STAR Kids Celebrate World Ocean Day
With the help of STAR, over 1000 children visited Nicholas Canyon Beach to celebrate World Ocean Day. The children were greeted by staff from STAR Education, and the STAR Eco Station, along with members of the Chumash Tribe, a Native American people who have lived in a symbiotic relationship with the sea for thousands of years. Some of these students had never even seen the ocean before. This was a day they all will never forget.
STAR Kids and Members of the Chumash Tribe Celebrate on the Beach
Students rotated through various learning stations run by STAR. They learned about the interdependence of aquatic creatures, developed an understanding of the disturbance to the natural order caused by trash flowing into the ocean, and participated in an in-depth analysis of what might be done to stop it. Everyone was thrilled by a Coast Guard helicopter that performed a flyover to acknowledge the efforts of both students and teachers to protect the waters they patrol every day.
Luis, a STAR student at Nora Sterry Elementary, expressed the matter simply. “If we don’t take care of the ocean we will kill the animals that live in it,” Luis said. “Then we’ll have no fish to eat.”
Mati Waiya, the Chumash ceremonial leader, performed traditional dances with several other members of the tribe, and spoke with students about Chumash tradition and the importance of keeping our oceans clean.
Mati Waiya and Another Chumash Tribesman Perform a Traditonal Dance
“In the time of our Chumash ancestors, there was abundance and the world was flourishing,” Waiya said. “Their spirits inhabit this sacred ground. I know those spirits smile today as they see us take children by the hand and tell them of a time when an ancient people co-existed with nature and maintained a balance. “
Raniyah, a STAR student at Loyola Village elementary, took the message to heart. “Now that I know trash can go into the ocean, I’m never going to litter again,” Raniyah said. “I’m going to pick up trash and put it where it belongs.”
Mati Waiya, the Chumash leader, trumpeted the importance of doing all that we can to clean the waters that cover over 70% of the Earth’s surface, not for our sake, but for the sake of the next generation. “The ocean belongs to all of us,” Waiya said. “It is the birth right of every child. We must invest ourselves in a future we will never see, but one that all of our children deserve.”
The Sun Sets Over the Pacific After a Day of Learning and Laughter
STAR Education and the STAR ECO Station remain tirelessly devoted to our mission of Preservation through Education, as we excite young minds and inspire the youth to think and act positively to make the world a better, cleaner place. By teaching children about ancient cultures who respected the Earth, and by exposing them to the modern problems (and solutions!) the world now faces, STAR fosters a new generation of leaders who can literally save the planet.
Another Awesome Earth Day
The 11th Annual STAR Eco Station Children’s Earth Day was an enormous success, spreading the message of environmentalism and good cheer to tens of thousands of families at the largest Earth Day event in Los Angeles. This was our most eco-friendly festival ever, with solar generators to provide power, free recycled market bags, vegetarian cuisine with environmentally friendly utensils and containers, and Earth-conscious prizes and gifts.
Even The Smallest Among Us Can Help Save The Planet!It was the kind of exciting and educational day only STAR can provide, filled with warmth, passion, talent and learning from start to finish. The festival featured tons of entertaining and informative offerings from our environmental partners, engaging tours of the STAR Eco Station, performances from over a thousand STAR students that had audiences stomping to the beat, and appearances by celebrities and politicians, all rejoicing in the planet we share.
Mother Earth Is All Smiles On Earth Day!
State Senator Curren Price received the STAR award for “Service to Education” and addressed the gathering about the importance of education and the environment. Senator Price, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and Assemblywoman Holly Mitchell gave graciously of their time and efforts, mingling with students, parents and teachers, taking time to address their questions and concerns regarding both the state of the planet and the state of our local schools. Assemblywoman Mitchell also took home the “Children’s Advocate Award”. We want to thank Supervisor Ridley-Thomas coming to show his support of the STAR Eco Station and of Children’s Earth Day and dialoguing with so many of the visitors at the event. All three of these political leaders were thoughtful and generous with their time, and helped underscore the importance of restoring the ecological balance.
L.A. District Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas Took Time To Celebrate The Planet!The “Community Service Award” was presented to the student volunteers from Loyola Marymount University. Other honors included the “Environmental Innovation Award” which was given to Eco Boardworks’ owners Todd Patterson and Ryan Harris, and the “Community Partnership Award” given to UCLA. Students from Pacific Palisades High School received the “Junior Community Service Award”, while Children’s Earth Day co-founder Marla Wolkowtiz received the “Community Advocate Award”.
Child actor Adrian Kali Turner (“iCarly”, “Yo Gabba Gabba” and the upcoming feature “Bad Teacher”) talked to kids about ways they could reduce, re-use and recycle. Actress Carmen Serrano (“Malcolm and Eddie”, “Breaking Bad”) cheered on the efforts of students to help save the planet. L.A. Sparks basketball player Ebony Hoffman delivered the message of improving environmental protection with the aid of the team’s mascot, Sparky, who was a big hit with the kids.
