CAC Texas: Wetlands/Migratory Birds
This update: Oct 7, 2010
The goal of the CAC
program is to get school children excited about wild animals and
then to use that excitement to teach them positive messages about
ecology. The idea is to shape the next generation of citizens into
persons who love nature and who want to take positive steps to
conserve it.
The topic of
migratory birds is perfect for this program. In the first place,
everyone finds bird life interesting. So they approach such animals
already feeling positive about them. After all, they are beautiful,
graceful, songful, and intelligent. In the second place, because
they migrate, birds tie Western New York to other ecosystems on a
global scale. What this means is that it is easy to use an interest
in bird life to talk about the importance of preserving areas for
wetlands, for migratory flyways, etc.
CAC Training
Over the Canisius
College presidents’ holiday (February 12-16, 2010), students will
travel with Dr Noonan down to the Gulf Coast of Texas and to the US
Mexican border in order to study migratory birds in the national
wildlife refuge system.
Program
rehearsal.
Over four Sundays
in April-2010, the CAC team will rehearse scripts and prepare our
program.
Wetlands Program for Children:
The Iroquois
National Wildlife Refuge (INWR) is a huge wetlands complex thirty
minutes east of Buffalo.
For five days
per week during May 17-June 18, 2010, the CAC team will host middle
school groups (100+ children per day) at INWR. Our CAC program
at INWR consists of three parts:
-
“Power
Birding” along an elevated boardwalk in the wetlands. This
combines opportunistic bird watching with scripted lessons about
wetlands ecology.
-
Picnic Lunch
in which our CAC college students serve as role models for the
middle schoolers.
-
Ecology
Games in which the students show their mastery over the
lessons learned. These are fun interactive games that lights up
with smiling faces and excitement.
Cost free.
All travel and training expenses (including food) will be paid for
by the CAC program.
Student stipend.
Each participant will receive $500 following their five weeks of
service at INWR.
Limited spaces:
This program will be open to six participants. Spaces will be
allocated competitively. The application process involves two
phases:
Application
process:
-
Written
application. Written applications involve the completion of
short essays. The application form can be picked up in the ABEC
office (HSC303A) or online by clicking
here. Applications are
due October 21, 2009.
-
Live
tryouts. During November 4-6, 2009, applicants will
participate in live tryouts that consist of brief presentations
about wildlife targeted toward children.
CAC award
announcements will be November 13, 2009.
If you have been
looking for a way to help promote wildlife conservation, and you
would like to be part of something truly positive, then this CAC
program may be perfect for you. The CAC is a special program for
special people. If that means you, I look forward to working with
you!
DrN
|
