warmly welcomed by our Czech friends from Gymnázium Arabská and Gymnázium Botičská, hopped on the bus and went off to this year’s destination, the Moravian Karst region around the Czech Republic’s second largest city, Brno.
The fruits of our long term, systemic cooperation are more evident each year. For one, the students from all three schools have meanwhile formed long term friendships and greeted, mixed and mingled from the first moment we entered the bus. Notable also, the Czech students increasingly communicated with much greater ease in English with everyone from WBAIS.
At the end of the three-hour bus ride through gorgeous countryside, we arrived at our camp in Jedovnice, where we were assigned into little camping style bungalows, four persons per bungalow. Luckily, the bungalows had heating. The weather was below freezing, our noses were red, and even the Czechs shivered.
We had an hour to unpack and then gathered for our evening hike around the lake. It was dark outside, the air crisp and clear. There was no light pollution and thus we could fully appreciate the twinkling stars. The more astronomically gifted among us excitedly pointed out Mars, the red planet. Even though we marched around the lake with great speed, Botičská teacher Jiří Ševčík took time to pick up leaves and categorized from which type of tree they had fallen . We also learned some history about the nearby little town.
By the time we return to camp, everyone had a healthy appetite, which was deliciously satisfied by warm soup, cabbage salad, chicken and rice. Then there was an hour for the Czech students to dot the last i’s and cross the last t’s for their evening presentations about the Moravian Karst, its flora and fauna.
Arabská and Botičská students gave a solid overview of the region, which made us aware what to look for in the coming days. Then everyone bumbled happily back to their bungalow and dropped into bed exhausted from a long day of travel, hiking and presenting. Well done, DAY1.
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Day 2
Waking up and being greeted by freshly fallen snow got everyone off to a good start on Day 2. In no time the group finished a hearty breakfast and boarded the bus that dropped us off at the base of the Punkva Caves in the Moravian Karst. Well prepared by last night’s briefings, the students took note of limestone caves and identified trees by their fallen leaves along the uphill hike. In less than two hours of hiking, they reached the entrance point for the magical underground world of the Punkva caves.
With the help of a guide and calling upon our imagination, we meandered through various “rooms” , creatively named the “Turkish Graveyard”, the “Church Organ” and last not least, the romantic highpoint, “Romeo and Juliet”. If only the cave had not run dry, in about 700 years from now, Romeo and Juliet would have been united forever!
Leaving tragedy behind, a steep climb led to the watery part of the spelunking adventure. We entered boats that navigated through greenish waters to the bottom of the Macocha Gorge. There we were introduced to the legend of the evil stepmother who attempted to throw her stepson to his death, only to see the boy rescued and herself thrown down into the 300-meter-long gorge. Onward, we returned to daylight and continued the climb to the top of the gorge.
While hiking from the top of the Gorge back to the bus, Botičská teacher Jiri Ševčík made a great find. Ever the eagle-eyed botanist, he spotted what looked to the untrained eye deceptively just like another dangly, wispy weed whose leaves had fallen to the ground. Nothing could have been further from the truth. This was the archaic forbearer of the common house hold carrot! Quite remarkable, how such a non descriptive above-the-ground plant , over the duration of a thousand years , was cultivated into our familiar bright yellow-orange root vegetable.
The find led to a discussion about genetic modifications in our day and age, and how much sooner modern plant geneticists could have brought about this transformation. The teacher’s unexpected find became a perfect introduction for Day 3, the upcoming visit to the Museum in Brno , devoted to Johann Gregor Mendel, the father of modern genetics.
Leaving plants, geological limestone formations, fauna and flora behind, the group turned its attention to the works of ancient and modern man. Our bus stopped at the “Bull’s Cave”, a prehistoric sacrificial burial site of an apparently very important person. At his side lay the remains of 40 servants, who were sacrificed at the time of his death to provide further services to him upon entering the afterworld.
A short ride down the hill from Bull Cave, we explored the hamlet of Abramov, regionally renowned for its blast iron furnace and accompanying iron mill, next door to a Technological Museum. Archeological findings beginning with the Hallstattzeit, documented “Man’s Story of Working with Iron “ up through when Germanic tribes introduced advanced metal working skills, culminating in the the development of a proprietary nineteenth century process which became unique throughout Europe.
