A Chapman School student looks through a microscope at moon snails.

Grantee: Chapman School
Project: Microscopes for Moon Snail Project

"Once again I would like to thank the Homer Foundation for their support of the [National Science Foundation] Moonsnail Project my class is involved with this year. We have received the Wolfe Microscope, and it has been busy for hours each day. We have looked at shells, beehives, crystals, sand from Marble Beach in Seldovia, insects, earthworms, chitins, pond water and more!

The world of the microscope has been opened up to 24 4/5th grade students. Part of the project is to work with classification of invertebrates. It's one thing to see a picture of a Protista in a book and quite another to see it swimming in the pond water you brought in to view!

We are now starting the identification and sorting of the shell samples from Kachemak Bay, Georgia and the million year old fossil samples I lugged back fro North Carolina. Next spring our class will be taking a trip to Peterson and China Poot Bays to collect more samples. We also plan to sample the Anchor Point Beach and Mud Bay. We will document our learning on our website, which is linked to the main site at www.moonsnail.org.

Our data will be entered into the computer and compared with data from the other schools. We are looking at the percent of shells by species that have been drilled by the Arctic and Aleutian moonsnails in our area.

If the NSF grant is renewed, we will be continuing to work with Dr. Kelly and Dr. Hansen for years to come. Regardless, we will continue the project here at Chapman School. Thank you again for your generous support."

Sincerely,
Carol Demers and the 4th & 5th grade class at Chapman School

Note: Chapman School received a grant from the Homer Foundation Unrestricted Fund for the Wolfe Microscope, and an additional award from the KLEPS Fund, a Donor Advised Fund at the Homer Foundation, for a second Wolfe Microscope and a digital camera.