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Happy spring! I have a few items worth mentioning to you in this newsletter:
- We are excited to see 60 educators completed our strategic planning survey - thank you for investing in the future of the preserve! We gathered lots of constructive information, and are currently sifting through the results to guide us in best serving our teaching community.
- Wheels to Woods bussing grant continues to be offered this year. It provides funding to PreK-12 schools for transportation costs for educational field trips to a nearby forest. The grant sponsors can even connect you with nearby public land suitable for a field trip, and with a natural resource professional (forester, biologist, etc.) to support the field trip.
- Feel free to encourage your students to join us at the Ecosystem Preserve during Spring Break. We have many engaging programs scheduled throughout the week, and all of them are FREE.
- We would greatly appreciate your spreading the word to your families about our educational Wetlands & Woodlands summer camps through your school or classroom newsletter, or learning extension. Of note, our Jr. Naturalist Club camps are great fun for children aged 9-11 with an interest in learning more about a variety of different science fields. Topics of study will be: botany (study of plants with a focus on trees), entomology (study of insects), and ecology (study of interactions among organisms and their environment). Campers will spend time doing various activities related to each field of science, including: explore the preserve, conduct small experiments, journal and sketch, participate in preserve research and service learning activities, create nature art projects, and meet scientists and conservation professionals. In addition, campers will take an off-site field trip one day during camp to Saul Lake Bog and Flat Iron Lake Preserve.
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ONE OPENING REMAINS FOR SPRING PROGRAMS
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Many educators contacted us early this year to register for spring programs, thus leaving us with one available date on Wednesday, May 10 in the morning. Our programs provide information about our local ecosystem and the flora and fauna of West Michigan, encourage stewardship, and help students develop a sense of place. Programs are 90 minutes in length, and cost $3 per student. Currently, National Heritage Academy schools are eligible to attend our programs free of charge, thanks to a funding grant.
For more information visit our website, or contact Julie Wilbourn to register your class. To register, we will need your name and school, grade level, number of students and adults, preferred dates/times, and the best way to contact you.
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INSPIRING IDEAS FOR THE CLASSROOM
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Each newsletter, we will share with you some of our favorite ways to get students outside learning about the natural environment. You do not need to have forests or fields surrounding your school; school yards can work just as well for experiential learning. Our school yard activities are hands-on, require few supplies, and are easily adaptable to meet your students’ needs. We will also share with you some of our favorite storybooks, art projects, and other resources to enhance learning in the classroom. Additional ideas and photos of art projects and storybooks can be found on our Pinterest page.
TEACHING STUDENTS ABOUT ABANDONED & INJURED WILD ANIMALS
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Every year, hundreds of animals (primarily baby birds, rabbits and fawns), are mistakenly taken out of the wild and brought to wildlife rehabilitators. This can have dire consequences for animals and their ecosystems. It is important to teach students that human intervention is not an animal’s best hope, but their last resort. Wild animals need to stay wild; this can be a difficult concept for both children and adults to understand.
Removing an animal from the wild can be dangerous for both humans and animals. When a baby animal is taken from its habitat, it risks losing its natural fear and becomes more vulnerable to predators. Wild animals carry diseases and parasites, and are prone to scratching and biting when they feel threatened. Thus, it is important to understand how to transport an animal properly before attempting to move it.
There are however, situations where wildlife rehabilitation is necessary. But before calling in the professionals, teach your students to assess the situation by asking some questions:
Is this baby animal really abandoned?
Bird and rabbit parents may leave their babies unattended several times each day while they collect food, but they almost never abandon them. Deer parents leave fawns unattended for a good portion of the day to protect them from predators, and may only come back at dawn or dusk.
For birds and rabbits, try a stick test experiment! If you find an occupied nest that you think is abandoned, lay a small stick across the top and wait a few hours. When you return, if the stick is gone, the adult has returned in your absence.
For deer, watch to see if the fawn’s parent returns at dawn or dusk to feed.
Is this critter really injured?
If you notice the following signs, the animal likely needs your help.
- Bleeding, shivering, loss of fur or feathers, obvious broken limb
- A dead parent is lying nearby
- Crying and wandering for an extended period of time
Who do I call with questions or if I’m sure an animal needs help?
The Wildlife Rehab Center and Lowell Farm and Wildlife Center are our area’s local, licensed wildlife rehabilitators. Have your students explore their websites. They contain general information about animals commonly mistakenly rescued (fawns and rabbits) and what to do if you find a baby bird or mammal. These resources also contain information about how to transport these animals safely.
Inform students and parents about ways to help with wildlife rehabilitation locally.
- Learn more and educate others.
- Donate, attend a fundraising event, or volunteer! The Wildlife Rehab Center takes in around 1,800 animals every year. This would not be possible without people like you sharing their time or treasure. The center has many volunteer positions with varying time commitments. You may also contact Lowell Farm and Wildlife Center to inquire about giving opportunities.
- Find other licensed rehabilitators in Michigan.
CLASSROOM IDEAS FOR TEACHING COMPASSION TOWARDS ANIMALS
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Fieldtrips
Schedule a classroom visit to tour the Lowell Farm & Wildlife Center and learn about what they do. Sjana and staff teach classes on nature, learning about Michigan wildlife, and how to protect and preserve our natural world.
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Class Projects
- Start a donation drive using the Wildlife Rehab Center’s or the Lowell Farm and Wildlife Center’s wish lists.
- Invite students to create educational posters about how to care for injured and orphaned wild animals, then post them around school.
- Give students writing prompts in which they describe their experiences with animals or take a stance on an issue concerning animal rights.
- Plant flowers and shrubbery around your school for native butterflies, bees and wildlife. To learn more about creating native school gardens, visit our Pinterest page.
Literacy Connections
Read books about people caring for animals. Several of our favorites have online teacher guides and lessons plans featured on our Caring for Wildlife Pinterest board:
- Baby Owl’s Rescue by Jennifer Keats Curtis
- Animal Helpers: Wildlife Rehabilitators by Jennifer Keats Curtis
- Hazel Ridge Farm Series by Robbyn Smith van Frankenhuyzen (series includes: Adopted by an Owl, Saving Samantha, Kelly of Hazel Ridge, Itsy Bitsy & Teeny Weeny, and I Love You Just Enough). These wonderful books are written about Robbyn and her family's adventures as wildlife rehabilitators at Hazel Ridge Farm in Bath, Michigan.
The Institute for Humane Education also has a great list of picture books about people helping animals.
Teaching about Careers in STEM Fields
Teach about the work that wildlife rehabilitators perform. The Animal Behavior Institute and National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association have informative pages on careers in this field.
Additional Lesson Plan Ideas
The Teacher Newsletter of The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has a great newsletter with lesson plan ideas that focus on learning about and caring for backyard wildlife.
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