This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0015_01BEB38B.AFC98C00 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Andy, I teach environmental education in Calvert County and several of our = programs involve taking groups out to do some birding. I think folks have mentioned some good pointers for making the walk go = well-keep the birding to about an hour or so; establish a few ground = rules for a safe and successful walk-with some discussion before hand = you could let the students determine the rules for the day-they know = what they should and shouldn't do even by kindergarten. I've also found that it helps to let students know that there can be = value in the information that they collect. We keep a record of the = birds that each of our second grade classes observe during their bird = field trip. We use this data to a create simple bar graph and the = students use this to determine the likelihood of seeing particular = species (just like a frequency of occurence aspect of a bird checklist). = =20 I'm not suggesting anything this elaborate for your walk-but it can be = helpful to let the kids know that their findings are useful and = interesting to others-ie. why not post the results of their walk to = MDOsprey?=20 Of course it varies from group to group, but in general, I've found that = as long as there are birds around-no matter how common- the kids are natural birdwatchers and will enjoy themselves. When = things get slow, well, I can't count the number of times the day was = saved by a nice squadron of TVs (the feathered ones) drifting over = horizon. Best of luck! Tom Harten Bowie -----Original Message----- From: Andy Rabin <andyrab@wam.umd.edu> To: mdo <mdosprey@ARI.Net> Date: Thursday, June 10, 1999 2:06 PM Subject: [MDOsprey] birding with kids In a couple of weeks I will be leading a bird walk for a group of = about 15 kids aged 7-11. This will be the first time I've led a walk = for kids. I was wondering if anybody else has any experience(s) they'd = like to share. The thing I'm most afraid of is boring them- a lot of = birdwatching can be a bunch of standing around and waiting. That's fine = for adults who are already interested in finding birds, but this will = probably be the first time most of these kids have gone birding. I'd = like to make it a positive experience for them, not an experience akin = to getting your driver's license at the MVA. I figure I could go to a = place with a lot of large, easy to spot birds (herons, etc.) and find = some nests with eggs or young. Does anyone have any other ideas?=20 =20 Thanks for sharing, =20 Andy Rabin Gaithersburg, MD andyrab@wam.umd.edu ------=_NextPart_000_0015_01BEB38B.AFC98C00 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN">
In a couple of weeks I will = be leading=20 a bird walk for a group of about 15 kids aged 7-11. This will = be the=20 first time I've led a walk for kids. I was wondering if = anybody=20 else has any experience(s) they'd like to share. The thing I'm = most=20 afraid of is boring them- a lot of birdwatching can be a bunch of = standing=20 around and waiting. That's fine for adults who are already = interested in=20 finding birds, but this will probably be the first time most of = these kids=20 have gone birding. I'd like to make it a positive experience = for them,=20 not an experience akin to getting your driver's license at the = MVA. I=20 figure I could go to a place with a lot of large, easy to spot birds = (herons, etc.) and find some nests with eggs or young. = Does=20 anyone have any other ideas?Thanks for sharing,Andy RabinGaithersburg, MD<= /BLOCKQUOTE> ------=_NextPart_000_0015_01BEB38B.AFC98C00--
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