From: Blair Witherington To: Cathy Colwell Subject: Re: Article on red lights/red filters for sea turtles ... Date: Thursday, October 29, 1998 4:30 PM Cathy Colwell wrote: > > Re:Internet Science and Technology Fair Turtle Project at Mainland > High School, Daytona Beach, FL > > Mr.. Witherington, > > I am the sponsor of a group of students who want to develop a > technological project about endangered sea turtles in Volusia County. > Our project is part of a competition sponsored by UCF, entitled ISTF. > (http://istf.ucf.edu) The Internet Science and Technology Fair (ISTF) > is > a real world science program designed to encourage teams of middle and > high school students and their teachers to explore Internet > information > resources and collaborate via e-mail with scientists and engineers. > Together, they develop Project Homepages which focus on National > Critical Technologies (http://istf.ucf.edu/screen42.htm) vital to our > nations economy and security. > > We chose the Technology Standard: Living Systems, Agriculture and Food > Technologies, Ecosystems management > (http://mainland.cctt.org/istf/components.htm) In addition to > conducting > background research, we are required to develop a technological > advancement (http://istf.ucf.edu/screen47.htm) that will help to solve > our problem. We would love to have your assistance. That TECHNOLOGICAL > advancement (according to component #1) must have already received > funding in the past. > > At this junction, my students have expressed an interest in light > pollution > since it is currently such a politically hot issue in our community. I > was > hoping that there might be someone on your staff who would be willing > to open communications with members of my team to help guide us? As > part of the project, we need to develop e-mail correspondence with > experts in the field of study that we have chosen to pursue. > > In component #2, we have to identify the educational background > required > for a student who would like to pursue a research career directly > related to our critical technology. In component #3, we have to > identify > an existing patent related to our technological concern, a possible > adaptation, and then identify a company that would review our product > for manufacture. All in a short two and one-half months. > > Our team has been organized within the last seven days. Unfortunately, > the contest requires a 200-300 word project summary by the end > of next week, October 30th. We are currently doing research to > develop that project proposal as we speak. > > There are approximately 10 students actively working on this project. > One of these students, in searching for information on the Internet, > found > this article that you posted. > http://www.xmission.com/~gastown/herpmed/lights.htm > We would love to know more and to ask you some questions. > > I am their physics teacher, and I am writing to you in hopes that you > would > consider helping us with our project. We have visited the TurtleTime > INC > site as well .... in fact, earlier in the week, I wrote a similar > letter to Eve > Haverfield ... through an e-mail link that I found on that site. She > has not > yet responded. > > A quick response (either positive or negative) would be greatly > appreciated! > We need to be well underway by the middle of November, and done by the > first week in January. > > Thank-you for any assistance which you can give to us, > Cathy Colwell Ms. Colwell, I would be happy to help when I am able. I am in the field a great deal so my response to messages may be spotty. In the meantime your students may want to visit a site on light pollution sponsored by the International Dark Sky Association (http://www.darksky.org/ida). Let me know how I can help. Blair -- Blair Witherington, Ph.D. Florida Department of Environmental Protection Florida Marine Research Institute 9700 South A1A Melbourne Beach, Florida 32951 USA E-Mail: spinnaker@prodigy.net Phone: 407-674-1801 FAX: 407-674-1804