The day was rounded out with a stop at a very old, beautiful church, which to this day is a pilgrimage center in the otherwise predominantly secular Czech Republic.
In the evening, the students were given one hour after dinner, to prepare activities for an open ended evening of their choosing. It turned into a mixture of talent show, skits, singing and dancing. Memorable moments included the teacher’s skit about “class with a substitute teacher”, which brought down the house with laughter. Our Czech hosts also did a great job teaching WBAIS students a folk dance called the “Mazurka”. At close of the evening, one thing was certain: GAIA’s got talent!
Friday, Nov 11
Day3
Two days of invigorating field work prepared the GAIA students for the Anthropos Museum and Mendel Museum in Brno.
The museum in honor of the Father of Genetics, Johann Gregor Mendel, was small, yet captured well his spirit and scientific endeavors. Our Czech hosts had also arranged for a lecture about his life and work, held in the spacious room that served the Augustinian monks of Mendel’s day as dining hall.
Mendel, a gentle genius whose passions were rooted in his desire to find ways to help society and his fellow man, was undeterred when his contemporaries were not ready for his discoveries. He diligently searched for principles of plant heredity, in order to grow better and superior offspring. Likewise, his experiments with bees aimed to ease the work of the bee keeper just like his studies of the weather sought to assist farmers in timing work in the fields. Confidently he would state : “My time will come”
Born into a poor peasant family, nevertheless deeply interested in agriculture, horticulture, beekeeping and meteorology, it appeared there was no opportunity for Mendel’s schooling. His perseverance prevailed and slowly opened doors, especially after he was accepted to the Brno Augustinian monastery. As a monk, he served at hospital, took over an experimental garden and taught at the grammar school in Znojmo- even though he did not pass the exam for teacher qualification. Nevertheless, he studied mathematics, physics and natural sciences in Vienna. Upon returning to Brno, he meticulously carried out experiments in the Abbey Garden, which he published more than ten years later as findings on plant hybridization.
Equipped with details about Mendel’s life and work, and a list of questions provided by the Czech teachers, the students formed work groups, and searched purposefully for answers to their research questions in the museum’s displays and short videos.
From Mendel’s Museum, it was only a short drive to the Anthropos Museum, which focused on the oldest geological history of Europe. Here we were greeted by Brno native, Voita Honek, a former Czech GAIA student. Voita, the perfect alumnus, had participated in every GAIA research trip offered throughout his high school years. Even though he graduated from Arabska in the spring and now was enrolled at Brno University as a student of biotechnolgy, he took time out of his busy lecture schedule to join us for the exploration of the museum. Voita personified the warm and enduring relations between WBAIS and our two Czech partner schools. He even
voiced his desire to deepen his relationship to the land of Israel, by seeking an internship next summer break with an Israeli company. It all began with GAIA!
In the basement exhibition of the Anthropos, there was a fine selection of oil paintings depicting the age of dinosaurs. The students also enjoyed a well designed animated movie about their extinction.
Perhaps inspired by the artistry of dinosaur renderings, perhaps watching some students getting creative with a paleontologic bone puzzle, maybe even walking through an Evolution of Man exhibit - something clearly sparked Maddie Kroell’s creative energy. At the sight of the giant Mastodon, she spontaneously delivered a dance performance. Her enthusiasm was infectious and proved too much temptation for Ms. Wescott, who quickly fell in step with Maddie. Numerous Facebook posts as well as as Dr. Motti Charter’s 2016 GAIA video remain as
evidence.
Upon leaving the Anthropos, the students were given time to briefly explore the center of Brno under the guidance of Voita. Then we returned to our campsite, had dinner, and an evening of power points with the student groups presenting their findings. The evening ended with a surprise birthday party for two WBAIS birthday girls. Festivities included singing Happy Birthday songs in Czech, Hebrew and English.
Many thanks to all our Czech friends, organizers and participants. We look forward to
continued collaboration and exploration next year.
GAIA students learn about native and invasive species in the Czech Republic
The third annual Global Awareness Investigation Action (GAIA) research trip to the Czech Republic was held October 8–12, 2014 in Prague and the surrounding areas. GAIA high school students from Walworth Barbour American International School (WBAIS) in Israel joined GAIA high school students from Gymnázium Arabská and Gymnázium Botičská in the Czech Republic for a week of learning and research.
