HARWICH – A new educational program for seventh grade students in Chatham and Harwich is giving birds a special focus throughout the school year.
The Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary program allows students to study bird biology, habits and threats they face.
The program began in October with introductory lessons for the entire grade followed by a field investigation.
Students were later given the option to take part in a seminar featuring a series of lessons on specialized bird topics and hands-on experience.
In November, the students took a trip to the sanctuary’s bird banding station to learn about the type of information collected and why.
An early February class focused on the biology of birds in winter and how they reduce their metabolism to conserve enough energy to survive the cold.
The winter series will continue with lessons on bird classification, issues surrounding beach management for threatened Piping Plovers and a field investigation to learn about nesting habitat.
Wellfleet Bay school programs coordinator Spring Beckhorn says the program may not create bird lovers but will teach important ecological concepts.
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