Samoa Science 2003

  • Roots, looking like Medusa's hair of snakes, hover loosely over a menagerie of dirt, rocks, and trash. Along the beaches of Utulei, numerous areas show soil erosion and pollution, due to Tutuila's constant rainshowers, as well as trash and waste washed down from nearby businesses and homes. Instead of making an effort to clean the beach, people have been dumping their trash. When it rains, the trash washes toward the beach, causing an eyesore of litter and contributing to the wearing away of the soil, deteriorating Tutuila's beachfront areas. In this photo, rubbish is washed down from the streets due to recent downpours, therefore causing soil erosion and threatening to destroy the beautiful beaches of Tutuila.
  • The red-orange flower glows peacefully, leaving a glittering sense of a hot, fresh summer day. Its glistening complexion attracts birds to its seeds, allowing it to populate the land. The sprouting flower derives from a timber wood tree used by Samoans for cultural and medicinal practice. Additionally, it provides a sensational reflection of the island's beauty and holds the land for future generations.
  • The fishing boats (alias), built of modern technology, dock restfully at the Marine and Wildlife Resources (MWR) small wharf in Fagatogo Bay like cars parking in a lot, oblivious of their surrounding and activities. The majority of the island habitants seem not to consider or mind the fact that the fishing boats (alias), built of modern technology and now mainly used by the local fishermen, affect the small island environment adversely, more than the similar type of fishing boats (alias), all-tree built and used by local native fishermen of past generations. The former can be harmful to the environment because they cause air, water, and noise pollution, but the latter do not affect the environment. In fact, they are harmonious with the environment.
  • A blue deep, shining-like-crystals ocean of American Samoa attracted many tourists to visit the beautiful, green mountains of our small and secure island . Its seawalls brought new, big changes to the island as one of the biggest improvements made with government money. Clean ocean, new seawalls, and green land flush with beauty show how our environment looks. Birds, fish, animals, and God's last creation Ð people Ð live happily on our land. To save and to protect our environment, we, people of American Samoa, work together to clean our environment so more tourists will be happy to see our beautiful island. Our environment will be our ambassador to help spread more about us throughout the world.
  • Piles of rocks stand motionless, ready to be stewards of the land. The effects of the tides, as they rise, cause erosion on the shorelines and potholes on the highway. Man's inventions and pollution contribute to the physical changes of our environment.
  • Like Hawaiian hula dancers swaying leisurely in the wind passing by, so is the luscious foliage along the mountainside of Utulei. Yet, in the midst of its beauty, it embraces the pure essence of soil erosion spoiling the splendor of its landscape. Soil erosion, caused by heavy rain and deforestation, transports debris from nearby streams, rivers, and homes to the beaches, causing them to be an eyesore to the public. Instead of uprooting trees from their natural habitats to be used as resources, we, as humans, must plant a tree in order to take one out.
  • Looking weary but ready to defend again, the aging coconut trunk stands strongly and proudly at the edge of the shoreline. This coconut tree has been planted there with the purpose of desisting land erosion caused by strong waves. Like fingers from a strong hand, the exposed roots reach out to secure and to preserve the remaining soil from washing into the sea. Besides having edible fruits and multi-beneficial leaves, a coconut tree is also known for its long, strong, thick, and clustering roots.
  • Beauty, yet the beast, tides can move swiftly and viciously at the same time. Tides can beat away at palm trees until they are left with just a stump, making the remaining roots flow out to sea as vegetation for sea urchins. The tides are a beauty to watch, but remember what they can do.
  • Growing in the grass by the sea on this beautiful day, the coconut tree wants to reach out to the sky so that one day, it will grow bigger and bear fruits. This tree needs lots of space in order to grow bigger. It helps prevent soil erosion, provide oxygen, and beautify our environment. It's an important resource for all other living things.
  • Standing victorious like a general, surveying the aftermath of a battle, this tree stands strong after a major landslide, fortunately, because of its roots embedded deep in the soil and rocks. Its structure speaks for itself being solid and sound in withstanding the elements. It illustrates when an individual is down the only way to go is up..
  • Calm scenery, watching peacefully out from underneath the hills of green vegetation like a mother with her sleeping baby, awaits a companion to join in on the silence. Here it's clean with no litter or trash floating on the ocean's surface, making it possible for our coral reefs, as well as other undersea organisms, to live another day. But it's not recommended for swimming. It's a good place to just relax and let your troubles go, with the clouds floating by in the baby blue sky.

As part of a workshop on integrating technology into the science curriculum, several science teachers in American Samoa did a Picturing Science photojournalism project. Teachers picked an essential question to answer via photography. After taking three to four pictures, they used oil pastels to draw a creative rendition of one of them. Using their photographs and art, they were guided through activities to come up with descriptive words and metaphors, bringing those together into a caption about their photograph. The captions were based on the type of writing found in magazines such as National Geographic, in which photographers and writers use images and words to make a statement based in scientific fact and expressed through creative literary elements.