Continuing the Conservation Journey

Migratory waterfowl and other migratory birds have often been likened to "canaries in the mine shaft." In this familiar metaphor, miners sent canaries into the mine shaft to help provide an indicator of the depth at which sufficient oxygen was present for the miners to work. Similarly, migratory birds are key indicators of biological diversity and shifts in bird populations reflect overall changes in the health of the ecosystems on which they depend. Migratory waterfowl, raptors, shorebirds, and songbirds require healthy ecosystems throughout their migratory range in the Western Hemisphere. Protecting these species requires conservation efforts at all levels - local, state, regional, national, and international.

Fortunately, much can be done to help protect migratory waterfowl and other migratory birds. Many things can be done by teachers and students working together in school or outreach educational settings. First and foremost, we encourage you to participate in the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design contest by entering your class in your state contest. Second, make use of the Junior Duck stamp curriculum as a means to link up with other conservation outreach programs such as International Migratory Bird Day, National Wildlife Refuge Week, National Wetlands Week, and other. Third, use the materials as a springboard to a number of other "action-based" conservation education activities, such as schoolyard habitat restoration and nest-box building projects. Finally, encourage students to extend their understanding of migratory birds and to become even more active conservation stewards by conducting any one or a number of the following Conservation, Imagination and Stamp Activities described in this section.

Conservation, Imagination and Stamp Activities to Continue the Journey

International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD). IMBD is celebrated annually on the second Saturday in May to coincide with the return of migratory birds to their breeding grounds and raise awareness of the need for conservation of their habitats. Many teachers make use of IMBD as an opportunity to display artwork and other products that students have produced through their participation in the Junior Duck Stamp curriculum. IMBD can serve as a wonderful culminating event for your Junior Duck Stamp unit, and you may wish to integrate an IMBD school festival into your Junior Duck Stamp Program. To learn more about IMBD events and programs, obtain the IMBD Organizers' Packet and IMBD Educators' Supplement.

National Fishing Week. National Fishing Week is geared toward raising awareness of the importance of fisheries, watersheds, and wetlands. It is a multi-agency event in which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is a main partner. National Fishing Week is celebrated annually the first week of June. Although National Fishing Week occurs right at the end of the school year, you may wish to integrate observation of National Fishing Week with one of the wetlands-focused activities in the Junior Duck Stamp curriculum.

National Wildlife Refuge Week (NWRW). National Wildlife Refuge Week is celebrated annually the second week in October. The goals of NWRW are to raise awareness of the rich diversity of wildlife and habitats included in the National Wildlife Refuges and the importance of conserving refuges. National Wildlife Refuges serve as wonderful outdoor, living laboratories and most have excellent interpretation and education programs geared to students. Most refuges celebrate NWRW during which education and outreach activities are enhanced. Observing National Wildlife Refuge Week by highlighting the importance of refuges to migratory waterfowl and other migratory birds could be an excellent extension activity to include in your Junior Duck Stamp curriculum. See the National Wildlife Refuge Map to identify the refuge closest to you.

Design a Schoolyard Wetlands or Other Habitat. Waterfowl and other migratory birds benefit from even the smallest areas of restored habitat. Ask students to consider the ways in which your schoolyard or backyard could be enhanced for waterfowl (or other wildlife) including possible needs for additional water sources, food, and cover. Then have them employ elements of design to create a schematic layout of an enhanced habitat at the chosen site. First have them create an illustrated map of what your school yard currently looks like. Then have them consider all the ways they could improve your school yard's "habitat"and create a second map which portrays a more ideal habitat for waterfowl or other migratory birds. This could be considered an exercise in "landscape design" in which students integrate the beneficial habitat components, such as water sources, feeding stations, areas of cover, etc., into a map of your existing school site. Restoring an area of your school yard to provide habitat for birds can also provide an excellent outdoor classroom. This project could be expanded to include cross-curricular teaching activities for your school

