Education

The mission of the Saint Paul Audubon Society Schools and Education Committee is to create excitement about birds for children grades K-6. We believe it is important for children

  • to be aware of the diversity and variety in nature,
  • to understand the various adaptations that birds have for different habitats, and
  • to recognize the importance of habitat preservation for the survival of bird populations and bird diversity.

Our School Programs

School programs are divided into two classes – indoor and outdoor. The classes can be on the same day or on different days.

Indoor class:

Presentation on bird diversity and habitat preservation (approximately 45 minutes).

Outdoor class:

Outing involves a 5-10 minute practice at the school entrance to learn how to use binoculars followed by a 40 minute walk to identify birds and the ecosystems on which they depend. This class should occur at the earliest possible time of the day as birds are most active in the morning (approximately 45 minutes).

A fourth grade student made the following comment after participating in our school program: “I never knew there were so many different kinds of birds. I guess I need to get my parents to buy me a bird book pronto!”

Indoor class — making bird houses
Photo credit: Ron Winch

Indoor class — bird identification
Photo credit: Ron Winch

Outdoor class — bird identification
Photo credit: Ron Winch

Field Trips

Field trips occur mostly in springtime. While most are local and bird oriented, some may have other environmental foci, be in different seasons, or at more distant locations. New places and leaders are always welcome and needed. Leaders are volunteers and input from field trip participants is always welcome; we all have different backgrounds and knowledge and together improve the field trip experience for all. The schedule is determined by leaders in time to be published online and in the Cardinal. Members and Friends of SPAS are responsible for field trip leadership including selection of dates and places. The coordinator is responsible for collecting trip ideas and information, and posting the schedule in a timely fashion. Please check the Events page for more information.