Due to a recent donation from the mother of Sandy Eun, we have money for a swingset on the way. It has long been the dream of Papa Negro, the founder of the orphanage, to have a sturdy swingset in front ofthe orphanage for all to see. It would show children having fun and would represent the joy in the lives of children here. Hopefully we will go shopping for the swingset in Santiago at the end of this week.
Book in Editorial Phase
Dale has written a book titled THE HERO WITHIN, based on a three hour orientation lecture he gives to every group of volunteers who pass through here. He has woven additional threads of information through the tapestry of the book by showing how the stories of Jacob, Jesus, and even Buddha, illustrate the Journey of the Hero. He weaves an additional structural component by framing the structure of the book with the four phases of the journey of a hero based of the late work of Joseph Campbell. It is a wonderful book for those who are thinking about giving their lives to service. The subtitle of the book explains it well as, How to Discover your Life Mission in Serving Others
A pre/release of the book will come out near the end of this year and a 1st edition will be published by Outskirts Press next spring.
For more information on insects in the DR Brian D. Farrell
Professor of Biology
Curator in Entomology
Museum of Comparative Zoology
Harvard University
26 Oxford Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
http://insects.oeb.harvard.edu/index.htm
http://www.oeb.harvard.edu/faculty/farrell/
Mailing address
(via the kindness of our friend):
Dale and Marta Johnson%
Leticia Minaya
Roman de Pina �35
Mao, Velverde, Republica Dominicana
News Our bus has to have its brakes repaired this week. We had to delay a field trip for the orphans for another week. They are disappointed but they understand. Also our computers have had a couple of problems we have had to fix. To it has been a frustrating week of repairs
October 12,2004
Field report from Good Samaritan Orphanage, Dominican Republic
Boys love bugs. When we started a science lab last spring as part of the system of learning labs for the education of the orphans. Little did we expect such excitement and sustained interest. The boys have all participated in learning about the parts of insects, identifying, mounting, and observing the habits of insects. Recently we learned of a project by Harvard University in the Dominican Republic. Professor Brian Farrell has led teams to the Dominican Republic and has added to a collection at the Natural Science Museum in Cambridge Mass. We have recently written to Professor Farrell asking if we could participate in this entemology project of his.
We would welcome an exchange of information. For collecting and identifying beetles and insects, in return his teams who come to the DR could assist us in learning how to better mount and keep records on the ecology of many marvelous insects we have here. Well it turns out that Dr. Ferrell responded ethusiastically to our project. He wrote
Dear Dale, thank you for writing about your important work in the DR. I am glad to know of your project to document the insects in the area and I share your insights into how this can foster an interest in science. An insect collection also grows incrementally, and so lends itself to accumulating valuable student effort, no matter how small. Sounds like you may know of our website and projects, and we have a new spanish version and a prototype mapping page below. I will keep your interests in mind and will try to visit next summer when I am in the DR. I will also mention your project to my Dominican and American entomologist colleagues and students. If you can send me any digital pix of the setting, collections and people, they could be useful as well. Thanks again for writing, it's good to be in touch. Best always, Brian
Beetles are King in the DR
Many unique beetles live in the Caribbean. Some are rather large, measuring 2 to 3 inches. There is nothing like a big bug to attract a boys attention. We have used this facination to teach chemistry, biology, and ecological science to the boys at Good Samaritan Orphanage. In the picture above is an example of a Rhino beetle. They take three years to develop. Much of their life is underground. The larva is nearly the size of your had. We have found a few small ones.
Dale and Marta Johnson,
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