GAIA Prague Trip 2014
by Abigail Morrison and Rebecca Loveland
The third annual Global Awareness Investigation Action (GAIA) research trip to the Czech Republic was held October 8–12, 2014 in Prague and the surrounding areas. GAIA high school students from Walworth Barbour American International School (WBAIS) in Israel joined GAIA high school students from Gymnázium Arabská and Gymnázium Botičská in the Czech Republic for a week of learning and research.
Students and advisors from the host schools prepared a rich cultural and educational program that supports GAIA’s guiding principles:
- Raise awareness
- Increase investigation
- Take action in environmental issues
The 2014 GAIA theme is “The Year of the Invasive Species.” In the course of planned activities and excursions, students investigated both native and invasive plants and animals in the Czech Republic.
Upon arrival in Prague, the WBAIS students were immediately greeted by host students and started a day of hiking through the Bohemian countryside that included a visit to the Koněprusy Caves (Koněpruské jeskyně). Not a moment was wasted as students learned about topics from cave formations to indigenous plants and animals such as wild boar, deer, and old growth forests in the Czech Republic.
Students also saw first hand some of the damage caused by the introduction of non-native species. An example being the introduction of the black crayfish and decimation of the local crayfish.
Building an "Insect Hotel"
During a visit to the Josefov Meadows and ornithological park, the guide explained to students how each individual can have great impact on their local environment and can take small, but important, steps to protect local biodiversity. One way students learned they could impact the environment was by building an “insect hotel” to house and invite necessary insects into an area.
Students from Israel marveled at the natural formations in Czech Republic such as the Pokličky Sandstone Domes. Even the Czech students enjoyed taking in the scenery and seeing more of their own county. Carolin, a GAIA student from Botičská, said that the trip was a great opportunity for the Czech students to visit places within their own country that they may not otherwise have the opportunity to visit on their own. The Kokořín Castle and Fortress Josefov are two such examples where students had an opportunity to visit and experience the rich Czech history.
Dr. Motti Charter from Haifa University in Israel accompanied the group and guided the ornithological research. As the GAIA ornithologist, he helps students understand how to collect, measure, weigh, and explore nests to learn about birds and the surrounding habitat. GAIA bird boxes are an ongoing project in Israel and the Czech republic for several years with the goal to invite and provide a positive habitat for helpful bird species while helping students learn more about ornithology and the environment. Students were able to measure and collect data from the nests and further continue the project.
In addition to scientific collaboration, the Israeli and Czech students built warm and lasting friendships during their time together. Some had already met on previous trips while others met and formed friendships for the first time. WBAIS students were hosted by Czech student’s families. Through this arrangement, the students from Israel experienced an authentic, cultural immersion. Various students reported going to a street fair, historical sites, cafes, and family homes. Matthias, a Czech host said, “I always love to meet new people. You just learn more and it’s fun!”
Michael, a third year GAIA student from WBAIS, says this is his favorite year so far. He feels there is more organization, structure and coordination between GAIA student officers.
The common phrase heard as the students finished the trip was, “See you in Israel.”. The Czech students are looking forward to visiting the WBAIS students next spring to learn more about invasive species in the desert environment.
GAIA and Jisr az-Zarqa students work together on International Coastal Clean Up Day
A new and exciting long term partnership for GAIA students and Makif High School students in Jisr az-Zarqa.
GAIA Prague Trip 2014
by Abigail Morrison and Rebecca Loveland
September 21, 2014 started out like the beginning of any other week. It was also the start of a new and exciting long term partnership for GAIA students at the Walworth Barbour American International School in Even Yehuda and Makif High School students in Jisr az-Zarqa.
Collecting trash for data analysis
Global Awareness Investigation and Action (GAIA) students are always on the look out for community environmental challenges and partners that want to make the planet cleaner and more sustainable. When they were invited to join forces with the US Embassy and the Jisr az-Zarqa High School to pick up litter along the Mediterranean sea shore, they gratefully accepted. Right away, they decided to make the whole event more scientific by analyzing collected trash.
This year, the Coastal Clean Up coincided with the 30th Anniversary of the International Day of Peace. In Israel, with the support of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Mishar Hof (Coastal Watch), the event was widened to a whole week of clean up activities throughout the country.
It brought together local and international students from many countries for a common cause.
