Most of the time, the only place you ever get to see owls, falcons, and other birds of prey is in the wild. However, for students at Carmichaels Area High School, these majestic animals were brought right to their classroom. It was all part of the Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia’s (ACCA) visit to the school as they brought four birds of prey to students in sixth, eighth, and 10th grade science.
“It was a unique opportunity because we have a lot of speakers who talk about a lot of different subjects, but no one can hold your attention like a bird of prey,” says Carmichaels Area High School 10th grade science teacher Kevin Willis. “That experience of seeing the birds up close is invaluable and will help instill in them an appreciation for these birds.”
The ACCA brought five birds of prey with them and four of those birds made appearances for the students. Among the birds they got to meet were a screech owl, American kestrel, peregrine falcon, and a red-tailed hawk. The birds dictate whether or not they will come out for the show, and these four birds wowed the students. They flapped their wings, cawed, and showed off their size and strength. It was a chance for the students to not only see these birds up close and personal, but also learn about the birds and their behaviors in the wild.
“It was pure amazement from all the students when the birds come out of their crates,” says Willis. “They start in crates and when they come out its a ‘Wow!’ moment. They get to note each bird’s size and key characteristics that you aren’t going to see when you see these birds in the wild.”
“For example, when the peregrine falcon came out, they gave it a bird and it was tearing it up. It gave the kids a chance to see what they do, mauling their prey, and we talked about what they do in comparison to the other birds that were presented.”
The students were also given the ability to help the continued efforts to preserve these majestic creatures. “After the presentation, they asked for donations of items to help the center with their everyday needs,” says Willis. “So, the students in sixth grade and eight grade, along with my students, collected different items they needed for the facility. There was the usual stuff like paper towels, soap, and other things, but my favorite item was a gift certificate to rodentpro.com.”
The students were able to give back as they learned the importance of bird conservation. If you would also like to make a donation to help ACCA’s efforts, accawv.org.
At the end of the day, the biggest thing for Willis is giving his students experiences that will prepare them for their future. He thanks the administration, faculty, and staff for all of their support and for allowing him to bring opportunities like this to his students.
“It takes a lot of time to set these things up, but whenever you get to actually have the day with the birds here and see the students reaction makes it worth it,” says Willis. “We are very fortunate to be able to do these things for our students. I’ve had so many students go on and pursue these types of careers and it is because of these opportunities. Resilience, experience, and career are what drives all of our decisions.”