Child Star Adrian Kali-Turner Addresses The Crowd
Sparky Makes Some New Earth Day Friends!Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the day was the hundreds of students from various STAR Schools who performed on the main stage in celebration of the planet. Decked out in outfits from 1920s flappers to punk rockers, students read poems, sang, danced, and made beautiful music in tribute to this hunk of rock, sand, soil, water and plants we all call home. The world belongs to these children, and they are our greatest responsibility. Their performances were a reminder to us that our children and our planet should be the focus of our attention.
STAR Dancers Leap Through The Air That We All Breathe!
We want to thank all of our wonderful sponsors: New York Life, Sevia All-Natural Soda, the L.A. Sparks, and Felbro. Many thanks as well to our donors: Izzie Sparkling Juice, Lenzini’s Pizza, Eco Pouch, and Coca-Cola. We greatly appreciate the dedicated efforts of The Karma Foundation, whose representatives were on hand to lend their friendship and support to the cause. We also want to offer a special thank you to our partners at UCLA and Loyola Marymount University.
We hope to see of all of you at our 12th Annual STAR Eco Station Children’s Earth Day Festival next year. Until then, let’s make every day Earth Day!
Treat the Earth well; it was not given to you by your parents; it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.
– Native American Proverb
Once again, a very special thanks to the hundreds and hundreds of STAR student performers and their instructors who helped make the day so vibrant and joyous. The following schools and organizations contributed marvelous performances to the celebration:
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59th Street Elementary |
Loyola Village Elementary |
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7th Street Elementary |
Mar Vista Elementary |
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All STAR Band |
Marquez Elementary |
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Brentwood Elementary |
Mt. Washington Elementary |
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Broadway Elementary |
Nora Sterry Elementary |
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Canfield Elementary |
Open Charter Elementary |
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Canyon Elementary |
Overland Elementary |
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Carpenter Elementary |
Pacific Palisades Elementary |
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Carthay Center Elementary |
Paseo Del Rey Elementary |
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Castle Heights Elementary |
Roscomare Elementary |
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Clover Elementary |
Rosewood Elementary |
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Cowan Elementary |
STAR Prep All STAR Bands |
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Dixie Canyon Elementary |
Topanga Elementary |
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El Rincon Elementary |
TRZ Student STAR Prep Band |
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Eshelman Elementary |
Walgrove Elementary |
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Fairburn Elementary |
Warner Elementary |
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Gardner Elementary |
Watts Learning Center Elementary |
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Kenter Canyon Elementary |
Westport Elementary |
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Kentwood Elementary |
Westwood Elementary |
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Kester Elementary |
Wonderland Elementary |
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La Ballona Elementary |
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We also wish to thank our many exhibitors!
| Heal The Bay |
| The Saint Martin’s Animal Foundation |
| Child Help |
| Animal Acres |
| Reef Check Foundation |
| Orangutan Foundation International/ RAN |
| South Bay Chapter of Surfrider Foundation |
| Tree People |
| The Pacific Americas Branch of the International Guild of Knot Tyers |
| Ballona Creek Renaissance |
| Calrecycle |
| Pacific Wild Life |
| Santa Monica Bay Restoration foundation |
LMU Partnership Off To A Great Start
More than sixty student volunteers from Loyola Marymount University descended on the Eco Station recently, along with volunteer coordinators and the president of the university himself. The volunteers helped make improvements to the exotic rescued wildlife habitats, along with performing overall upkeep on the entire station.
This was the latest step in STAR’s developing collaboration with LMU. Joint projects are already under way to further enhance our programs through the efforts of these smart, dedicated, and eager college students from one of the top schools in the nation. The LMU students couldn’t be more excited about our burgeoning partnership. “I really appreciate the efforts of STAR Education and the Eco Station,” said LMU Sophomore Louise Sutton. “They save the lives of animals…they care about the environment…and they educate our city’s youth!”
STAR Leadership Shares Insights at Science Conference
Katya Bozzi, Executive Director of STAR, and Katiana Bozzi, Associate Executive Director of the STAR Eco Station, attended the National Science Teachers Association 2011 Conference in San Francisco. They hosted an exhibit on STAR Science, interacted with scientists and other leading science educators in the nation, and explored together some of the latest cutting-edge developments in science. Katya and Katiana also shared with their fellow educators STAR’s distinctive, project-based approach to the study of science. The lessons gained from these discussions will bolster STAR’s already first-rate science program.
