by Gail Shay Linne, Education Chair

Educational Trunk Lesson in Action
Educational Trunk Lesson in Action

The Education Committee designed the ‘Adopt-a-School’ program during our January meeting. The program’s intent is to increase teachers’ access to the educational trunks so that students have the opportunity to learn about birds, conservation and local habitat. We hope Flathead Audubon members will adopt a school. Involvement can be as easy as delivering and returning a trunk to a school of your choice in your neighborhood.

Linda de Kort shared the contents of the ‘Cavity Nesters’ trunk at our general meeting. The audience had the opportunity to look at the activity book, DVDs and CDs, a packet of photographs of twenty-four cavity nesters, and a Pileated Woodpecker skull. A felt woodpecker puppet and accompanying puppet for students to make were also shown. Linda described how she has adopted an area school to support teachers’ efforts to teach students about the natural world.

A sub-committee will address how to implement the ‘Adopt-a-School’ program, consider additional curriculum for the trunks, and will find permanent storage for the trunks. Thanks, Linda de Kort, Denny Olson, and Rod Wallette for joining in this endeavor.

We will bring other trunks to the next several Audubon meetings for you to review. Is there a school you could adopt to help children and youth learn about birds, climate change and conservation? Please sign up at our next meeting, or contact Denny at docwild.mt@gmail.com.

Happy Birding!