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This year’s new Georgia Natural History Class led by science teacher Owen Kinney won second place at the Youth Environmental Symposium (YES) held in Atlanta. The class earned a trophy and $750 that it plans to spend on expanding the wildlife garden it started outside the Kawamura Science Building and on constructing a small pond next year.
The class project for the competition was bird conservation through citizen science, habitat creation, and environmental outreach. Members of the class participated in the first annual Floyd County Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Using their knowledge of bird identification, the students joined small parties of other local birdwatchers as they identified and counted birds within a 15-mile diameter circle. The class and 25 local participants tallied over 19,000 birds and 95 species.
As one of 2,000 count circles throughout the Americas, the class contributed its CBC data to the National Audubon Society. CBC results are used to monitor the distribution and abundance of local bird populations. In preparation for the count, students compiled a list of winter birds in Georgia that, in turn, was used to create a field checklist for participants.
Students are joining local birdwatchers on May 4 for the first annual Darlington School "Bird-a-Thon". Sponsored by the National Audubon Society, this citizen science opportunity monitors populations of migratory birds and provides a venue for birdwatchers to contribute to international conservation efforts. The students have solicited donations from individuals and businesses in the community to preserve the habitats of imperiled songbirds. From this event, students will create a field data sheet that includes spring migrants.
And, the entire class has been involved in the planning, planting, and maintenance of a wildlife garden on the grounds of the science building. The garden focuses on native plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Many of the plants have been propagated from seed in the campus greenhouse. Besides plants the class plans to add bird feeders and some labels for the plants with short descriptions.
The following seniors participated in the YES project and attended the presentation at the symposium: Matt Arne, Trip Barnes, Jenna Biuso, Helen Davis, Alicia Gamble, Susan Harbin, Lily Ingram, Adam Kijowski, Jeremy Martin, Lindsay Martin, Alex Murray, and Aaron Sumner.
YES is an annual competition among classes of middle and high school students designed to develop knowledgeable, dedicated, and interested students who are more aware of environmental issues. Now in its fourth year, YES provides incentives for students to investigate environmental issues.