Develop a Nest Box, Bird House, and/or Bird Feeding Station Project. Some bird species are cavity nesters, requiring holes in dead trees in which to nest. These species, including wood ducks and blue birds, have benefitted from the availability of next boxes. Others, such as house wrens and purple martins benefit from bird houses. Most (but not all) birds benefit from feeding stations. Have students research appropriate designs and build a nest box, bird house, or bird feeding station. This could be conducted in conjunction with a vocational education program. You may also wish to conduct a contest in which students compete to create award-winning nest box, bird house, or feeder designs. Local chapters of the American Institute for Architects have been known to help judge such contests. Audubon Societies may help with this project.

Bird Buttons. Buttons are popular with both children and adults. Teach students about migratory birds by having them select a particular bird species from which they will design and make a button. Provide students with a precut circle of card stock on which they will create an illustration of their species. They may wish to include the bird's common and scientific name and any other information they want to communicate about the bird. When students have completed their illustrations, have the card stack laminated and attach a pin to it with glue. Students may wish to make a collection of bird buttons and/or trade them with other students. As a class you could provide a set of bird buttons as a gift to a classroom in another state or country. Bird bookmarks could be made using the same basic procedure with rectangular bookmark shaped card stock.

Cartoons and Bumper Stickers - Communicating with Humor. Humor may be one of the best ways to communicate information about important topics. Bumper stickers and cartoons are two means by which popular media makes use of humor to communicate messages. Have students consider all that they have learned about waterfowl and other migratory birds and the need for conservation of their habitat. Have them write quick, short messages they would want to communicate about these issues. Then have students design either a cartoon or a graphically illustrated bumper sticker that communicates these messages. You may wish to exhibit students cartoons in a visible location in your school many print shops are now able to produce bumper stickers at a low cost.

Alice in Waterland. Explore different bodies of water, and try to identify various aquatic wildlife present in each one. Have students make simple "water scopes" using the following techniques:

- using a can opener, remove both ends of a juice can;
- carefully tape the sharp edges so you don't cut yourself;
- stretch a piece of clear plastic wrap tightly over one end of the can, overlapping on all sides;
- put an elastic band around the end of the can so the plastic wrap is held tightly in place;
- trim edges of the plastic to make them even and then tape them down with waterproof tape;
- test your water scope in a basin of water;
- lower plastic wrap end into the water making sure the open end never goes below the water.

Now visit a nearby pond or marsh, look through the open end of the scope and see for yourself what lurks below the watery surface.

Banquet for Birds. Have students research the food preferences of a variety of birds that breed in your area. Provide the basic ingredients, such as millet, sunflower seed, corn, etc., and swatches of remnant cloth. Instruct students to make up sample seed satchels by creating the appropriate seed mix. Then have them pour just enough onto a piece of cloth. Gather the cloth up at the edges and tie a piece of yarn around the top. Last, have students prepare small gift cards indicating for what species the seed mix is appropriate and the basic ingredients of the seed mix. The satchels can then be given as gifts to parents, other classes, or senior centers, used at boys and girls clubs, or provided for holiday benefit sales.

Plaster Casts. Plaster casts are a great way for students to get "up close and personal" with animal tracks. Have students practice with plaster casting technique by developing a cast of a leaf. Have them press a leaf into a thin slab of damp plaster in a cardboard box. Make a good impression then remove the leaf. Poke a hanging hole in the top with a pencil. Now visit a local natural area and search for tracks of birds or other animals. Make casts using basic casting techniques as directed on bags of Plaster of Paris.

Bird Origami. Birds are found throughout Japanese art including origami, the ancient Japanese art form of paper folding. Obtain an origami design book and copy several of the origami designs of birds for students to try. Have students make their origami birds in many different colors of origami paper. When students have completed their birds, you may wish to make an origami mobile following the mobile construction technique outlined in Bird and Habitat Mobile.

