On April 28-30 Alisha Dunlap and Mark Seier were invited to attend the Sea World/Busch Gardens Environmental Excellence Awards Presentation at Sea World in Orlando, Florida. They were invited because of Newman Grove Schools’ participation in the Henry Doorly Zoo project on Chytrid fungus and amphibian extinction.

Alisha Dunlap was chosen by the Zoo to attend because of her continuation with the study of how atrazine affects amphibians. There were seven other winning teams from other areas of the United States.

Thursday evening was spent at Discovery Cove for dinner with a presentation by one of the dolphin trainers from Sea World. They also brought around animals we could pet from the park, such as a sloth, frogmouthed owl, and a baby armadillo. Friday was a full day starting with presentations of the winning projects, a show and award presentation by Jack Hannah, behind the scene tours of Sea World, rides at the theme park, and a special show of the Orca/killer Whale (Shamu). It was a very relaxing and enjoyable trip to meet new people and enjoy the hospitality of the Sea World Staff.