Hey, everyone. . . I need a bit of help! I teach high school biology and chemistry at Harmony Christian School in Middletown, New York. I'm looking to set up a reef tank in my classroom however, being that we are a small private school without state funding, there is little to no money available for such a task. So I figured I would exhaust all possible avenues and ask if anyone would be williing to help donate anything that you may have laying around. We all have items that we don't use anymore because we have upgraded things, downsized a tank or whatever the reason. I too am a fellow reefer and have a few things in the attic that I'm not using and they will make their way to my classroom. If you can donate a heater, a filter, an old light fixture, a single powerhead, just one piece of live rock, a bag of sand, a crappy sea clone skimmer. . . you get the idea. If you would like to donate financially, we would be happy to give you a tax deduction as it would be a donation to charity. ANYTHING you could give WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!
Having this tank in the classroom would be an awesome teaching tool. I could use it to educate students on ecology, photosynthesis, respiration, food pyramids, nutrient cycling through ecosystems, symbiotic and parasitic relationships, water chemistry, pH, density, specific gravity and energy flow. Most of all, it would give students a window to a world that they perhaps were unware of and would inspire them to persue a career in marine biology, scuba diving, or reef conservation of some sort.
Please, consider how this endeavor could positively impact more than just small student body; the effects that each student would have on others they come in contact with could help educate numerous people about reef conservation and how important they are in our ecosystem.
Contact me through this thread or pm me and I can give you more info through phone conversation if you would like. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider this task.