NewsAcademics
Team places first in birding competition
May 1, 2009 12:00 AM
By Tannika King - Faculty
A group of Darlington students won first place in the rookie division of the Statewide Youth Birding Competition last weekend, held at the Charlie Elliott Environmental Education Center in Mansfield, Ga. The event was sponsored by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
“Winning was the icing on the cake for this group of seniors,” said science teacher Owen Kinney. “Over the past few months, they have all worked really hard to learn about Georgia’s diverse bird fauna in their Georgia Natural History class. This is the fourth year my students have participated in the Youth Birding Competition, so it’s really exciting to bring home a win.”
Darlington entered two teams in the contest. The rookies, made up of students who have never competed in this particular competition before, included seniors Meg Bowden, Jim Matthews, Katie Mullen, Monique Picon and Collie Powers. The other team – which entered the more competitive open division – included seniors Anna Loveless and Lauren McDaniel; fourth-grader Ian Kinney; and Anna Rice, a homeschooled student from Cumming, Ga.
“Both teams traveled to sites around Georgia in pursuit of birds over a 24-hour period,” Kinney said. “In their quest, they visited the wetlands at Arrowhead Environmental Education Center in Armuchee, Berry College’s vast mountain campus, Georgia Highlands College wetland areas, various agricultural sites in Taylorsville and the forests of Charlie Elliot Wildlife Center in Mansfield. The most exciting birds seen for the day were a scissor-tail flycatcher, bobolinks, summer and scarlet tanagers, and a lone horned lark.”
At the final banquet, the rookie team won first overall with a total of 113 species, and each team member went home with a new pair of binoculars. The advanced team placed third overall with a total of 118 species, and each student won a copy of “The Sibley Guide to Birds.” In addition, junior Jesse Milner’s painting of an osprey won first place in the Youth Birding Competition’s T-shirt design contest. He received a $100 gift card to Michael’s craft store, and his design appeared on all official 2009 Youth Birding Competition T-shirts.
“Winning was the icing on the cake for this group of seniors,” said science teacher Owen Kinney. “Over the past few months, they have all worked really hard to learn about Georgia’s diverse bird fauna in their Georgia Natural History class. This is the fourth year my students have participated in the Youth Birding Competition, so it’s really exciting to bring home a win.”
Darlington entered two teams in the contest. The rookies, made up of students who have never competed in this particular competition before, included seniors Meg Bowden, Jim Matthews, Katie Mullen, Monique Picon and Collie Powers. The other team – which entered the more competitive open division – included seniors Anna Loveless and Lauren McDaniel; fourth-grader Ian Kinney; and Anna Rice, a homeschooled student from Cumming, Ga.
“Both teams traveled to sites around Georgia in pursuit of birds over a 24-hour period,” Kinney said. “In their quest, they visited the wetlands at Arrowhead Environmental Education Center in Armuchee, Berry College’s vast mountain campus, Georgia Highlands College wetland areas, various agricultural sites in Taylorsville and the forests of Charlie Elliot Wildlife Center in Mansfield. The most exciting birds seen for the day were a scissor-tail flycatcher, bobolinks, summer and scarlet tanagers, and a lone horned lark.”
At the final banquet, the rookie team won first overall with a total of 113 species, and each team member went home with a new pair of binoculars. The advanced team placed third overall with a total of 118 species, and each student won a copy of “The Sibley Guide to Birds.” In addition, junior Jesse Milner’s painting of an osprey won first place in the Youth Birding Competition’s T-shirt design contest. He received a $100 gift card to Michael’s craft store, and his design appeared on all official 2009 Youth Birding Competition T-shirts.
