Introduction: Chris Baird

ALOHA EVERYONE,
MY NAME IS CHRIS BAIRD AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING ALL OF YOU. I AM BOTH VERY IMPRESSED AND A BIT INTIMIDATED WITH SOME OF YOUR BACKGROUNDS AND EXPERIENCES.
I AM A TEACHER AT OLOMANA SCHOOLS,WHERE FOR THE LAST 23 YEARSI HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO TEACH AT THE FAMILY COURTS JUVENILE DETENTION FACILITY.I AM A SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER, BUT WE END UP TEACHING ALOT OF EVERYTHING TO A WIDE RANGE OF LEVELS,AGES,GRADES AND ABILITIES.I TRY TO BRING AS MUCH LIFE SCIENCE AND OCEAN STUDIES INTO THE CLASSROOM AS I CAN. WE'VE CONSTRUCTED AQUARIUMS AND TERRARIUMS,GROWN VEGETABLE GARDENS,MAINTAINED TARO LOI'S,RAISED FISH AND FROGS AND JACKSON CHAMELEONS.
I ENJOY PADDLING,SAILING,GARDENING,PLAYING WITH MY DOGS AND SPENDING TIME WITH MY WIFE MICHELLE AND MY SON NANEA.I AM A LONG TIME PADDLER AND BOARD MEMBER OF HUI NALU CANOE CLUB. I AM ALSO A MEMBER OF THE POLYNESIAN VOYAGING SOCIETY AND CREW MEMBER ON THE VOYAGING CANOE "HOKULE'A".
I SPENT MOST OF MY YOUTH GROWING UP ON KAUAI. I HAD A FANTASTIC CHILDHOOD LIVING IN WAIMEA. AS KIDS, WE COULD SURF AND DIVE IN THE OCEAN, SWIM AND FARM IN THE VALLEY AND HIKE AND CAMP UP IN THE MOUNTAINS OF KOKE'E. ALL THESE ACTIVITIES KEPT US OUTSIDE ENJOYING NATURE AT HER BEST..I STILL ENJOY GOING UP TO KOKE'E AND PICKING MAILE AND MOKIHANA.
AS KIDS ,WE PRACTICED CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING IT. WE WERE TAUGHT TO TAKE ONLY WHAT WE NEEDED AND TO SHARE ANY EXTRAS WHETHER IT WAS FISH OR TARO OR MANGOS.
AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, I ATTENDED WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIV. WHERE I MAJORED IN PARKS AND RECREATION. ONCE AGAIN, I FOUND MYSELF INVOLVED IN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS.
I LATER RETURNED TO SCHOOL AT THE UNIV. OF HAWAII WHERE I GOT MY TEACHING DEGREE WITH THE INTENT ON RETURNING TO TEACH AT WAIMEA HIGH SCHOOL.WELL..........THAT WAS 25 YEARS AGO AND I AM STILL HERE IN HONOLULU.IT'S ALL GOOD!!!!!
MY MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL INTEREST THESE DAYS FOCUSES ON THE REMOVAL OF INVAISIVE ALGAE FROM MAUNALUA BAY IN EAST OAHU. A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF DR.ISABELLA ABBOTT,CELIA SMITH AND DR.KIM PEYTON, MY WIFE SPEARHEADED THE REMOVAL OF INVASIVE ALIEN ALGAE PROJECT. WE WORK WITH AND TRAIN HER STUDENTS WHO THEN TRAIN COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS IN THE REMOVAL OF ALIEN ALGAE. MY WIFE HAS ADDED THIS PROJECT INTO HER CURRICULM AT KAISER HIGH SCHOOL.IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BECOME INVOLVED IN THIS NEVER ENDING PROJECT.
WE HAVE ALSO TAKEN MY WIFE'S STUDENTS TO THE ISLAND OF KAHO'OLAWE WHERE WE TOOK PART IN OPIHI MONITERING AND FISH (PAPIO)TAGGING.WE HAVE ALSO GONE TO THE BIG ISLAND TO PLANT KOA SEEDLINGS AND HELPED TO CLEAR INVASIVE MANGROVE FROM HE'EIA FISHPOND.
I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING BOTH THE ISLAND AND SEALIFE ON MIDWAY. A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO I WAS FORTUNATE TO SAIL ON THE HOKULE'A TO PALMYRA ATOLL. IT WAS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO COMPARING PALMYRA WITH MIDWAY.I AM ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE REMNANTS OF WWII ACTIVITY.I HAVE WATCHED ALOT OF THE HISTORY CHANNELS SHOWS ON MIDWAY.
TAKE CARE AND I'LL SEE YOU SOON,
CHRIS BAIRD