Transcript for the Piece Audio version of The Learning Barge

The Learning Barge

[Music: Penny Lane]

The Penny Lane made famous in this Beatles song is a real street in Liverpool, England. Using Google Earth you can see the real Penny Lane, but you can’t find Paul McCartney’s house. Lawyers for the former Beatle asked Google Earth to block his property from view for privacy sake.
(Bring up Penny Lane chorus)
Nowadays Google Earth offers more than just a look at Penny Lane or for that matter your own house. Archaeologists are using the birds-eye-view of the world to pinpoint new sites for exploration. I’m Sarah McConnell and this is With Good Reason.
Later on today’s show, help is on the way for the polluted Elizabeth River, which lies between two Virginia cities:

[Clip]

But first, Walter Witschey has had a rich and varied career in science. He started out as a computer programmer. But in 1985, he sold the business, moved his family to New Orleans, and got a PHD from Tulane, studying Mayan Archeology. He’s a past director of the Science Museum of Virginia, and former president of the Virginia Academy of Science. Now Witschey is a professor of Anthropology and Science Education at Longwood University. He pioneered the use of Satellite imagery in Mayan archaeology. Now, any student with Google Earth, can do what it took a room-sized computer to do when he first started out.

(Interview Walter Witschey)

(Music:)

Walter Witschey is a professor of anthropology and science education at Longwood University. He’s working with Clifford Brown at Florida Atlantic University to develop the Electronic Atlas of Ancient Maya Sites.

Coming up next, a classroom that floats on a river.

The Elizabeth River in Tidewater Virginia is one of the most polluted waterways in this country. But it’s about to be the site of the world’s first floating wetlands classroom called The Learning Barge. The Barge is the brainchild of Phoebe Crisman, a professor of Architecture at the University of Virginia. School students and community members of all ages can have field trips on the barge, studying the river and interacting with the marine ecosystem. It’s a large floating field station powered by solar and wind energy and made out of recycled and renewable materials.

(Learning Barge Interview)

Pheobe Crisman is a professor of Architecture at the University of Virginia.

(music : The River’s Taking Care of Me)

You’re listening to With Good Reason. Elliot Majerczyk and Jesse Dukes are our associate producers. Andrew Wyndham is our executive producer. Nancy King creates our feature capsules. Jeannie Palin handles listener services and Lydia Wilson is our publicity coordinator. With Good Reason is produced by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities for the Higher Education Broadcasting Consortium. For a free copy of this show on CD or to comment, call 877-451-5098. Or you can listen to past shows at our new website: withgoodreasonradio.org. I'm Sarah McConnell, Thanks for listening.