Ambassador Shapiro and his wife Julie Fischer
Approximately 40 GAIA students arrived at Makif High School in Jisr az-Zarqa at 10:00 am. They were met by roughly the same number of local students at Makif High School. There were brief introductions by the Mayor of Jisr az-Zarqa, the principal of Makif, Mr. Murad Ammash, as well as the Ambassador of the United States, Mr. Daniel Shapiro. Ambassador Shapiro reminded the students of the importance of working together and how the their clean-up efforts support the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s Call to Action to protect the world’s oceans and seas — and to build friendship.
The next two hours were spent finding, and logging trash found af the beach for later analysis by the students. Ahmed, a student from Jisr az-Zarqa said, “I thought it was cool to meet new people and work on something together.”
Makif and AIS high school students getting to know each other
Indeed, many of the students found time to visit, and even snap a selfie or two together, during the activity. GAIA has collaborated with many other schools but something set this experience apart. Maya Peleg, who is an eleventh grader at WBAIS, said, “Working with this project has been better in some ways because they have a different culture and way of thinking. I think it’s sort of a culture shock for some of the WBAIS kids.” Odette from Austrailia agreed, “It’s great that we’re mixing with different communities. It’s a great way to build friendship that wouldn’t usually be built.”
GAIA Baby Falcon Ringing Event
EVEN YEHUDA, Israel — On Tuesday, May 9th, Project GAIA (Global Awareness Investigation and Action) had their official baby Falcon tagging event at the Walworth Barbour American International School (WBAIS). Students who participate in GAIA gathered outside to watch the gathering of the chicks from their homemade bird nest up above. Ornithologist and Motti Charter carefully selected the six babies to bring them down to weigh, measure and tag them. Students inside the school could also watch via the live stream that WBAIS has installed to track and film the Falcon family. (To watch the live feed, go to www.ustream.tv/channel/wbais-gaia.)
by Anneli Givens
EVEN YEHUDA, Israel — On Tuesday, May 9th, Project GAIA (Global Awareness Investigation and Action) had their official baby Falcon tagging event at the Walworth Barbour American International School (WBAIS). Students who participate in GAIA gathered outside to watch the gathering of the chicks from their homemade bird nest up above. Ornithologist and Motti Charter carefully selected the six babies to bring them down to weigh, measure and tag them. Students inside the school could also watch via the live stream that WBAIS has installed to track and film the Falcon family. (To watch the live feed, go towww.ustream.tv/channel/wbais-gaia.) Students got to see the babies up close as Charter measured their wings and recorded the data to track the chicks as they grow.
The Falcons are part of GAIA’s initiative to create biological pest control by using the birds to help limit the rodent population in nearby cities and fields. By eating the rodents, the farmers are able to use less pesticides and rodenticides, which are harmful to the environment and crops, and helps drive down costs for the farmers as well.
After the birds were tagged and given identification, they were safely returned to their nests, where their mother quickly welcomed them back with a beak full of bugs.
GAIA Wildlife Conservation Event
EVEN YEHUDA, Israel — On Tuesday, January 29th, Project GAIA held their biggest on-campus event of the year at Walworth Barbour American International School (WBAIS) to promote and spread awareness about environmental concerns. The evening began with GAIA schools showcasing their research, findings and equipment. Schools in attendance included Mevoot Yam Marine Biology School, Beit Ekstein, and Kfar Galim Youth Village and WBAIS. Presentation tables allowed students, parents and special guests to view the research of each school. Of special interest to the students was feedback from one guest in particular, the keynote speaker of the event, the 2009 winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Professor Ada Yonath.
by Sarah Kochav and Kamie Robinson
EVEN YEHUDA, Israel — On Tuesday, January 29th, Project GAIA held their biggest on-campus event of the year at Walworth Barbour American International School (WBAIS) to promote and spread awareness about environmental concerns. The evening began with GAIA schools showcasing their research, findings and equipment. Schools in attendance included Mevoot Yam Marine Biology School, Beit Ekstein, and Kfar Galim Youth Village and WBAIS. Presentation tables allowed students, parents and guests to view the research of each school. Of special interest to the students was feedback from one guest in particular, the keynote speaker of the event, the 2009 winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Professor Ada Yonath. As she circled the tables, students told her of their research and findings. Prof. Yonath enthusiastically asked questions. Coinciding with conversations and feedback was a bird box exhibition arranged by the National Arts Honor Society as well as 30 photographs by Israel's top nature photographers, courtesy of Dr. Yossi Leshem.
