My own learning cycle would not have progressed as it has if I kept inside a vacuum, unwilling to change as a reflection of the students I’ve met, the teachers I’ve worked with or the professional development I’ve taken part in. Likewise, life cycles, of any animal, do not occur without influence from outside forces.
We sat in silence for a bit to listen for squirrel calls. I asked the students if they had any ideas why we weren’t seeing many squirrels and one student thought it could be because squirrels aren’t so active during that time of day (around 4 pm). Squirrels are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day and sleep at night. Others thought the squirrels knew we were looking for them so they wanted to hide from us. All great theories.
Since 1998, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society has been recruiting citizen scientists worldwide to collect bird data and report it back online. Every February for 4 days, more than 160,000 volunteers spot local birds, reporting it onto a simple webpage where scientists collect the data needed to study changing bird populations due to natural fluctuations, human encroachment and climate change. This is a project that can get students much appreciated time outdoors connecting them simultaneously to their local environment and the larger world.
Local businesses rely on word of mouth endorsements.
Follow, share, like, review…..little acts that mean the world to a small business.
