Kids BirdWatch

We are recruiting schools for the Fall.

If you are interested, please click here.

In the spring of 2009, 4th-grade students at five local schools participated in a new “hands-on” science enrichment program — “Kids BirdWatch” — presented by Columbus State University’s Environmental Learning Center at Oxbow Meadows.

More than 300 students and a dozen teachers from Key, Clubview, Matthews, South Columbus and McBride elementary schools visited Oxbow Meadows Environmental Park, where they learned to use binoculars and practice spotting and identifying wild birds. They continued to hone their birdwatching skills at their school birdfeeding stations, collect data and send reports via the Internet to Cornell University’s Ornithology Lab.  Teachers and students received a free hummingbird feeder and wildflower seeds to plant so they can continue to watch birds at home throughout the summer.

Each school received a bird feeding station — a metal pole, a thistle feeder, a sunflower feeder and a suet feeder — plus enough bird food to keep them full through the end of May.  Each student and teacher  also received a copy of “A Checklist of Georgia Birds,” “A Checklist of the Birds of Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge,” “For the Birds,” and “Birding Basics.”

“Our goal to immerse students and their teachers in the excitement of scientific discovery and provide them with tools and skills they need to get started in one of the fastest growing citizen-science and outdoor recreation activities in America — birdwatching,” said Heidi Hughes, Executive Director of the Environmental Learning Center.  “Next year, we want to double the number of students and teachers in this program. Give us a call if you’d like to help sponsor a student, a teacher or a school.”

The equipment, publications and supplies valued at over $20,000 were contributed by local and national businesses, non-profit organizations and government agencies.

Kids BirdWatch in the News

May      Checking out nature

March    Students link classroom to the real world with bird watching

Project Contributors

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:  Ecological Services  Ft. Benning Georgia

Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge

Nongame Conservation Section