Bluebirds
By Gordon Rushville High School
March 19, 2009
Bluebird Project Comes To GRHS
We have never watched a bluebird in flight, never studied the bird’s intricacies, nor actually seen its nest. We believe that filming a bluebird would be extremely beneficial and educational for us, allowing us to learn about the bluebird’s habitat and characteristics. Filming will include building the birdhouses, placing them in the Gordon-Rushville area and watching the nesting process. Mike Fussleman, Tory Winters, Gen Bon Fleur, Ellie Heath and Jeremy Parks are a few of the students at GRHS learning all about bluebirds.
Recently, Gordon-Rushville High School applied for and received a Service Learning Grant involving students and staff in developing bluebird trails in Sheridan County. Students will build 20 nesting boxes to be distributed throughout Sheridan County. They will determine the most appropriate bushes for food sources and plant in selected areas. Turner funds will help in purchasing berry bushes for the bluebirds. Teachers are developing classroom plans that will have students investigate and perform scientific inquiry regarding a local wildlife concept while performing a service learning project for the Gordon-Rushville area. Students will gain skills in collecting, recording and interpreting environmental data. Field investigations of wildlife habitats will be conducted and additional food sources will be added to the area when possible. Students will also learn to identify common predators to bluebirds and develop strategies to help protect the birdhouses from them. Students will also graph and plot where the bird homes are placed using Global Positioning Systems. They will need to observe the wildlife because wildlife is an important indicator of the overhaul health of the environment which provides information on availability of food, water, or shelter in the area. The students will count and record bluebird sightings as well as the number of fledglings raised in the birdhouse.
The major purpose of this project is for students to recognize various interactions in an ecosystem. Student will learn about habitats, ecosystems, and niches, interdependence, charges and adoptions, human impacts, wildlife management, trends and much more. Not only do the students learn these ideas, but they experience them in the back yards of their community.
Students are hoping they are asked to share their knowledge of bluebirds and their environment with members of the community. They are optimistic that this project will increase awareness and benefit conservation efforts in the area
