History

The History of Green Across the Pacific - the first ten years!

The purpose of the page is to provide an overview and timeline of Green's history and our goals for the future.

Overview - Since 1995, Green Across the Pacific's Executive Director, Peter Lynch, has been engaged in a variety of highly successful exchange and apprenticeship programs in Hong Kong, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China, and Vermont. Green Across the Pacific evolved from a field biology and apprenticeship program which brought five students from Fair Haven Union High School to Hong Kong to study with professional and amateur field biologists of The Conservation Agency, Jamestown, Rhode Island, during the summer of 1995. During the summer of 1996, this apprenticeship program included a visit to the Affiliated High School of South China Normal University (Hua Shi Fu Zhong- HSFZ), Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China. Program director Peter Lynch and Principal Wu Yingmin of HSFZ agreed to establish a summer exchange program in field biology and natural resource management.


Timeline

Summer of 1997 – Green Across the Pacific began an exchange program with a one-week trip to Guangdong Province – hosted by the Affiliated High School of China Normal University (HSFZ).

Summer of 1998 – Green Across the Pacific hosted eleven students, three teachers, and one professor of Biology from Guangzhou studied with Vermont students in Vermont for three weeks of field biology and natural resource management. This was an historic event as it was the first delegation of Chinese high school students to visit Vermont for the purpose of an exchange and academic study since the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

September 1999 - Executive Director Peter Lynch had an opportunity to visit HSFZ for one week to observe classes and help the school prepare for a visit from Governor Howard Dean following his trade mission to Taiwan.


February 2000 - A delegation of ten high school students, three teachers and one administrator visited Leland and Gray Union High School, Fair Haven Union High School, Mount Abraham Union High School, and The Gailer School. This three-week exchange focused on theory and practice in education as well as cultural exchange.


May 2000 - Through a collaboration with The Gailer School, Green Across the Pacific organized a visit to Hiroshima, Japan, in which six members of the 12th grade class shared their interdisciplinary study of the end of World War II and the bombing of Hiroshima with the staff of the Peace Museum in Hiroshima.





July 2000 - Nine students and one teacher representing Fair Haven Union High School, Mount Abraham Union High School, Phillips-Exeter Academy, and the Orwell Village School traveled to Guangdong Province, China to begin the second round of the exchange in field biology and natural resource management. Activities and home stays centered in the northern Mountains of Guangdong, the city of Guangzhou, and the coastal island of Nan Ao.

July 2001 - a delegation from HSFZ, including Principal Wu Yingmin, visited New England for three weeks to study field biology and natural resource management with American students and teachers to complete the second round of this exchange. Most of the activities were in Vermont.

February 2002 - A delegation from HSFZ shared two weeks of classes and events at Rutland High School, Middlebury Union High School and Leland and Gray Union High School.

Spring 2002 - An intended follow up trip to Guangzhou, China was cancelled due to travel restrictions following 9/11.

Summer 2003 – The SARS epidemic in 2003 forced the cancellation of a trip to China.

July 2004 - Seven students and three adults joined Executive Director Lynch for a summer exchange in field biology and natural resource management in Hong Kong and Guangdong, China. After a one-week introduction to the region in Hong Kong by Dr. James D. Lazell of the Conservation Agency, HSFZ carried out a two-week program for Chinese and American students focusing on marine resources and problems associated with development in Guangdong Province.

July 2005 - 11 students and 4 teachers from HSFZ came to Vermont for three weeks of activities. During this program, the role that businesses plays in our study of natural resource management was increased, and projects were designed to explore specific and current environmental topics in the region.

September 2005 - The Board of Directors hired Executive Director Lynch to begin the work of expansion and development required to establish a sustainable organization. We began the year with three goals:

To establish a partnership with an institution of higher learningTo establish foundation and donor support for a start up period of two to three years, andTo develop a competitive applicant pool






2005 – 2006 – A partnership with Champlain College, Burlington, Vermont was forged.

July 2006 – Green welcomed a delegation from HSHZ to the Champlain Campus, resulting in an exciting field program

The relationship between Green Across the Pacific and Champlain College has the potential to strengthen both institutions. We are very excited about the field program we implmented at Champlain College last summer and the outstanding students who participated. We are making steady progress in our search for funding, and have a strong foundation for effective recruitment for programs in 2007 and 2008.

Summary - Through these experiences, Green Across the Pacific has established collaborative relationships with a variety of organizations including Champlain College, The Conservation Agency, ECHO at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Keeping Track, a number of businesses, and the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife.


What is Next?

During our three week Vermont centered summer program for Asian and American students, the students are involved in an intense in depth study of a specific and current environmental challenge facing the region. 

Teams of Asian and American students work together to develop a research paper based on balanced consideration of available literature and professional presentations from all identifiable and legitimate perspectives. Students generate a position paper that answers the question, “What public policy will serve both environmental and long-term economic interests best?”

 

 

Effective position papers written by students are published in an annual Green Across the Pacific magazine, Green Dragon.

 

 

 

The power of this vision rests on the foundation that Green Across the Pacific has established since our first expedition in 1995. The strength of the thoughtful and engaged community that our activity has spawned is our greatest asset. The enthusiasm with which former participating students, teachers and consultants look forward to learning about Green Across the Pacific's next program is a heartening expression of hope for a troubled world. We are most grateful to many individuals and most notably the following organizations that have shared and generously supported our vision. Please visit our sponsor page for an in-depth description of some of our corporate sponsors.

  • The Bay and Paul Foundations

  • The Freeman Foundation

  • The New Tudor Foundation

  • Physician's Computer Company

  • The Windham Foundation