By Anna Guido
Enquirer contributor

NORTH COLLEGE HILL - Most of the fourth-graders at Clovernook Elementary reacted in disgust this week to a video that showed Cindy Cone sifting tapir droppings in search of fruit seeds.

The video of Cone is from a research expedition at the Pantanal wetlands in Brazil.

"It's important for scientists to know what food the tapirs prefer," Cone told about 75 fourth-graders at the K-6 elementary school.

However, at least one student, Jamel Allen, 11, was intrigued.

"I'd like to go and see with my own eyes how they measure the waste and get all the information," Jamel said. "And I'd like to know if tapirs live in other parts of the world."

Cone, of Milford, is a school improvement consultant with the Hamilton County Educational Service Center. She was the only local participant picked from 16 applicants nationwide by Earthwatch Institute in Maynard, Mass., for the education fellowship to the Pantanal.

"You have to discuss in your application how you are going to share your experiences," said Kerri Glynn, educator program coordinator for Earthwatch. "That's really important to us when we're reviewing the applications."

The two-week expedition began in mid-May. Cone studied tapirs, giant river otters, the hyacinth macaw, peccaries, marsh deer and other endangered wildlife. She transmitted field reports and photos electronically back to classrooms in North College Hill, Norwood and Winton Woods school districts.

She presented her findings to fourth- and fifth-grade students and teachers in these districts during their last week of school. She is also developing continuing lesson plans on the Pantanal to correlate to the new Ohio Academic Content Standards in science and social studies.

"Participating in an Earthwatch expedition is a wonderful experience for anyone," Cone said. "In addition to your personal learning, so much can be brought back to enrich classroom lessons and enhance the understanding of your students."

Brazil's Pantanal is the world's biggest expanse of wetlands. The area has failed to bring prosperity through tourism. Support is now growing for industrial development despite the irreversible damage it would cause the ecosystem.

Much of the wildlife there is endangered. Cone and other Earthwatch volunteers collected data that scientists need to help create policies for the sustainable management and conservation of the Pantanal, protecting it from the effects of mining, agricultural intensification, overfishing and other forms of development.

Cone also participated in Earthwatch expeditions to Kenya in 2001 and 2002 but didn't communicate with students during those trips.

"This is the first time I've gone during the school year where kids could follow along, communicating via the Internet," Cone said. "It's an excellent model combining the new content standards, technology for learning, and communication between school districts."

As a consultant with the Hamilton County Educational Service Center, Cone has a relationship with many area schools for systemic school improvement initiatives. The Hamilton County Educational Service Center is the second-largest of 61 educational service centers in Ohio and serves more than 100,000 students in public and non-public schools.

It has been recognized on local, regional, state and national levels as a model service provider.

E-mail annag1129@cs.com

About Earthwatch

Earthwatch Institute is an international nonprofit volunteer organization that supports scientific field research worldwide by offering members of the public opportunities to work alongside leading field scientists and researchers.

In some parts of the United States, long-term initiatives through corporate funding are available for teachers to participate in Earthwatch expeditions.

Information about Earthwatch expeditions will be presented by past volunteers 7 p.m. June 17 at the Fort Thomas Public Library, 1000 Highland Ave. (859) 572-5033.

For information about Earthwatch, go to www.earthwatch.org.