Student's bird boxes
Ada Yonath visiting with students about their research
Dr. Eran Levin presenting on bats as biological pest control agents
The evening event began with an address from Superintendent John Gates and GAIA Director Dr. Stuart Fleischer, who was accompanied on stage by Co-Directors Margret Ellwanger and Paul van Rijn. Together they thanked all sponsors including the Boeing International Corporation and TowerJazz – two companies that help make GAIA research projects possible. The presentation continued with an address from Ambassador Tomas Pojar of the Czech Republic, followed by Professor Ada Yonath's story of her childhood struggles through poverty and her passion for answering unanswered questions, and Dr. Eran Levin’s (Tel Aviv University and SPNI) presentation on “The Importance of Bats as Biological Pest Control Agents.”
Students from each participating school then presented their research.
Students from Mevot Yam are looking into exploitation of the sea and how it effects their community. They are raising awareness about effects of pollution, over fishing, and the use of sea life as ornaments and jewelry. An oceanography class was started to cater to students interest in learning more.
Students at Kfar Galim planned and built an eco-classroom in their eco-science garden on campus. Middle and high school students learned construction techniques building the room. Now they spend time there learning about ecosystem development and microorganism breakdown. They also began a compost to use as fertilizer on their organic garden.
Students from WBAIS are focusing their research on biological pest management. The school is in an agricultural area making them aware of pesticides often used by farmers involved in mass production. An alternative solution they are researching is using birds, particularly falcons and chickadees, as a pesticide. They are mentored by Dr. Yossi Lesham from Tel Aviv University and Dr. Motti Charter from Haifa University.
Students from Gymnazium Arabska presenting their research
Two Czech Republic schools, Gymnazium Arabska and Gymnazium Boticska, joined by way of online media. Gymnazium Arabska presented their research and Gymnazium Boticska showed a prerecorded video.
The presentation was broadcast LIVE on Falcon TV through the official AIS Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/WBAISIsrael, and Ustream Channel, www.ustream.tv/channel/ais-faclon-tv, allowing an additional 66 people to tune in.
The Beginnings of the GAIA Project in Prague
PRAGUE, Czech Republic — In early March 2012, Tomáš Pojar, the Czech Ambassador to Israel, was checking his Great Tit (Parus major) bird box on the campus of the Walworth Barbour American International School in Even Yehuda. His box was cramped with seven little chicks and it was clear that the project at WBAIS using birds to reduce insects and rodents was producing positive results. I took the opportunity to ask Ambassador Pojar if there would be any interest in the Czech Republic in collaboration and the sharing of research among students on this topic. Two weeks later, the Ambassador returned from Prague with good news. There were two schools extremely interested in joining GAIA.
by Stuart Fleischer, Ph.D. GAIA Project Director
GAIA Students in Prague
PRAGUE, Czech Republic — In early March 2012, Tomáš Pojar, the Czech Ambassador to Israel, was checking his Great Tit (Parus major) bird box on the campus of the Walworth Barbour American International School in Even Yehuda. His box was cramped with seven little chicks and it was clear that the project at WBAIS using birds to reduce insects and rodents was producing positive results. I took the opportunity to ask Ambassador Pojar if there would be any interest in the Czech Republic in collaboration and the sharing of research among students on this topic. Two weeks later, the Ambassador returned from Prague with good news. There were two schools extremely interested in joining GAIA.
The two schools, Gymnazium Botičská and Gymnazium Arabska, both from Prague, joined our research team of students. The date of the first GAIA encounter would occur on November 17, 2012 in Prague. Upon landing at Vaclav Havel Airport, our students were greeted by their host families and immediately whisked away to their warm homes, to be well-fed and rested for an intense four days of collaboration in ornithological research.
The next day, the twenty Czech students met our delegation of seventeen WBAIS students led by our Chief Student Scientist, Mojolaoluwa Obasa, also known as Demi. Each one of our students presented as a gift, a Great Tit box they had built themselves to start the project at each of the schools in Prague. Along with the bird boxes, WBAIS donated to each school a labdisc containing 15 different probes to use during the research collection phase, an iPad 3, an infrared thermometer with laser sighting and a carbon dioxide atmospheric probe. These tools will allow the teams in Prague to accurately and precisely document their research.
