A Presentation by Charles & Linda Raabe
Mactan Island, The Philippines
10 March 2008
Today the class of teachers Ethel and Charlyn enjoyed a field trip to
the home of Charles and Linda Raabe to be given a presentation about
the coral reefs and a few of its inhabitants that surround our
beautiful island.
While the children were able to spend time viewing a few of the coral reef inhabitants at the home of Charles and Linda, they were also taught what those animals and algae need in order to live and grow.
The topics discussed with the children today were:
The children fascinated with the life they were able to see living in the sand
The children were able to hold and examine a variety of starfish and learned how starfish move, what they eat and how they eat it. Feeding time was also a favorite as the children were able to witness our pet cuttlefish capture its food while learning that the cuttlefish are related to the squids and octopus they are most familiar with.
A few children who now no longer fear starfish
It is our hope that the children learned a greater appreciation and respect for the life that lives in our ocean and will have a greater understanding of that life when they encounter it during their trips to the beach.
Parents, please take a few minutes and discuss with your children what they learned today and how we can better care for the coral reefs ensuring they will be with us for our grandchildren to enjoy. Shown below is the most destructive practice that a single person can do to our reefs, the use of explosives to kill fish that in turn kill and destroy entire sections of the reef that will remain useless for a great many years.
We would like to thank the Teachers and the Children for their visit and allowing us to share with you some of the wonders to be found in our beautiful oceans.
Charles & Linda Raabe
While the children were able to spend time viewing a few of the coral reef inhabitants at the home of Charles and Linda, they were also taught what those animals and algae need in order to live and grow.
The topics discussed with the children today were:
- Where the local coral reefs are found.
- That a coral is an animal and not a plant.
- The symbiotic relationship of the corals and algae.
- How corals obtain food.
- The diversity of the coral reefs and what they provide to us.
- How algae and seagrasses clean the water and provide food for other life.
- The dangers that the coral reefs face.
The children fascinated with the life they were able to see living in the sand
The children were able to hold and examine a variety of starfish and learned how starfish move, what they eat and how they eat it. Feeding time was also a favorite as the children were able to witness our pet cuttlefish capture its food while learning that the cuttlefish are related to the squids and octopus they are most familiar with.
A few children who now no longer fear starfish
It is our hope that the children learned a greater appreciation and respect for the life that lives in our ocean and will have a greater understanding of that life when they encounter it during their trips to the beach.
Parents, please take a few minutes and discuss with your children what they learned today and how we can better care for the coral reefs ensuring they will be with us for our grandchildren to enjoy. Shown below is the most destructive practice that a single person can do to our reefs, the use of explosives to kill fish that in turn kill and destroy entire sections of the reef that will remain useless for a great many years.
We would like to thank the Teachers and the Children for their visit and allowing us to share with you some of the wonders to be found in our beautiful oceans.
Charles & Linda Raabe