How my journey began!

My name is Teresa Leigh Kelley.  I am a 3rd year biology teacher at Moss Point High School in Moss Point Mississippi.  It is a small town on the Mississippi gulf coast and by the Pascagoula River. The Pascagoula River is a landmark because it is the only free flowing river in the United States.  I really love working in the Moss Point School District. These children are faced with a lot of challenges but it does not let it stop them from succeeding.  In a way, I view them as heroes.   We were hit very hard by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Moss Point is a low lying land area with severe flooding problems.  Because of the flooding problems, the environment is a huge concern for Moss Point.  There is a problem with run-offs of oil, gas, and other things flowing into the Pascagoula River and damaging the marine life.  
     I have been asked to join a wonderful group of teachers to go to Costa Rica this summer to study the Tropical Rainforest and climate change in the rainforest.  Ecology and environmental problems are becoming a huge part of biology and how to preserve the environment and the problems that happens with the food web and food chain of animals when the environment is being damaged or destroyed.  This is a chance of a lifetime and I never thought it would happen to me.  This is how my journey to Costa Rica began.
     Around the 3rd week in February I was asked to join a group of 3 wonderful teachers here on the coast to apply for a two week study on ecology in Costa Rica.  Of course I jumped at the chance of a lifetime.  This Eco Classroom is being funded by Northrop Grumman and Conservation International. Only 4 groups of 4 teachers will be selected to attend this trip. We came up with a presentation on biodiversity in the Costa Rica and the biodiversity of the Mississippi gulf coast area.  We are to apply what we learn in Costa Rica to the Mississippi gulf coast.  I had to send in a 600 word essay on myself and why I should go on the trip.  I wrote a very heart felt essay and we sent our application, presentation, and essay to Virginia on March 15th.  Keep in mind I really never expected to hear back about this trip.