Pat Cooke Fellowship: Coral Restoration, Community,

& Resilience in Puerto Rico

Olivia Graeff-Fanelli & Xavier Ramdial

We partnered with the Coral Nursery of Puerto Rico

and learned about…

• Coral Restoration & Aquaculture!
• Basic Laboratory procedures including tank maintenance, testing water quality, and water filtration.
• The lab’s

Environmental education program

The Lab’s Facilities:

Going to the office: Exploring Coral Reefs!

Puerto Rican Water Crisis

• Our fellowship quickly became about more than just coral restoration.

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• Upon the day of our arrival, a major pipe failure left tens of thousands of Puerto Rican residents without running water.

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• The National Guard was deployed to help distribute water and respond to the crisis

The Human Cost of Water Insecurity

The entire neighborhood where we were staying lost access to running water.

People could no longer:

• Wash their hands
• Shower
• Flush toilets
• Cook or clean

Xavier and I quickly befriended our neighbors. Despite language barriers, we worked together to carry heavy buckets and bottles of water up multiple flights of stairs just to meet basic needs.

I learned this was not an isolated crisis; Puerto Rico has faced repeated water shortages tied to aging infrastructure and environmental challenges.

I became especially aware of how elderly and disabled residents were disproportionately affected.

Power & Privilege

• I also saw the inequity of water access; being that Puerto Rico is a popular tourist location, hotels and resorts often had greater access to imported water than local residents.

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• After about a week, I could leave Puerto Rico and return home to reliable running water.

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• I could leave the crisis behind. The people who live there could not.

Environmental Sustainability: Learning from the Island

• Outside of our program goals, we explored Puerto Rico’s diverse natural environments, including El Yunque National Forest

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• We learned how Puerto Rico’s natural resources shape daily life

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• Witnessed SO many renewable energy sites!

EL Yunque

• Learned about rainwater collection and water conservation in the Rainforest
• Considered how communities can use natural resources more sustainably
• Reflected on how environmental education can inspire people to care for and protect their communities.

And then there were the cats… EVERYWHERE!

A completely unexpected part of the fellowship.

• I met SO many cats!!!

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• I had mother cats literally lead me to their kittens to feed them.

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• I would LOVE to return to Puerto Rico for the sole purpose of rescuing street cats.

How I will bring this experience into my classroom?

GOAL: Develop and teach a 1-week case study for students on…

• Coral restoration and protection
• Water pollution and conservation
• Climate change’s real-time impact on communities

Approach:

• Use real photos from my trip
• Incorporate informational texts & data
• End with a scientific argument proposing solutions
• Evaluate solutions by:
• Scientific effectiveness
• Impact on people, communities, and ecosystems

Representation Matters!!!

• One of my biggest takeaways was the importance of connecting science to students’:
• Cultures
• Identities
• Communities
• Lived experiences
• I want my students to see environmental science as something that connects to their own lives and communities

Thank You Pat Cooke Foundation!

• Thank you for giving us the opportunity to learn beyond the walls of our classrooms. This fellowship gave us experiences we will carry into our teaching and lives for years to come

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• Thank you for investing in teachers, students, and the communities we serve.