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Field Trip Offers Chance To Grow

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By JOHN CEBALLOS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 30, 2008

BALM - This year, the theme at Riverview's Summerfield Elementary School is growing young learners.

To that end, 300 students from the school visited the University of Florida's Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, 14625 County Road 672, to learn what happens behind the scenes in an agricultural research center.

"Obviously, this trip goes along with our school's theme for the year," said Marcy Ringdahl, media specialist and network administrator at Summerfield Elementary. "We're teaching the kids all about growing into becoming good learners."

The visit was split into two days. First, fifth, and half of third grade stopped by Jan. 24, and the second half of third grade was joined by fourth-graders and students in the autistic spectrum disorder class the following day.

When they arrived, the children were led into an auditorium for a brief presentation on the research center's work and an outline of the day's events.

"We like to let people know that the University of Florida is about more than Tim Tebow, football and basketball," said Christine Cooley, media coordinator for the center. "We're very interested in, and we work hard to help farmers across the state."

The Balm facility is one of 12 University of Florida research centers in the state, Cooley said.

The centers' mission is to develop and disseminate scientific knowledge and technology regarding commercial agriculture that will assist Florida's producers in being competitive in the world economy.

Several times each year, the center passes along that knowledge to visiting groups such as the Summerfield students.

"We have garden clubs, home-school groups stop by," Cooley said. "Basically, any group that's interested in learning about our work can come over."

After the introductory presentation, the students were split into four groups; each group spent about 20 minutes at four designated areas.

The stops included a hands-on science station where students learned about entomology, wildlife ecology, soil and water science, and plant pathology; an environmental horticulture greenhouse; a trip to the lab of Jim Price, associate professor of entomology; and a visit to the strawberry field.

"I was a teacher for 20 years, so I'm used to dealing with a big group of kids," said Charla Pfeffinger, Cooley's mother, who led the strawberry demonstration on the first day.

At the end of the visit, each student received pencils, coloring books and buttons to commemorate their visit.

"We love it when we have visitors, especially young children," Cooley said. "Their excitement is absolutely contagious."

Reporter John Ceballos can be reached at (813) 865-1555 or jceballos@tampatrib.com.

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