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John Flora, left, and Olatayo Wusu, center, are presented with the Education Award from Dale Rosselet, vice president of Education for New Jersey Audubon.

(Courtesy photo)

JERSEY CITY - Two teachers at the Franklin L. Williams School in Jersey City have been awarded the annual Patricia Kane Environmental Education Award for their work in connecting middle school students with nature.

Olatayo Wusu and John Flora - a science teacher and music teacher, respectively - were able to blend the two studies together to create an interest in environmental issues like urban ecosystems and school sustainability measures.

"This unconventional team of teachers embraced STEAM education, meshing scientific and ecological study with song writing, composing and creating musical pieces, and the results have been extraordinary," said Eric Stiles, president and CEO of New Jersey Audubon, the environmental education and conservation advocacy organization that presented the award.

The two teachers helped teach middle school students at the Laidlaw Avenue School about urban biodiversity by coordinating field trips in Jersey City and the Hackensack Meadowlands, helping the students understand water flow and watersheds, as well as how human behaviors affect water quality and the environment.

The two teachers accepted the award at the New Jersey Audubon's 70th annual fall festival in Cape May last month.

"As a science teacher, as a mother and as a professional educator, I am glad I am making a difference," said Wusu, a resident of Bayonne.

Students participating in the program created their own songs and produced a video of their experiences, titled "Our City and Nature: Songs of Biodiversity."

"We won because we were able to capture the children's interests," Wusu added. "We provided hands-on experience outside of the classroom to observe nature. Through music, which I consider another science, we were able to reach the students in a different way and capture them. It was a special experience for the children."