MIAMI TOWNSHIP, OHIO - No Child left inside…

MIAMI  TOWNSHIP, OHIO - Children's Meeting House Montessori School is for the birds.  All sorts of birds: cardinals, chickadees, blue jays, woodpeckers, nuthatches, you name it.  The school has teamed up with bird expert Brett Gilmore from Wild Birds Unlimited (WBU) in Montgomery.  “This collaboration is a unique opportunity for us.  We are excited about the opportunity to work with the staff and students of Children’s Meeting House!”, said Gilmore.  “Feeding and watching birds is a great educational hobby and it is especially wonderful to share it with children”, says Gilmore.

Gilmore helped the school to develop a feeding station that would attract a wide diversity of birds.  He explained that some birds prefer to feed on the ground, others prefer platform feeders, and others standard bird feeders.  He explained that having a variety of food choices (thistle, sunflower, millet, nuts, suet, and berries) would attract more types of birds than a limited food choice.  The station he helped install at the school offers a wide variety of food types and offers them in many different feeders to attract even the finickest of avian diners.

The school hopes to increase the students' bird knowledge and identification skills through regular bird watching trips and visits to the bird feeding station.  The school will also be participating in the 11th  Annual Great Backyard Bird Count February 15 - 18, lead by Audubon and Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  Millions of expert and novice bird watchers participate in the event every year and enter their information at www.birdcount.org.  This event helps to create a picture of where birds are across the continent and contribute valuable information of science and conservation. Mr. Gilmore will be spending a day in February teaching the Montessori students about the birds at their feeders in preparation for the bird count.

The Cincinnati WBU will be hosting a feeder swap in March 2008 with the school being the recipient of the used feeders.  Customers can bring in a used feeder which will be refurbished for the Montessori students and will receive 20% off on a new feeder of their choice. 

Wild Birds Unlimited has created a Pathways to Nature for Kids initiative (http://www.wbu.com/pathwayforkids/) which promotes outdoor exploration in nature.  Pathways To Nature for Kids is also a major supporter of the National Wildlife Federations Green Hour website (http://www.greenhour.org). This site provides parents, caregivers and educators with resources, a daily calendar of exploration ideas, and an online community forum to help them get their kids outside everyday.