“It was a wonderful opportunity to learn from scientists and other educators and to give them a window into STAR’s unique, hands-on approach to studying science,” Katya said. As STAR implements many of the lessons gained from the conference, our students can look forward to even more fresh and innovative approaches to science education.
Another Awesome African-American Art Festival
Our annual African-American Art Festival on Saturday, February 12, was a joyous celebration of African-American Heritage month as STAR showcased the works of emerging and established artists with performances by hip-hop dancers and musicians, as well as celebrity guests – plus food vendors, crafts and more!
DinoFaire Delights All
The STAR ECO Station hosted its most popular Dinofaire ever on Sunday, January 30th, with over 800 in attendance! Kids delighted to Dino Man, who got them involved in learning all about dinosaurs, and gave them a chance to frolic with inflatable models worthy of Jurassic Park.
Dino Man Demonstrates With Life-Sized Dinosaur Model!
A special “Dino Dig” yielded all sorts of plastic dinosaur miniatures that kids then figured out how to identify. A Dino-mite time was had by all, and we hope to see even you more of you getting down with the dinosaurs next year!
STAR Eco Station and STAR Science In Vanguard At California Teachers Conference
The STAR Science Department led the way once again at this year’s California Science Teachers Conference. Department heads Tanya Silva and Josh Moskowitz delivered a presentation to over 1500 educators on new California environmental standards – standards that our own STAR Eco Station helped create!
Josh and Tanya Demonstrate A Solution To Clean Oil Spoils
“It was a really fulfilling experience to help so many other educators understand the new and exciting developments in science education and environmentalism,” Josh said.
Tanya and Josh performed an experiment involving a mock oil spill and the methods that can be used to clean it up, and got down and dirty demonstrating the way a worm composting farm works. The other attendees flocked to the STAR Science Booth, intrigued both by what our department heads had to say, and by the Albino California King Snake they had on display from the Sacramento STAR Eco Station.
STAR Iguana Undergoes Surgery
Freddie the Green Iguana is one of the latest additions to the STAR ECO Station’s exotic wildlife rescue center. Freddie came to us with a dead tail resulting from an injury at her old home. The injury had gone untreated by her previous owners. Her tail was badly infected and the only solution was a very pricey amputation. Dr. Jennifer Conrad of Animal General Hospital was able to provide the surgery for her.
Freddie is recovering nicely. However, we need your help! The STAR ECO Station is raising money to pay the bill for this procedure. To make a donation, please visit www.ecostation.org or call the ECO Station at 310-842-8060.
ECO Station Rescues Parrots
The STAR ECO Station has rescued seven parrots that were living in an unfit home. The birds were devoid of feathers, a common response to inattention and lack of care. The ECO Station built a rehab center to nurse them back to health. Two ECO Station volunteers, Frankie and Bill Rodman, spent countless hours with these parrots, as well as the rest of our rescued birds.
Sadly, Frankie passed away from cancer on October 28th, 2010. In honor of the work she and Bill did on the parrots’ behalf, the ECO Station will name the newly constructed rehab facility “Frankie and Bill’s Parrot Rehab Center”. Work remains to be done in the construction of their habitats and we need more funding to complete the process! Please make a donation so that we can restore these birds to full health. To donate, visit www.ecostation.org or call the ECO Station at 310-842-8060.
STARS SHINE FOR FOSTER KIDS AT THE STAR ECO STATION!
A thousand foster children attended “The Day Of The Child”, a mentoring event and celebration with a host of celebrities at the STAR ECO Station this Sunday, November 14th. The STAR ECO Station is an Environmental Science Museum and Exotic Wildlife Rescue Center in Culver City. The children are part of Children Uniting Nations, a non-profit organization that brings attention to the plight of at-risk and foster youth. This was Children Uniting Nations’ first “Eco-Mentoring” event.
Adrian Grenier ("Entourage") Rocked The Crowd Of Young Fans
Children learned the importance of environmental awareness through interactions with both volunteer mentors and stars from the world of sports and entertainment. Adrian Grenier (“Entourage”) performed with his band The Honey Brothers. L.A. Laker Ron Artest dropped by to deliver an inspirational message. Academy-Award-winner Forest Whitaker lent his gravitas to the event as well. Actresses Gabrielle Union (“Bring It On”) and Michelle Trachtenberg (“Buffy The Vampire Slayer”) were also on hand to inspire the kids.
The STAR ECO Station Grounds Transformed Into An Amusement Park!The kids played games, enjoyed carnival-style rides, and delighted in all that the ECO Station has to offer, from its entertaining environmental science exhibits, to the hundreds of rescued exotic wildlife, including pythons, alligators and bobcats. It was a wild day for rejoicing and re-enforcing the message that all children everywhere deserve the care and attention of adults, and that all of us, children and adult alike, must join together to help save our precious planet.