Outside, the temperature was in the teens, but inside Wyland Elementary School, the youngsters were in the jungle, with wild animals in their midst.
The 411 pupils at the Hampton school were gathered in an assembly to talk with their classmate, second-grader Cronin Wilkes, as he traveled along the Amazon in South America.
Watch a video featuring Hampton resident Allan Marshall, curator of aquatic life at the Pittsburgh Zoo's PPG Aquarium, in Windows Media format.
Video courtesy the iceaxe.tv Web site.
The pupils were able to "join" Cronin on his trip through telephone calls, a slide show, a Web site and e-mail. As part of the Jan. 31 assembly, the Pittsburgh Zoo brought animals indigenous to the rain forest to the school.
Cronin traveled with his parents, Ted and Susan Wilkes, and was the only child on the 2 1/2-week expedition, which began Jan. 17.
Last year, he and his parents traveled to the Antarctic with environmentalist Doug Stoup, and Cronin's classmates were able to "join" him on that trip through television and satellite Web casting.
When the Wilkes family decided to go on another expedition, Adventure Amazon, with Mr. Stoup this year, the school once again was invited to travel with them through the wonders of technology.
Post-GazetteChristina Noel, of Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, shows a kinkajou, a rain forest mammal, to pupils at Wyland Elementary School in Hampton.
Click photo for larger image.
"We are so fortunate to be afforded the opportunity to tie Cronin's travels into our curriculum," Wyland Principal Roberta Good said.
Another Hampton resident was on the trip -- Allan Marshall, curator of aquatic life at the Pittsburgh Zoo's PPG Aquarium. His children attend Central Elementary, another school in the Hampton School District, so he also talked to the pupils there.
Due to technical difficulties, the visits with Cronin this year were conducted via telephone while slides from the trip were presented during a question-and-answer session. Children from each grade were chosen to ask questions.
"What's the weather like?" one pupil asked Mr. Marshall.
"Well, it was sunny, but a rain cloud just came over and now it is pouring," he replied. "It will only last about five minutes or so because there is just one cloud. Then it will be sunny again."
Other pupils asked about the animals, the travelers' adventures and the scenery.
When one boy asked what they were eating, Mr. Marshall deadpanned from thousands of miles away: "Well, we had dogs, small children and the crew from the boat."
Post-GazetteLiz Lynch, of Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, is hugged by a boa constrictor during an assembly.
Click photo for larger image.
After he heard the nervous laughter from the children, he said, "No, I'm just joking. We have a wonderful chef on the boat and she makes fish, lots of fish. ... We are also eating rice, beans, chicken and lots of fruit from the area. Things like passion fruit, bananas and pineapple -- all sorts of wonderful fruit."
Talking with his classmates by phone, Cronin said, "I just saw a giant jaguar track by the waterfall." He also told them about snorkeling, swimming and holding a sloth.
The pupils had e-mailed questions to the crew.
In addition to a photo gallery, the Web site contains Cronin's journal, in which he wrote of his adventures every day.
At the end of the assembly, the youngsters visited with the animals the zoo had brought, including a boa constrictor and a kinkajou, a small rain forest mammal related to the raccoon.
The zoo also brought an animal indigenous to the rain forest that was more familiar to the pupils -- a guinea pig.
First Published: February 15, 2007, 5:00 a.m.