Edible Birds. Have students select a bird that has become a favorite through their work in the Junior Duck Stamp Program. Have them create a stencil of this bird by making the cutting out a line drawing on card board. Make rolled dough cookie batter such as sugar cookies or short bread. Have students cut out shapes of their bird by pressing their stencils into the dough and cutting around the stencil with a dinner knife. Cook cookies; have students present their "cookie birds" stating one piece of information about its natural history, and enjoy a class bird cookie feed.

Bird Stained Glass. Stained glass is a wonderful way to convey concepts of color, intensity, and hue. Have students identify a bird for which they would like to make a stained glass construction. Have them identify colorful birds that would lend themselves to stained glass. Work with a vocational education program or shop class to produce the stained glass.

Crazy Critters. Tell students they will be making a three-part bird. Have them fold a piece of paper into three equal sections. The first student will draw a picture of a bird's head on the first section making sure that the bird's neck extends to the second section. The second student draws a body without looking at the head. The third student draws the bird's legs and feet without looking at the other sections. Have students unfold their drawings and give their Crazy Critter a name.

Notable Quotables. Have students create drawings from any one of the following quotations and topics. "Duck soup," "You're a dead duck," Sitting duck," "Tempus fugit," (time flies), "That's just ducky," "Walks like a duck," "Sounds like a duck," "Lame duck administration," What's good for the goose is good for the gander," "You've cooked your goose," "Wild goose chase," "Graceful as a swan," "A little bird told me," "Egg Head," "Which came first the chicken or the egg?" " She's an old crow," "He's batty," "A quack doctor," "He's an odd duck." "Feather in your cap," "Feather your nest," "Nesting instincts," "Feather weight," "Get your ducks in a row."

Totem Poles. Have students draw small one-to-two inch square images of bird species that have become their favorites during the Junior Duck Stamp Program. Then have them glue them to a tube taken from the inside of a paper towel roll. Add feathers and geometric Native American designs to the pole.

Flying Machines. Have students list all the things they can think of that fly. Airplanes, bats, birds, kites, hot air balloons, gliders, helicopters, hand gliders, baseballs, and butterflies are a start. Have students create a mural with images of these flying machines. Then discuss the similarities in shape and design that helps keep them aloft.

Bird Headdresses. Have students research the headdresses and helmets in art books on pre-Columbian Mayan and Aztec, American Indian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, African, Eskimo, medieval, and contemporary helmets. Have them select a bird species they would like to represent and design an original headdress for themselves. Contact a local costume or performing arts store for artificial feathers. Use this as an opportunity to discuss the marketing of feathers from water birds to supply the millinery trade in the early part of the twentieth century. Waterbird populations plummeted as a result of the huge demand for plumes resulting in the establishment of the first National Wildlife Refuge and National Audubon Society.

Stamps and Stamp Collecting. Stamps and stamp collecting represent an interesting and rich tradition in the United States. Make sure students understand the distinction between Federal Duck Stamps, regular postage stamps, and commemorative stamps. Federal Duck Stamps must be purchased by hunters to accompany their state hunting licenses. They are revenue stamps, not postage stamps. Proceeds from Federal Duck Stamp sales are used to purchase wetlands. Duck stamps are printed on a one time only basis and not reprinted after the first run is sold out. All unsold stamps are destroyed after three years. These represent some of the more novel designs among the stamp collecting world. You may want to show students a series of Federal Duck Stamps and winning Junior Duck Stamps from years past. (Available on the Federal Duck Stamp home page at www.fws.gov/r9dso/.)

Neighbors, friends, and relatives are a good source for stamps. Office mail may be even better. Tell students to be very careful when handling stamps. Most collectors go to great pains to protect stamps from greasy fingers, food and drink spills, and fading from direct sunlight.

Stamp Design Mural. Cover a table with white butcher paper and outline several stamps (perforations only) with black marker. Have students select waterfowl species and draw waterfowl stamp designs directly on the paper. The finished paper can be used for a mural on the wall.

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