Audubon in the Schools Is Back!

The AITS (Audubon in the Schools) program sends volunteers into the classroom and out into the field with students to create future ornithologists and foster an appreciation of nature in the next generation. As of spring 2024, we have six volunteers, and requests are coming in from several schools, including Adams, Edison, Agnes Stewart Middle School, Thurston Elementary, and Yujin Gakuen Immersion School.

AITS currently offers two different lessons, Feathers 102 and Binoculars 101. The binoculars lesson starts with a quick review of basic bird characteristics and then instructs kids on how to use binoculars. We bring silhouettes to teach the identification of common birds, practice with pictures of birds, and then go outside to look, listen, and find birds. The feathers’ lesson starts with a presentation about the parts of a feather, the types of feathers, and their various uses. It ends with an art lesson that includes drawing feathers.

We’re always looking for more volunteers! If you’d like to get involved, please contact Barb Pope at aitsbirds@gmail.com. We give special thanks to the LCAS board for purchasing 10 new pairs of Nikon Trailblazer binoculars for our program.