U.S./China Environmental Education Exchange (September, 2000)

Schedule

Tuesday, September 12th:

The GEA-China delegation will travel from Beijing to the San Francisco International Airport, courtesy of United Airlines, arriving early in the afternoon. Once in San Francisco, representatives from Mayor Willie L. Brown 's office and Christopher A. Lin, General Manager for United Airlines/Asia will officially welcome the group to the US. The group will then board their vehicles for travel to the Monterey Bay area where they will spend the night.

Wednesday, September 13th:

For their first full day in the US, the Monterey Aquarium will host the group with a "behind the scenes" look at the premier marine reserve in the country. The students will be treated to a glimpse of the complexities of the inner working of the aquarium, a one-of-a-kind marine display and education center. Also included in the tour will be a discussion on how Monterey Bay was degraded by development and over fishing early in this century and then only recently restored through sound management practices.

Following lunch at the Aquarium the group will depart for Fresno, California and the Baird School of International Studies. The principal, members of the school board, host families and City officials will welcome the group with an American style potluck dinner.

After dinner the students will join their host families for their first night in an American home. By spending time with their host families, the Chinese students will be making friends that will transcend time and cultural differences, and in the spirit of exchange, one day the American students may have the opportunity to join their new friends in China.

Thursday, September 14th:

The teachers and students will attend classes at Baird Middle School, nationally recognized as a leader in the use of "cooperative education techniques." This portion of the visit strikes at the heart for the purpose of the trip; learning about the different educational techniques and establishing communication links between the students of China and the US.

In the afternoon the Chinese and American students will travel to the San Joaquin River to an environmentally sensitive area that has undergone habitat restoration. The students will see an area replanted with native plants and view a video on the restoration of the river. The mayor and other governmental dignitaries will be on hand to greet the students and share in this event. The students will then travel by canoe down the river to an island that is a rookery for many native birds. Dinner will be with their host families.

The government officials will meet with County and City officials to learn more about the government and city management system. A dinner hosted by the Fresno Unified School District will be provided for the teachers and government officials at the Bulldog Brewery. There will be a tour of the grounds where Bob Boro, renowned landscape designer, will discuss the environmental design of the grounds.

Friday, September 15th:

The morning will start with attending classes at Baird Middle School to be followed by an afternoon departure for Los Angeles. The route will take the group through California's Central Valley where they will learn about California's agricultural practices and the efforts undertaken to protect the soil and water.

The group will arrive in Los Angeles at 6:00 pm where the will be hosted by Universal Studios. After settling into their rooms they will enjoy a special poolside dinner under the twinkling lights with the spectacular backdrop of Universal Studios.

Saturday, September 16th:

The GEA-China delegation will have the opportunity to be introduced to a couple of the Chinese student's "biggest" American heroes while spending the day at Universal Studios. They will have the great fortune to personally meet with Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, two mainstays of the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers Basketball Team, for the Shaqtacular Games. Being avid basketball fans, we are certain that the students will mark this encounter as a "highpoint" of their visit. A VIP tour follows of Universal Studios and a peek at the "behinds the scenes" action. That evening the students will enjoy dinner at "Rock City" with the rest of their time free to enjoy all the attractions that Universal Studios offers its visitors.

Sunday, September 17th:

The group departs Universal City to travel across town for a morning of adventure at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. This state-of-the art center offers a firsthand experience where one "can unlock the power of technology through understanding the science behind it." Time will be spent visiting exhibits including: Life Tunnel, Cell Lab, Look Up, Energy Factory, Supply Network, Life Source, Bodyworks and so much more. This center offers a "Hands-on Minds-on" experience while journeying through the wonders of science. Gary Conrad, President of Howard Building Corp will generously host lunch at the center.

After lunch they will start their journey north for a visit to the Shambala Game Reserve, a haven for over seventy African Lions, Royal Bengal and Siberian Tigers, Spotted, Black and Snow Leopards, Servals, a Cheetah, a Jungle Cat, Mountain Lions, as well as two magnificent African Elephants. They will experience a three hour "safari" where they will see these exotic animals from around the world.

