Students participate in bird banding during a PEEC Migratory Bird Study Science Field Trip. Courtesy/PEECPEEC News:
Thanks to a generous grant of $1,500 from the LANL Foundation, the Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) has been able to hold seven field trips, as well as pre- and post-trip classroom visits, this fall for local 5th graders through the Migratory Bird Study Science Field Trip program.
The bird-banding program introduces the students, in an unforgettably personal way, to the birds that share their environment.
“This program exposes our schoolchildren to the core values of PEEC: nature, education, and community,” said PEEC’s Director of Education Siobhan Niklasson. “The migratory bird study is a collaborative effort bringing together scientists from across agencies, cultures and continents with a shared passion for birds. Scientists from LANL and Bandelier National Monument participate in the study, and PEEC’s educators share our natural heritage and a truly authentic experience of field science with the next generation of students. We are extremely grateful to the LANL Foundation for making this opportunity possible.”
Through this program, students from Los Alamos and Jemez Pueblo have had the opportunity to see field science in action, and they have gained an appreciation for our wild bird neighbors and a sense of the excitement for doing science in the field.
“Parents have told us it was the best field trip they’ve ever attended,” Niklasson said. “Kids get to see an actual scientific investigation in the field, and they have the chance to hold birds carefully and learn a lot about bird populations, migration and survival.”
According to one student’s evaluation, “I discovered that people catch birds, but they don’t harm them. They take information, like if it is a male or female, how old it is, and how far it travels. They put a little chip on its leg, and they let it go! I really liked the field trip. Two thumbs up!”
In recognition of the interdependence of Los Alamos National Laboratory and Northern New Mexico communities, the LANL Foundation exists to enhance the vitality of the region by investing in education, learning, and community development. LANL Foundation has expanded its Educational Outreach Small Grants program to include school district and nonprofit projects including, but not restricted to, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). Last year, 43 small grants were awarded totaling $63,300. PEEC was one of the grant recipients in 2013, as well.