One of the GAIA Project Directors and forPEACE Director, Mrs. Margret Ellwanger, led the way in demonstrating the labdisc environmental probe. She was able to show how this portable environmental recording system works in an early morning walk across Prague, recording such data as relative humidity, dew-point, and the amount of sunlight. When she caught a bus for part of her journey, her increased speed was tracked on the computer of every student in the project since the labdisc probe kit also contains a built-in GPS, allowing the data to be matched with global location as well.
In addition to discussing research, the GAIA team was also fortunate to have Dr. Motti Charter from Haifa University and the Society for the Protection of Nature (SPNI) in Israel accompanying the group. He is our GAIA scientist and helped create the academic rigor associated with our research. In a show of collaboration, SPNI extended their Israel Parus major GIS/GPS online nesting project by adding in the data from the Czech Republic. This was the first time data would be collected outside of Israel on the same bird study and with GAIA leading the way!
The trip was not just about research. Building relationships, trust and confidence between the three schools was equally as important to this project. Both Czech schools set up a joint travel itinerary where all of the schools toured and socialized together. On the last day, Tuesday, November 20, the students hiked to a beautiful nature reserve on the edge of the city and then had a final dinner together. We checked our bags and then said our goodbyes at the Arabska School. Our plan was to take the local tram to the airport. However, the students had become such good friends, that saying goodbye was impossible so all of the Prague students came with us to the airport and stayed several hours with us until boarding time.
On March 6, 2013, the students and teachers from Prague will arrive in Israel for the second leg of our joint project. So stay tuned! Special thanks to our GAIA Project Directors, Mr. Paul Van Rijn and Mrs. Margret Ellwanger, who both helped promote a spirit of collaboration that exceeded anybody’s wildest dreams. Of course this would not have happened without the help of an amateur bird watcher, The Honorable Ambassador Tomáš Pojar of the Czech Republic.
GAIA Partners with TowerJazz Semiconductor
by Dr. Stuart Fleischer – GAIA Israel Director
EVEN YEHUDA, Israel — The Global Awareness Investigation and Action (GAIA) program sponsored and directed by WBAIS Students received its first Corporate Donation last week. Russell Ellwanger, CEO of TowerJazz Semiconductor, presented Dr. Stuart Fleischer with a check for $5,000 for their commitment to the GAIA ‐ Israel Project. The funding will sponsor the Kfar Galim Foster Care School near Haifa on the Carmel Coast. Kfar Galim is one of the six participating GAIA Schools in Israel.
Students from Kfar Galim are jointly researching Biological Pest Controls with our students at WBAIS. TowerJazz has committed another $5,000 for 2012‐13. They will also send their top engineers and other personnel to Kfar Galim to set up a mentor program with students.
Russell Ellwanger’s approach is not to just send funding but to establish a relationship with the Kfar Galim’s teachers and students and provide opportunities for growth and integration into the high tech work force here in Israel.
So if the funding is going directly to Kfar Galim, how do WBAIS students benefit? Our GAIA team benefits because we have a sharing partnership with each of the GAIA schools. At Kfar Galim, they have some top facilities that our students can visit and participate; such as the student’s GOFt dairy farm, aquaculture, agriculture, food and biotechnology center, robotics, astronomy and more.
The WBAIS Board and Administration have been very supportive of the GAIA Project. WBAIS has enabled GAIA to flourish and become a serious project among grass root, environmental initiatives.
If your company would like to become a GAIA Corporate Donor and sponsor a GAIA local school, support the purchase of equipment or joint field trips, please contact Dr. Stuart Fleischer: sfleischer@wbais.net.
GAIA – Israel continues to open avenues of opportunity for our students through our unique partnerships with universities, environmental agencies, technology and engineering companies.
GAIA Gala
by Kamie Robinson
EVEN YEHUDA, Israel — GAIA Gala is an annual Global Awareness Investigation and Action (GAIA) Israel event that brings together students, parents, community leaders, and representatives from supporting organizations.
This year's event was hosted by Walworth Barbour American International School (WBAIS). Keynote speakers were world renowned bird researcher Dr. Yossi Leshem, and Israel's Czech Ambassador Tomas Pojar. Following their speaches, students from each GAIA school presented project summaries of their previous year's research and outlined their newly formulated research projects.