A late afternoon drive travels takes them further north up the east side and through the Sierra Mountains to Mono Lake, just outside Yosemite National Park. The group will spend the night on their first overnight camp out.

Monday, September 18th:

While in the Mono Lake area the students will learn about the preservation of water in the West. In the mid 1930's, Los Angeles, like Beijing today, was experiencing rapid growth. The city and county development required more water than the Los Angeles area could supply, so an aqueduct was constructed to bring water from the northeast side of the Sierras to the L.A. basin. Beijing is now proposing a similar aqueduct to bring water to the city from the south of China. During the confrontations experienced over water for Los Angeles, Mono Lake's unique bird population suffered dramatically, however, it has now been stabilized in part because of the new attention that must now be paid to the environmental consequences of resource management.

The group will travel west into the high country of Yosemite National Park to tour the region, guided by an environmental education specialist, and learn how and why the national park system was developed and how the parks are managed today. The night will be spent enjoying an old west style "mystery dinner" and then camping out under the stars at Mariposa California.

Tuesday, September 19th:

The delegation will spend the day in Yosemite Valley where the Chief Park Ranger will offer a talk about the Yosemite master plan for resource management. Yosemite National Park has been a leader in resource management and currently is implementing a new and aggressive plan to manage this national treasure. The group will hike to Vernal and Nevada waterfalls, and then drive to the world famous Glacier Point and on to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. The group will spend another night under the star filled Sierra sky at their camp in Mariposa.

Wednesday, September 20th:

The students will rise early on the banks of the Merced River and bid farewell to Yosemite, returning to San Francisco for their flight to the nation's capital Washington D.C., with air transportation provided by the generous support of United Airlines. Accommodations while in D.C. will be the Normandy Inn, which is very near the Chinese Embassy.

Thursday, September 21st:

The day begins with a tour of the U.S. Capitol and a briefing by the staff of the House Natural Resources Committee. In the afternoon we will visit the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior. The group will see first hand how decisions are made regarding management of the nation's natural resources on a national level.

Friday, September 22nd:

The delegation will spend the first part of the day on the White House grounds, beginning with a visit to the Globe Program headquarters. We will have a private tour of this premier environmental education program. This office is the center for a project that has active environmental education programs running in 93 countries around the world. We will spend the rest of the morning on a VIP visit to the White House.

The afternoon begins at the Thomas Jefferson Magnet School for Science and Technology in Annandale, Virginia where we will have lunch and the opportunity for the students to visit classes in afternoon. We will then transfer to Chapel Square Station, the Fairfax County Network Center where multimedia and distance learning programs are developed for both international audiences and the US. We will enjoy a private tour of these facilities with Dr. Judith Garcia, Program Director.

Saturday, September 23rd:

The day will be spent visiting the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. We will be honored with a "behind-the-scenes" tour of the facilities with museum officials and see the IMAX/3D film "Galapagos." A picnic lunch will be enjoyed on the National Mall followed by visits to the other Smithsonian museums, such as the Air and Space Museum and the National Gallery of Art.

Sunday, September 24th:

In the morning we will visit the National Zoo and have the rare opportunity to meet with Dr. Rebecca Spindler and other members of the scientific team in charge of the National Zoo's work with the Chinese on the Giant Panda conservation program. We will meet with the volunteers who are being trained to work with the new Giant Pandas soon to arrive from China

In the afternoon we will travel to the Smithsonian's Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal, Virginia (near Shenandoah National Park, 1.5 hours west of DC). This is a 3100-acre breeding facility for endangered wildlife from around the world and is the Smithsonian's lead training and education center for wildlife officials worldwide. Dr. Spindler will host us on a hayride "safari" around the pastures and do a briefing with other people involved in Chinese projects. The night may possibly be spent at the facility or we will return to D.C.

Monday, September 25th:

Early morning departure of the delegation from Dulles International Airport for their return flights to Beijing, compliments of United Airlines.

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